October is Pit Bull Awareness Month! If you we’re looking for a particular day to celebrate, October 26th 2019 is technically Pit Bull awareness day this year. I think most people know by now that it doesn’t matter what a dog’s breed is. How a dog is raised and treated is really the most important factor. There are a lot of misconceptions about “Pit Bull” breeds out there. See below about those, and some fun facts about these beautiful puppers!

Pit Bull Myths/Common Misconceptions

• Pit Bulls Are Aggressive – Again, this all comes down to their environment. Were they trained to be aggressive towards humans or other animals? If so then yes, they would be aggressive. But Pit Bulls are not born aggressive.
• An Aggressive Pit Bull Can’t Be Rehabilitated – This is very untrue. When a Pit Bull is rescued from an unsafe environment, it does take some time to get them to trust someone again. This is true for almost any animal treated poorly that has a second chance.
• Adopting a Pit Bull From a Rescue or Shelter is Dangerous – A shelter or rescue is a wonderful place to find any animal you may want to give a great home. Pit Bulls are just like any other dog, you want to meet them and see how they are with you. If you have other animals or children in your home, the facility will most likely suggest you bringing them to meet your hopeful new addition before completing the adoption.

Pit Bull Facts

• Pit Bulls Are Lovers Not Fighters – Pit Bulls thrive off of positive attention. They are loving, goofy, and friendly pups when they have great humans
• Pit Bulls Are Passionate – They are full of energy and will do anything to please you. This is where we as humans need to step up and teach them positive things to throw their boundless energy towards.
• Pit Bull is Not Really a Breed – That’s right, Pit Bull is not a breed. It is more of a type of dog like a hound. Pit Bull encompasses a whole host of similar dogs including:
  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • American Staffordshire Terrier
  • Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  • American Bully

So what have we learned today? You guessed it, humans have the potential to ruin or foster great things. Any dog can be dangerous if pushed in that direction. But, if treated well and trained properly, they can be a beautiful part of our lives. Some of my favorite dogs in my life are Pit Bull mixes and I would trust them around anyone including kids and other dogs.

Go out this month, and after you get permission from their owner, hug a Pit Bull!

Love,

Jess & Lily