Post by zaeva06 on Nov 12, 2011 17:26:01 GMT -5
While out walking with Maxine today around the city, everyone that we came accross kept commenting on how well behaved she was. Despite bikes, take-out in bags and little childern who parent's were blissfully off in their own lala-land while their kids ran every which way, Maxine simply greeted them all with a wagging tail and 'Come pet me, I'm cute!' eyes.
I continue to be amazed at how quickly she's re-picked up her clicker training, as well as her general good attitude towards just about everything that comes her way.
We walk her on a simple nylon harness that clips in the back, and for about 90-95% of the entire 6+ miles, her leash was either slack or just barely taut. I've never had a dog walk this well, despite owning some for 10+ years.
We're still working on her dog reactivity, even that's improved as she's gone from tense and barking to play-bowing and pawing with the Newfoundland that lives next door whenever they meet through the fence.
After her walk today I thought back to before her adoption, our family's strict "No Pit Bull' rule, and all that has chanced for us since Maxine came into our lives.
Before Maxine our only experience with pit bulls or pit-mixes had been negetive. We have lived in areas close to Detriot all of our lives, have only seen these dogs as over-muscled and cropped ear'ed creatures that either snarled through fences and at the end of chains, or else were abused to nothing but bones and scars. We've witnessed pit bull fights in the streets, and our 'wonderful' police force do nothing for them when it's been called in.
Our one personal experience came from a one and a half year old pit/lab mix that we attempted to adopt from a local shelter. We had him for less then two weeks before we regretably had to return him. The dog was very human aggressive and did not do well with childern. (I was 10 at the time we adopted him). Of course the shelter failed to mention all of this.
After being bitten in the leg several time by this dog and having to climb up a tree and wait their untill my father could come outside and drag the dog away, himself being bit in the process, our family decided on our personal 'No Pit Bull' rule.
Maxine has changed all this now. I could'nt imagine not waking up in the morning without finding her wiggled underneath my covers, or curled up into a ball over on the futon. She's exact opposite of the image that we once had of these dogs, and everything we could have asked for in a family pet.
Finally, because this post has gotten a heck of a lot longer then I thought it would be, a most sincere thank you to everyone here at RBP.
Through the couple of posts that I've made at this site, and reading other's reponses to some of the same questions that I've had, it's helped in a huge way as far as what to expect from Maxine, and also what not to expect of her as far as her Pit Bull side goes.
-Thanks again everyone, keep this place going!
I continue to be amazed at how quickly she's re-picked up her clicker training, as well as her general good attitude towards just about everything that comes her way.
We walk her on a simple nylon harness that clips in the back, and for about 90-95% of the entire 6+ miles, her leash was either slack or just barely taut. I've never had a dog walk this well, despite owning some for 10+ years.
We're still working on her dog reactivity, even that's improved as she's gone from tense and barking to play-bowing and pawing with the Newfoundland that lives next door whenever they meet through the fence.
After her walk today I thought back to before her adoption, our family's strict "No Pit Bull' rule, and all that has chanced for us since Maxine came into our lives.
Before Maxine our only experience with pit bulls or pit-mixes had been negetive. We have lived in areas close to Detriot all of our lives, have only seen these dogs as over-muscled and cropped ear'ed creatures that either snarled through fences and at the end of chains, or else were abused to nothing but bones and scars. We've witnessed pit bull fights in the streets, and our 'wonderful' police force do nothing for them when it's been called in.
Our one personal experience came from a one and a half year old pit/lab mix that we attempted to adopt from a local shelter. We had him for less then two weeks before we regretably had to return him. The dog was very human aggressive and did not do well with childern. (I was 10 at the time we adopted him). Of course the shelter failed to mention all of this.
After being bitten in the leg several time by this dog and having to climb up a tree and wait their untill my father could come outside and drag the dog away, himself being bit in the process, our family decided on our personal 'No Pit Bull' rule.
Maxine has changed all this now. I could'nt imagine not waking up in the morning without finding her wiggled underneath my covers, or curled up into a ball over on the futon. She's exact opposite of the image that we once had of these dogs, and everything we could have asked for in a family pet.
Finally, because this post has gotten a heck of a lot longer then I thought it would be, a most sincere thank you to everyone here at RBP.
Through the couple of posts that I've made at this site, and reading other's reponses to some of the same questions that I've had, it's helped in a huge way as far as what to expect from Maxine, and also what not to expect of her as far as her Pit Bull side goes.
-Thanks again everyone, keep this place going!
I look forward to learning much here