I am honored you have chosen me for the owner of the month. There are so many on here that do so much. I try to help where I can, and hope to continue to do so. I started training dogs and people back in 1973. I believe a dog is a makeup of its genetics and its environment, nature and nurture, only because I have seen the results over the course of these many years. If you breed for a certain thing it will change the dog’s looks or personality, some for good others for bad. Plus the scientific community is researching all the time and I am sure we will learn more as time goes by. Change is something we must be ready for and accept. I have had to accept many changes in the training community, I have the unique perspective that I have gone from aversive (some call it compulsion, and some call it “yank and thank’) training to positive reinforcement, (some call it bribery). I was one who called it bribery a long time ago, but that was because I was ignorant to the theory and science behind the method. Then I was set straight. I saw how the dogs respond to aversive and how they respond to pos. training. My very first dog, a GSD, was a challenge, living in an alley where she was terrorized by children throwing fire crackers at her, she was sound shy. No surprise there. The owners where elderly and didn’t do much with her they wanted her as a guard dog and she turned out as anything but. So they gave her to my family, but my mother did not want her in the house either, she said “she’s too big, dogs belong outside, besides she’ll knock your grandmother over”. I wanted her in, but my mother said she’d have to be trained, and knowing I had so many extracurricular activities, I wouldn’t have time to do that. But, I found training books and people doing training at a park and got them to talk to me and I learned and soaked up everything I could. I have done so ever since, I loved going and reading and watching and helping out and learning. I have trained all my dogs, and they were indoor dogs. I also trained my cats. And about that first GSD? she ended up in the house and sleeping next to my bed and she became a guard dog, all on her own to protect me and anyone with her and learned to accept loud noises. I may not own an APBT but I do enjoy them in my classes because they are so smart and they are easy to train. I try to educate when and where I can, it’s ironic, but I just had a choc lab in my class attacked by 2 pit bulls, and she was telling the story to the class. Of course all the myths started coming out. The owners had a child, 10, and they were concerned about that and one said they lock their jaws etc... Well I stopped them and started to inform them of the truth. It made me late starting class, but I felt it was a chance to educate. They seemed to listen to me, and they were amazed on how much they didn’t know. I changed 8 minds last night at class. The choc lab got lucky, the one got a hold of her large collar and held on so the dog had no puncture wounds, and the 2nd one wanted to sniff her, so a nail scratch on her hind leg was all the choc lab had in injury wise, but during the scuffle the owner was knocked to the ground, she got a broken finger and lots of road rash on her knees and elbows, she was bruised and looked like she was in a fight. I asked if the owners had a break stick, she and none of the others in class knew what that was, but I think in CA if you’re caught with one, you can get hit with “fight equipment”. She said she yelled and smacked the dog hard on the nose, almost a punch in his face and he let go long enough for the owner to grab him. So I do what I can for the breed. German Shepherds were on the hit list at one time and since I am gay, I understand about being persecuted and people hating what they don’t understand. My breed is the German Shepherd Dog. I have loved these dogs all my life, and hate what backyard breeders and puppy mills have done to them. Changing their hip structure and form, breeding bad temperament and bad health, has almost ruined them. My last dog was back yard breeder dog, AKC purebred, but she was a rescue, I do not and will not buy from a breeder, so many dogs need a home, if I buy, I am part of the problem not a part of the solution. She was my companion and my friend, she was with me during my 18 ½ yr relationship break up, but she also worked with me, teaching many people about what my training can do and showed off my abilities, she was a walking advertisement. She helped train many new trainers, and helped me work with dog reactive dogs. Losing her was like losing my right arm. She was loved by so many, and changed a lot of minds about the breed. She was the best trained dog I ever had, because each dog that came after the last was better and better because I learned more and so, the dog did too. She helped me grow as a person and a trainer. She lived up to the name I gave her, she guided, protected and helped me in my quest. I will again get another dog, but not sure when, I am still devastated by her loss, and until I stop crying every day, I can’t get another. Cancer was not something I was expecting at only 4 ½ yrs old. This is why I so despise and vehemently am against back yard breeders and puppy mills. When breeding always ask “how am I bettering the breed by putting these 2 together” and “don’t piss in the gene pool” (watch what you put in i.e. aggression, shy, timidity, bad hips, allergies etc...) Is what I tell people wanting to breed their dogs. My dog had allergies to all grains, a recessed vulva, propensity to form crystals in her urine, a sensitive neck (her sister has a mega esophagus), just to name a few things. But she was an amazing and beautiful dog, inside and out. So this is who I am, I will always champion the dog, I will speak when they can’t, translate what I can, and educate as many as possible. I am sorry this is so long but wanted you to know where and whence I come from. Thank you. 8 weeks first day home At work At 2 years old, stacking like a shepherd should 3 hours before I put her to sleep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37qwONiFWpE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw8Di15fOl0

My first exposure to "pitbulls" came about 13 years ago (yikes!). I was working at an animal shelter and all the best dogs that came in, in my opinion, were the pitbulls. They certainly were the majority of the dogs that came in given the areas the shelter served. They were also the hardest to place in appropriate homes and sat the longest despite being generally the most people- friendly of the dogs in the shelter and often the best behaved. There were many dogs I met over the course of my 7 years of shelter work that touched me, but two stand out. One was a male pitbull named Montana, he was a red nosed red with the worlds worst crop job. All he ever wanted to do was cuddle and go for walks. One night the shelter was broken into and he and two other pitbulls were stolen, also staff favorites. Rewards were posted and the dogs sighted, but they were never recovered. The other was a stunning red fawn with blue eyes, about 45 pounds, that could jump like a kangaroo and play tug all day. I wanted to take that dog home more than anything, but my parents wouldn't let me (they just aren't dog people). I vowed one day that I would have a dog just like him if I could ever find one. A few years went by and I headed off to college, then vet school. Finally I was out on my own and able to have a dog of my choosing. My parents told me no pitbull would ever be allowed in their house. So I got a "recycled" Presa Canario- imagine their surprise when I pulled her out of the car for the first time- they have told me no pitbulls in their house and I followed the letter of their request! They have been very careful how they word things ever since that... Pecha, my Presa, came with loads of anxiety issues and I spent countless hours working to rehabilitate her. During our years in Ithaca she served as a Therapy Dog through Cornell Companions working with the Alzheimers patients. More than that she is an excellent breed ambassador for all bully breeds with her calm, gentle demeanor. From having her I met many Presa people, worked to help run the Presa Rescue (which is now defunct from lack of volunteers, sadly) and got involved with some people from a local Schutzhund club. I started looking for a Schutzhund Presa of my own. One day I got a call from a friend about a male APBT that he had gotten from a friend who lost his job and house and had had to move in with his grandparents. The dog had been headed to the shelter when my friend took him to work as his new Schutzhund dog, but he was busy with his life and thought I might be interested. Well, I got in the car a couple days later and went to take a look. When I got their the most irresistable canine face was looking back out a kennel from on top of a barrel that I had ever seen. He took the dog out and worked him some and I told him I would take the dog. He told me he thought the dog was "too much dog for me" and that he was keeping him because of his great working potential. I argued with him a little, then let it go. I figured he would call me to come get the dog eventually. It took three months but one day the call came. I drove down the next day to go get Pax, then named Tsar. His first night home was a rough one, he had three months of pent up energy from sitting in a kennel not doing anything all day. I have a distinct memory of him going to get a basketball out of the toy bin and it hitting the closet wall, dresser, bed and then floor in the bedroom. In rapid succession Pax hit the closet door, top of the dresser, bed and floor in pursuit. In that moment I knew he was going to take a little polishing. Over the next few months he wrought a path of destruction through crates, doors, windows and every "indestructable" dog toy made. He shocked me over and over again with how fast he learned things and how fast he learned how to outsmart me. As the ADBA nationals approached last year several friends familar with the breed encouraged me to enter him. I thought they were nuts, Pax was my working dog, not a show dog. I decided to humor them though and entered him. I had never shown a dog in my life, though I had been to plenty of AKC and ARBA shows in the past. Well, ADBA nationals was a whole different experience. Pax and I cooked through our class, 3-5 males, and to my shock took home a second that day. I was hooked! Pecha and Pax also got their CGC titles that day. Since then I have had lots of lost sleep driving all over hell and creation to shows, put a bunch of points on my dog, and, most importantly, met some great friends. For the first time in my life I have friends that get the whole "dog thing" the way my family and other friends never have. I get some flack for working an APBT in Schutzhund, but I feel that it is one of the few legal ways to work our Working Breed, and that the APBT should be functional above all. Currently Pax is working towards his BH (obedience title), AD (endurance dog title) and his ADBA championship. I would like to add in some Agility as soon as time allows. However, his most important role is as my best friend, cuddling on the couch and drooling on my pillow. He greets every day like it is the best day he will ever live and every person as if they were his new best friend. He is a full time job and has taught me more about the breed than I could imagine.

Every month the mods and admins of Pit Bull Chat will watch the forums and pick a member that demonstrates
the most improvement and willingness to learn or demonstrates responsibility and/or dedication to the breed that is over and above.

Chase- Crystal's heart dog, approx. 10 years old. She has her CGC and lays on the couch all day :D

Sadie- Her bat eared girl, 2 years old

Piston- 19 months old, he is being shown in ADBA and AADR.

Volterra- 9 months old, she has her CGC and she is training in weight pull. She is shown in ADBA/AADR, if she does well in UKC conformation Crystal will try to Super Dog her!

This months winner is ShadowWolf!!
Amanda is doing an outstanding job promoting the breed in an incredibly positive way by
educating the public, showing her dogs, and actively fighting BSL!!

Ryker





Luna





Lyric




Amanda and her crew!!!





Thank you for all that you do!! Keep up the GREAT work!

:sonn_u11:

This months winner is beemerchef!!

He is doing an outstanding job promoting the breed in an incredibly positive way.

http://beemerchef.smugmug.com/



Thank you for all that you do!! Keep up the GREAT work!


:sonn_u11:

Good Luck and have fun!