[Chris Atkinson]

It seems many RTF'ers are pretty much in agreement over the "wrongness" of Kirk's son's Pre-K project picture having been "vetoed" by the administration/teacher/other parents.

I've been meaning to post pics for a while of our latest rescue dog - who is not a retriever. Here's a picture of my own 5 year old son with our dog, whom my wife and I have agreed we will treat like a gun....action open, safety on, treat it as if it's always loaded.

So far, so good....she was chosen for her personality, her demeanor, and her calm temperament. Ironically, her behavior in the house is the complete and polar opposite of my 3 y/o BLM, who is not exactly capable of cuddling.......





With my son Sammy:

Pretty cool face/eyes:

RTF'ers: Introducing "Vi" aka "Violet" aka "Purpledawg" aka "the Perpetrator"

 

[Rudd]

Like guns, they have a bad rep because of bad owners.

I think you should color over the dog in the picture, especially that "odd" toy he's chewing.

Dont even want to know....

 

[jeff t.]

our dog, whom my wife and I have agreed we will treat like a gun....action open, safety on, treat it as if it's always loaded.

What does this mean in the context of having the dog with with young kids?

Good of you to give this one a home. Did it affect your homeowner's insurance rates? A co-worker was about to adopt a pit bull mix, but nixed it because of a problem with his insurer. They ended up with a rescue labrador.

 

[Chris Atkinson]

What does this mean in the context of having the dog with with young kids?

Good of you to give this one a home. Did it affect your homeowner's insurance rates?

With young kids: when neighbor kids are around, she is in a crate or on lead held by an adult.

No, no impact on my homeowner's insurance. In fact, my local agent's office applauded our taking the time to screen over 200 dogs from three local shelters before picking the one we did - and for giving her a home and a chance. She was a stray with no papers, no known history.

So far, a really cool dog.

Chris

 

[Clark]

Good for you for taking a chance on him.....not a chance I would take with my kids though. With 200 dogs to choose from and no history available on the dog, I think I would have gone a different direction.

Good looking dog though, hope he gives your son some great memories..I know I always loved wrestlin' with my mutts when I was growing up.

 

[DEDEYE]

She sure seems to feel relaxed around your son. I think it's awesome that you guys rescued her.

 

[afdahl]

Chris,

Nice pics; beautiful dog.

If you are concerned about attitudes toward your dog, you might be interested in the writings of Vickie Hearne. She traces some of the mythology of the APBT from the time of WWI, when it was used to represent the US in a famous patriotic poster, through the 1970s when nobody really understood what the HSUS was up to but for some reason they instigated the anti-Pit hysteria, through some of the ugly purges where family pets were seized and destroyed, etc. One interesting effect was that after the HSUS falsely claimed that dogfighters kept Pits and trained them on declawed kittens and defenseless puppies of non-fighting breeds, some people took this as an instruction set and began doing it.

Traditionally the dogs were bred to be strongly inhibited about biting humans, and I know at least one protection trainer who says they have all the courage you want, but too often turn out willing to bite decoys in suits, but unwilling to bite the bad guys who are not so protected.

Amy Dahl

 

[HuntinDawg]

Chris, she is a nice looking dog. I trust that you know what you are doing. Personally I would be much more comfortable with my kid and I alone with a loaded gun than I would be with my kid and I alone with a pit bull or pit mix. I do understand that their owners are largely to blame, but not sure I could trust one with my kids just because of the damage they are capable of and because I would never forgive myself for putting my kids in that situation if something did happen. In summary, your picture gives me more concern than the other picture you referenced. Part of that is because I am infinitely more familiar with the safe use and handling of firearms than I am with the safe handling of pit bulls. I hope she is a fantastic family companion for all of her days.

I love the nickname perpetrator. Hilarious.

 

[Andy Carlson]

She is beautiful!! My pit will be 12 in April, time sure does fly!

She is a very lucky dog to be adopted into your family.

Andy

 

[DarrinGreene]

good on ya brother Chris...

 

[jimmyp]

I resued a pit mix several years ago, she was one of the best dogs I had ever owned. I say was because my dad asked me if he could take her a few years back after his truck dog passed. She sleeps between my parents in their bed every night. Pits will always have a bad rep due to media and ignorance. Good for you and ur family. I hope you have lots of good times with ur rescue.
Jim

 

[mostlygold]

Nice looking pup. I have no computer talent or I would load up some pictures of my current rescue pit. She is my second one and they were both gems. As with any breed, there are bad ones and they always seem to get the press. My previous rescue pit got his TT and CDX (with Dog World Award). My current one runs agility and has titled in USDAA and CPE. She also loves to retrieve, but being a terrier (or terrorist as I call her), it then becomes a game of "can you actually get this back from me". I love their athletic ability and how silly they can be.

regards
dawn

 

[Snicklefritz]

Chris, I have several up-close-and-personal experiences with Pits in my former law enforcement carreer. None of them were good.

On the other hand, I fostered a year old female for a brief time, in spite of my LEO experience, and got a very different picture indeed.

But, there's an old military adage that goes something like this: "When the sh*t hits the fan, you will not rise to occasion, you will fight the way you trained."

I don't know how a couple of hundred years of breeding to attack other animals without provocation, can be overcome when "the sh*t hits the fan." Not saying it can't be done, but I just don't know how to accomplish that reliably.

I have learned that aggression toward humans, and aggression towards other dogs are not automatically linked. And, in most situations, any dog of any breed can get along famously with both.

But, when "the sh*t hits the fan" what is likely difference between a dog bred to retrieve and a dog bred to fight?

'Princess' was a lovely dog, who got some very bad breaks. I wish her, and you, and your family the best. And, I admire your willingness to go the extra mile.

Chuck

 

[Judy Chute]

..all kinds of RTF members trying to give a second chance to abandoned dogs! Just hard to believe so many are found as strays...with no one every showing up looking for them.

Congratulations! ...on your new family member!

Judy

 

[Poodlegirl]

Hey Chris...FYIW I have known a few really mean Labs, a mean Poodle and definitely a mean Chessie. Hell, a I got bit in the back of head by a feral cat this summer - so ANYTHING can happen in any breed or with any animal. I don't know much about Pit Bulls, but I do know that one is beautiful. My guess is that there are exceptions in any breed and I hope that yours is that...Congratuations on the addition to your family!

Claudia

 

[John Gassner]

Chris, could you please color some pants on your poor son! I am deeply offended. I don't want to go to jail for having RTF on my "favorites".

PS Great pic!

John

 

[mostlygold]

Snicklefritz

If you read the history of Stafforshire Bull Terriers, Am Staff Terriers and Am Pit Bull terriers you would find that they haven't been bred for 100 yrs to "attack other animals without provocation". Staffie Bulls were considered the "childrens nursery companion" in England for a long time. They were war heroes and family pets.

Yes, they are terriers, and terriers like to hunt varmits. Truthfully my previous 2 Goldens killed a lot more varmits that both of my pit bulls every did. The golden I just lost at age 16+ yrs killed more than a dozen squirrels, 4 skunks, a whole lot of woodchucks and 3 slow and stupid possums in her life. Yet she was extremely soft mouthed on birds and very sweet with people.

In Law enforcement, you certainly don't come across the best situations. Most of the dogs you meet are horribly treated and used to guard illegal stuff. I'm certain the people who "own" those dogs are every bit as ruthless, if not more so, than the dogs, yet you do not classify all humans as aggressive and deadly. I think the human race is WAY ahead of the canine one in "attacking without provocation".

Regards
dawn

 

[RemsBPJasper]

My mom got a Pit puppy about 2 months ago and she is a sweet dog. She gets along well with my little brother and sister (10 & 11) and gets along great with my dogs and my brother's dogs.

I've had the ability to work with some very nice Pits and some not so nice. My bites so far have been handed out by a GSD, weim, golden, and most recently a Wheaton Terrier. I had a lab that put 7 stitches into my little brother after a bite to his eye (if you recall). I enjoy Pits, a lot of them have great personalities.

My opinion is that they are like any other dog, judge them on an individual basis. Congratulations on the new addition and thanks for taking the time to search so long and give a dog a second chance. She is beautiful and I hope your son grows up with some great memories from her.

 

[Wtrfwl with Ruff]

Chris i was immediately set at ease with Vi when Moira let ruff into the house and he decided that her little kennel should be big enough for both of them to share. Ruff was blown away by her good looks and personality. lol.
Good call man shes a great dog and you no what you are doing. Vi is a lucky dog...

 

[22899]

Chris, could you please color some pants on your poor son! I am deeply offended. I don't want to go to jail for having RTF on my "favorites".

PS Great pic!

HAHAHAHAHEHEHE!!!!

Man that right there is just not right!!


You are a lucky man Chris!!



Gooser