My Dog Is Not A Pit Bull...

... but, if she were, I'd love her just the same.

When I first went to write this post I wasn't sure what to write about because it's getting later into the night and if you follow my blog you know my brain starts shutting off around now. After a few moments of recalling my day I knew I needed to write about Penny.

Today Alex and I took her to the dog park and she's gotten used to the regular dogs on Tuesday but none were there today so there was a whole new set of dogs for her to meet. Everything was going good, she was running around, trying to get other dogs to play, pooping, and giving her goofy-sweet dimple smile. Then a new dog was coming in with a prissy woman. She seemed to me to be a new dog owner because she saw all the dogs crowding around the entrance to greet the new dog yet she was pushing for her dog to go inside. Instead, she let the dogs into the entrance-greet-through-the-gate area (including my Penny Cake) and they all got excited and on-top of each other. If you know about dogs and their interactions/pack mentality, you know that this will stir some dominance growls and the like. I'm not sure exactly what happened but there was some dominance-barking but when I looked closer at what was happening, this woman was very clearly considering hitting Penny (who was among other dogs in the entrance-greet area).

Finally all the dogs were in the actual park area and they were running around. The whole time, this woman was giving Penny the scrunched-brow look as if Penny was the cause of all trouble. 

It is not uncommon for people to look at my sweet Penny and think of her as a Pit Bull. While there is nothing wrong with making an easily inaccurate analysis, there is indeed something wrong with stamping on all negative traits imposed upon Pit Bulls due to shitty ass owners and non-compassionate monsters who consider themselves human. If you look at my dog an think Pit Bull, fine. But don't act like my dog is going to run over to you and rip you and your dog to shreds just because you're there and she appears to be a Pit Bill.
If you take the time to observe Penny and spend time with her you would see that what my dog really is is a big bundle of love that enjoys giving kisses, snuggles, belly rubs, kitty swats (she lets Rinpoche play with her then he runs when she mimics his swats), and running with other dogs. If you want to know about genetics, she is, genetically, half Weimaraner and half Boxer.

Penny really enjoys playing with other dogs. She is a rough player and (to the woman who gave my sweet girl the ugly eye) if she tries to play with your dog but your dog is very timid, it is not considered aggressive-- your dog is just not socialized enough to know what playing with other dogs is like. This is not my dog's fault that you have failed at being a dog owner. If you bring your dog to a dog park, be prepared for shows of dominance, timidness, some aggression when dogs don't click well (it happens just like it happens with people). Just be prepared and attentive but, my best advice is, don't be a prissy bitch who glares at my dog who's being a dog at the dog park. Don't tell your dog to go play but the moment they go play with other dogs you call them back to you. Don't yell at your dog for climbing up on the bench next to you or eating the grass while you gesture and command them to stay near you. Instead, try not being pretentious, wear clothes you don't mind getting some dirt on, and, if your dog needs encouragement, get off your lazy bum and walk them over to the other dogs to get them to play.

Also, when you see a dog who's been in the park for a while (who has not shown any true signs of aggression towards the dogs already in the park) get into a brawl with a new dog, don't start fearing for your dog's life as if my dog is going to decide she likes the taste of blood and comes for yours next. Instead, observe how an owner handles the situation and what is done to correct and understand the issue.
So, woman who judged my sweet fur child, read up on dog behavior, let your poor dog run free, and fix that hideous face of yours-- I'm sure you'd look more attractive with a smile and a warm heart open to all creatures, no matter the prejudice put against them.

I'm not saying Penny is perfect; the fight with the other dog today at the park proves that. I'm just saying there's a difference between dogs being messed with by other dogs and dogs who are just plain aggressive.
I'll put it simply: Penny is an angel that doesn't put up with any shit. If a dog is nipping at her or trying to dominate her, she will growl or bark at the other dog to stop then, once the other dog stops, she'll stop. Usually. Today, the new dog introduced was extremely excited and displayed very dominant traits from the start. When they came in there was a tousle but it was stopped. Thinking back, I should have pushed Penny to her back to make sure she knew she wasn't dominant and just cut down on her excitement (exposing a dog's underside is equivalent to making them submit to you. You as the owner should always be the alpha dog). Instead, I pulled her from the other dog (totally ready to get bit and shove as needed) and made her sit out from play for a few moments. Then I released her to run and play.
And then the dog nipped at her. Like I said, Penny doesn't take shit. Unfortunately this dog continued after Penny's initial growl/bark "Don't nip or dominate me!" And there was a brawl. I ran over and I don't know how I got to her so quick or exactly what was happening each moment but I remember seeing Penny's jaw clamped on the back of the other dog's neck (this is a "I'm done with your shit, you're going to submit so I don't have to deal with this anymore"). Alex informed me the jaw is clamped here in order to mount the dog and obtain dominance but the other dog was fighting it. I was scared for the other dog and for Penny so I jumped in there and shoved my fingers between Penny's teeth shouting for her to let the dog go. (Alex's tip is to move your fingers towards the back of the mouth towards the throat to make it more uncomfortable for the dog-- this will cause them to want to release). Then I somehow got Penny to let go. The other dog continued to try to nip but Alex intervened and moved it away. (Yes, all this was occuring while the other dog's owner didn't seem phased. He was there but was not alarmed as he should have been. Him and the pretentious bitch should have switched and then everything would have been appropriately handled). Alex pushed Penny to her back because she was indeed partially at fault because she continued to push back at the other dog.
I apologized to the other owner and made sure his dog was fine. He said she was and not to worry. I remained worried. I checked Penny up and down and did notice a bite on her face by her mouth and near her eye (thankfully her eyes are okay). It was definitely time to leave.

The reason I've shared this story is not to share aggression but to share events that happen at the dog park and how to handle them. So many people think they can bring their dog to the park and just do whatever. NO. A dog is a child, you need to watch their behavior and make corrections as needed. You need to stop your dog from trying to dominate all others and help ensure that all dogs agree to a neutral pack formation.
I'll leave the internet with one final tip: don't bring an in-tact (non-spayed or neutered) adult dog to the park. This will cause more trouble that it's worth.

Here's a super cute video to give you a big smile for the weekend!

Post by Pit Bull Fans.