In a conversation with another Basenji owner at the dog park, she asked, “How’s the pit bull population here?” As in, the park. It was her first visit.
Without hesitating, I answered, “High.”
6 October 2011
And I added, “But the vast majority of pit bull owners that come here know what they’re doing. They’re here to socialize their dogs, and we haven’t really had any problems with them. We run into several every time we’re here.”
24 November 2011
These big dogs that we met on Thanksgiving are a case in point. I started watching them because all three were extremely vocal, mouthy dogs. They were growling and pummeling each other as soon as they met. But even though they sounded vicious, it was clear that they were just playing. It helped that all three were pretty well matched, and as a bonus, their people were right there watching them the whole time.
Raider, the black and white pit on the left, was in the middle of it all and having loads of tongue-flapping fun. Every now and then, Max the Mastiff would be pulled aside when his people sensed he was getting overstimulated. He lives with the brindle Chester, and while the two play very well with each other, they supposedly have a tendency to gang up on other dogs, especially when the play gets rough.
Bowdu wanted to cut in and referee at points, but the big dogs paid him no mind. In the below shot, Max is in time out, but Raider and Chester just knocked into him, causing him to twist against his collar and make Bowdu jump backwards. It looks awkward, but everything was under control.
See? Back to playplayplay.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to handle dogs this large and energetic, but it’s definitely nice to admire them from afar.
And up close, too!
The House of Two Bows 雙寶之屋 
that brindle one makes my eyes happy. what a gorgeous dog!
Those are some handsome dogs! Poor Bowdu, he looks so little and fluffy compared to them!
Juneau is a handful sometimes, especially at dog parks since she doesn’t always get along and can decide in a second that she doesn’t like another dog. She’s pretty strong for her size too. My weight limit is probably 100-120 pounds, but only because I’ve handled big dogs before and are confident I can do it.
Heh, my personal limit would be 60 ~ 70 pounds. Bad childhood experience of trying to walk a 120# Golden Retriever that outweighed me and had too much energy (in part because he wasn’t getting walked enough because I wasn’t very good at it — a vicious cycle).
I’d like to be able to carry my dog on my own, perhaps with the help of a trusted partner, if it came down to some worst case scenario.
Haha – we say “playplayplay” too.
I love seeing pitties and mixes with good owners. It brings me much joy because they’re helping change the perception of them as “vicious” dogs. The ones in my dog runs are angels, albeit rough, but very playful. They never mean any harm.
I’ve learned to judging their owner and their choice of gear for their dog when meeting and assessing a dog for the first time. That information usually gives me everything I need to know.
There have only been a handful of times where I was instantly turned off by the vibe I got from the pit bull’s person… I usually do try to give the benefit of the doubt. Even when the dog is sporting equipment that I would never use (even BAD RAP, for example, supports the use of prong collars when used correctly, though supposedly a lot of people don’t know how to use them correctly, myself included) or one of those horrid back-alley crop jobs (maybe they were rescued that way).
Yet, I do try to avoid some pits because Bowdu can be reactive to their movements and their breathing. If I see a particularly wild or clumsily-moving one coming down the way, I will try to veer away, and that has more to do with me being nervous about my dog and not the approaching dog’s breed. Bowdu’s improved though, so usually we can pass by with a simple ‘look at me’ (I make him focus on me as we move along, instead of the approaching dog).
Speaking of wild and clumsy, we had to move to the smaller dog run this morning because there was a 60 lb hound mix who had no control over her momentum of her body after she *thought* that she stopped moving and I was afraid that she would trample over timid Goo Goo. She was so playful and I knew that she meant no harm but it was better to be safe than sorry. Poor little Goo Goo.