[Purple]

Classes aim to blunt pit bulls’ bad-boy reputation
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 30, 2007
By Talia Buford

Journal Staff Writer
WEST WARWICK — On Saturday, 14 pit bulls graduated from “Out of the pits and into the Ritz,” an obedience program started by Susan Parker, a member of the Little Rhody Bully Breed Club, to help change the reputation of the breed.


Ginger, one of 14 pit bulls “graduated” from an obedience training program Saturday in West Warwick, awaits a treat.

The owners received certificates of completion of the Canine Good Citizen program, one of many throughout the country sanctioned by the American Kennel Club.
The Providence Journal / John Freidah
“When people see a pit bull, they think they’re killers,” Parker said. “That they’ll eat animals. That they’ll eat your children. But these dogs are very active, loyal, smart, admirable, tenacious and strong.”
Saturday’s graduation, cosponsored by the club and Parker’s Dynamic Dog Trainer Service, was held in the park behind the West Warwick Animal Shelter, on Hay Street.
Parker has been turning dogs into good citizens for three years, and has graduated about 25 dogs from the program, she said. Through her work with both family pets and dogs from shelters around the West Bay area, she said she has never had to flunk a dog. Her clients include a high school teacher, chemist, and medical secretary — a far cry from the hard-core image the dog gives off, Parker said.
“A lot of people look at the breed for status,” Parker said. “You have to be conscious of who you are giving the dog to. When people come into the shelter looking for a certain breed, we steer them away from the [pit bull breeds].”
The pit bull is not a formal breed, but rather a catch-all term for a series of purebred or mixed-heritage bull terrier breeds. The American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier, the most common breeds, are generally muscular and are easily stimulated, according to the American Kennel Club.
The club says the bull terrier’s “indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity.  . . coupled with its affect for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog.”
Indeed, the animals can make good family pets, said Mary R. Burch, director of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Program.
“It requires an owner that understands what this breed is about,” she said. “They have high prey drives and may need fences, but they are wonderful family dogs and can participate in all activities. And because of their strength and size, they need an owner who is consistent when it comes to training.”
Going through the Canine Good Citizen Program helps owners do just that, Burch said. The program is a 10-step class where a certified trainer teaches responsible ownership and basic training and good manners to dogs. The certification means that each of Parker’s students can meet friendly strangers, tolerate petting, walk through a crowd and perform a number of other tasks that show they are under control.
“We believe that there aren’t really any bad dogs,” Burch said. “What you have is a problem with owners who need to be more responsible and who need more training on how to communicate and recognize when there’s a problem and they need help.”
The program, which began in 1989, nationally has certified 500,000 dogs as good citizens, Burch said. Owners of any number of breeds with bad reputations — Rottweilers, chows, Dobermans and bull breeds — have also been able to obtain homeowners insurance as long as the dog receives the good-citizen certification, Burch said.
“They’re telling the the data shows it makes a difference,” she said. “The best parallel is to driver’s education. If you train teens, they are less likely to have an incident. If you give breeds and owners training, you are less likely to have an incident.”
But even with programs such as these, incidents do occur.
Earlier this month, a 3-year-old girl was bitten in the face by a family dog — a pit-bull mix— while she played at her aunt’s Cranston home. The toddler was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where she required stitches to the cheek and lip and above one eye.
The dog, a 3-year old named Tyson, was taken to the city animal shelter. The owner said she would not take the dog back, even if officials determine the dog is not a threat if properly supervised.
Parker said it’s all about knowing your dog, and training it properly.
“I’d trust my dog as golden around my granddaughter,” she said.
Like Parker, Burch said that with proper training and supervision, any dog can be obedient.
“Some people like to write off pit-bull breeds,” she said. “They look at the aggression in the breed, but in terms of responsible dog ownership, it can be a great family pet if the breeder makes sure it’s in the right home, under the right conditions and is trained properly to prevent problems.”
More information about Canine Good Citizen programs can be obtained from the AKC’s Web site — www. akc.org — and from pet stores. Parker’s course, lasting six to eight weeks, costs $165, but she provides training for shelter animals for free.
“We believe that there aren’t really any bad dogs. What you have is a problem with owners who need to be more responsible and who need more training…”
Mary R. Burch, director
>American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Program
West Warwick

[buddysmom]

VERY nice! Thanks for sharing

[Michele]

that's a great story.....

[MyPetTherapyDogs]

Hello:

Thanks to whoever posted this story.

I was google searching tonight and happened to stumble upon this story.

I was quite surprised because the story is about my own graduating class.

The above picture is my old lady legs and half of my husband and my very own precious dog named Penny. Penny was pulled from a HIGH KILL shelter within 24 hours of her death.

The paper has her listed as Ginger but Ginger is actually my other dog standing in the background with my brother Danny.

Overall the graduation went very well and we are very pleased to finally get some great press on it!
We had to reschedule our event due to rain the following week so we did not get as many dogs in attendence as we would have liked but we did make our statement and it was strong at that!

Below is another paper that did a story on the same day for us:

Now, I started my next group of CGC pit bull students. Ahh a teachers job is to never stop teaching and never stop learning all at the same time!!!
Sue


http://www.cranstononline.com

The Cranston herald

Drooling is allowed at charm school for rescued pit bulls Written by DIMAIO, LISA Wed, May 30 07 By LISA DIMAIO



Out of the pits of an animal shelter and into the Ritz of a loving home, pit bulls that have been tagged with a death sentence just because of the their breed can now move into homes of responsible pet owners thanks to doggy charm school. Despite its name, this is not an easy class – it is a reinforcement of the training the dogs receive in shelters.

Last Saturday, in the blistering heat, 12 pit bulls graduated as Dynamic Dog Training Academy and the Little Rhodie Bully Breed Club’s “Out of the Pits and into the Ritz” canine class of 2007. These dogs, along with their owners, have also received an AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate and made a committed promise to be responsible pit bull owners.

After adoption from an animal shelter, all pit bulls and their owners are welcome to join the training academy for a fee or for free, if necessary. The new pit bull owners are taught the dos and don’ts of ownership and the dogs learn basic training and social group skills.

After the six weeks of training, they participate in a graduation ceremony. The ceremonial gathering of 12 pit bulls, which occurred with no scuffles, made a statement in itself: that these dogs can be trained to be great pets.

“In the proper hands they’re well-behaved dogs,” said Susan Parker, trainer and president of the Little Rhodie Bully Breed Club, who trains many of the dogs at the Cranston Animal Shelter. “Many of these dogs have never known what love is.”

The dogs and their owners formed a parade and marched along the bike path near the West Warwick animal shelter. The pet formation made its way to a small grassy area next to the path, where each dog received a certificate and, afterward, listened to speakers.

In her commencement speech, Parker was quick to talk about her love of the breed and their history as nanny dogs. Also, she made an efforts to dispel popular misconceptions of the breed and said many of these so-called throwaway dogs that are sitting on death row at various shelters move on to become pet therapy dogs. Her mission is to change public perception of the breed and to highlight it in a positive light.

“It’s the irresponsible owners you should be frightened of … not the dog,” said Parker.

During the graduation ceremony, she had all of those in attendance take a moment of silence for all of the dogs who have never been thought of or have ever had someone care for them.

For Paul and Lisa Dercole of Cranston, when they heard the story behind their pit bull, they knew it was the dog for them. Socco, 2, had been found by a West Warwick police officer roaming the streets and when the police officer opened the door the dog jumped in and licked his face. At the time, the dog weighed in at a mere 30 pounds and had been abandoned. Socco – like many of the other pit bull and pit bull mixes found at the shelters – “just has a bad rep … it’s basically doggy profiling,” said Paul.

Over the course of three months, Socco’s weight has gone up to a healthier 50 pounds and she has also excelled in the training.

“She’s better at listening [and] her temperament is very docile,” said Paul, adding, “You need to be constantly vigilant [with all dogs]. Other people [can be] irresponsible – they walk their dogs without leashes.”

For all of the pit bull owners, their dogs have a story and rugged past because of improper treatment and training. But, they add, the dogs are really affectionate and just want to be loved.
“[They are] highly intelligent and highly energetic,” said Linda Farrington of Warwick, who is a pit bull owner and a veterinarian. “[But with the proper training] there isn’t a breed with a bigger heart.”

[Purple]

I posted the story, and you're welcome!!

I hope you stick around and share some more stories!

[MyPetTherapyDogs]

Hello and pleased to meet you and everyone else. My name is Sue and I have been browsing this forum. It seems like a great forum and I am looking forward to being a regular here!
Sue