I have been appalled lately by the reactions I get as I walk one of my newest clients around Downtown. My client's name is Bailey and he is a Pit Bull mix. He could be the sweetest dog I have ever met and certainly very well behaved. I know as well as anyone that not all pits or pit mixes are good dogs, but for that matter there is no breed that can guarantee a good dog, there are so many factors that determine that such as breeding, environment, owner/pet relationship and so on. I just don't understand why people see this sweet dog doing nothing more than walking beside me, not pulling, not lunging, no bad behavior at all, just walking and yet they assume the worst. Everything from jumping out of the way to actually exclaiming and accusing him of trying to bite because he chose to sniff someone as he walked by. If a miniature Poodle did the same thing, it would be cute.
What upsets me the most is that we fight so hard to end discrimination and prejudice among humans, but nothing is being done about the breed discrimination and prejudice among dogs. I am not saying that every dog you see is sweet and good, that is probably not the case, but I am saying approach each dog with the same caution. Don't assume anything about any breed, you can't possibly know anything by just looking at a dog. Keep an open mind, I hope that all that read this already do.
To learn more about Pit Bulls and how to help, bark on the link: Bark!
