"Watch out for that pack of dangerous pit bulls"

 Super Kerrigan

 The rugged mountain chihuahua
Ambassador for her breed and advocate for others

Our friend Mosby and his human counterparts asked if we wanted to take a little hike the other day.  I am always up for a hike so I said yes.  Well did anyone else realize it is Sunday, and a holiday weekend?  We sure didn't.  When you work a non traditional schedule days are really irrelevant and holidays just mean time and a half so I had no idea that Red Rock would be PACKED.  Normally we hike in a less touristy area too but we wanted to check out this hike because of the view.  Turned out so did about 200 other people.  There were so many dogs and hikers I felt like I was at a convention not a wilderness area.  

So we get out of the car and immediately there is a guy with two pointers running around off leash.  Keep in mind this is a place with signs all over saying dogs must be on a 6 foot leash, not to mention we are in a parking lot filled with people, some elderly, some children and dogs of all sizes.  As this asshole's dogs are literally jumping on an 80 year old woman who is forced to sit down on a rock before she falls over I hear him say "yeah- they don't listen at all for like the first half hour they are out like this, but I don't have anything to worry about because they are hunting dogs so they always come back."  I have to admit he was not the only person with his dogs off leash, people seem to think leash laws are just suggestions to be ignored- but he is by far the least responsible dog owner on the trail that day.  The dogs were ultra hyper and out of control.  One ran over to us and Kerri hit the floor in the most submissive stance possible- her typical reaction when she is worried a dog might eat her.  The other dog ran straight into Copley's face, looked him dead in the eyes, and then took off.  So polite. *sarcasm*

We let him take off and started up the trail a safe distance behind him.  Not a moment later a group of 6 or 7 people with 5 or so pit bull type dogs and boxer mixes came up the trail.  The dogs were all polite, walking right with their people on loose leashes.  One dog was off leash (and I am not crazy about that) but it was right next to it's person and didn't stray at all from their side.  We smiled at these people, complimented their beautiful dogs and let them pass us without incident.

Now for the fun part.  Three people warned us we should turn around and not hike any further because of dangerous dogs up the trail.  One woman with a chihuahua told me it was too dangerous to have small dogs up there because of these horrible irresponsible owners at the end of the trail.  Who were they warning me about?  Not the a-hole with the out of control pointers, but the "pack of dangerous pit bulls."  One lady even told me the problem was not that there was just one, but that they get into that "pack mentality" and you "never know what might happen."  I tried to talk to these people and they politely smiled and nodded.  The one thing about people who are so concerned for a fellow chihuahua owner that they feel the need to stop a stranger on a trail to warn them about the dangerous pit bulls is that they are floored- absolutely can't believe it speechless- when the lady with the chihuahua is defending the pit bulls to them.  For some crazy reason people presume that because I am the owner of a chihuahua that I also find pits disgusting- and when that is not the case it shocks their worldview in an incredibly satisfying way.

To end on a lighter note here is a collection of other discussions I had on the trail.  Mostly with people who think things about chihuahuas that are just as crazy as the things they think about pits.  As you will see today I had some real gems of conversations with others on the trail.

• One woman told me it was cruel to be hiking with a chihuahua, that I should be carrying her.  When I told her that Kerri hikes weekly and walks every day she just rolled her eyes and walked away.
• A man with a smaller dog came up to us while I was holding Kerri and said to her "why aren't you barking, is there something wrong with you?"  That guy was actually really nice.  I gave him my regular line about Kerri not being yappy "I don't allow any barking around my house because it would drive me nuts!"  We talked for a minute about how chihuahuas are actually very trainable and if you exercise them properly and train them they are not yappy.  I also talked about how even little dogs need exercise and regular walks.  He agreed and pointed to his little dogs- a terrier mix- telling me that those little legs just can go all day long!  I love when I can change a person's view of chis and make friends at the same time.
• A family with little kids came over and asked to pet Kerri (at least they asked, +1 for that).  The kids literally tried to pull her ears off.  Ok, maybe not literally but it was close.  In times like that I am really grateful for her temperament- that's why she is a therapy dog after all!
• A woman walking with her friend and their bigger dog told me her chihuahua had not been outside of her house in over 5 years.  I really have nothing more to say about that.
• My favorite was when a family came by and the mother was really struggling to keep up with her partner and two boys.  The boy said "look mom, that tiny dog isn't having any trouble, you should be able to keep up if she can!"  I looked at the Mom and said "don't feel bad, the dog has an advantage... four legs instead of two."  Mom laughed and thanked me for helping her outsmart her kid.

So lessions of the day- be responsable and keep your dog on a leash in areas where it is the law and remember tourists at Red Rock are extremely chatty these days.

Incred-a-bulls!

Copley hanging with a bully friend

Copley doesn't see breeds- he just sees the butt of another friend

I am pretty sure most of my readers out there are small dog owners- and I am too.  One of the things that strikes me about a lot of small dog owners is that they always have a story like "I never would had gotten a dog this small but..."  I have a story like that too.  The path that led me to chihuahuas was a long one that also led me to love the other most neglected and misjudged breed in this city.  I have written about that before.  In honor of those "pit bulls" who taught me all dogs are just dogs- no matter what they looked like I teamed up with my friend Jesica to talk a little about pit bull type dogs and how she is working to help them in our community.  

In 2011, after spending some time working as a volunteer in the Las Vegas animal welfare community, Jesica Clemens was compelled to start the nonprofit organization that came to be known as Incred-A-Bull. The inspiration for the group were her two recently adopted “pit bull” dogs and the dozens of medium sized, muscular, short-haired, big headed dog she had the pleasure of working with while volunteering and fostering. 

Jesica talks a little about why she started the organization and where it is headed today- “In my time working and living with these dogs, it seems as if there are two groups of people when it comes to 'pit bulls'. There are the lovers, people who have, had or know other bullies and are drawn to them like magnets, as they have seen first-hand what these dogs are really about. LOVE! And then there are those who lack first-hand experience or take the stories in the press at face value. And avoid us like the plague! That is something I felt was unjust and wanted to change. I thought education was a great place to start.” explained Clemens. The idea behind the organization was simple, and the mission soon became, “To restore the positive image of 'pit bull' dogs through education, advocacy and low cost services such as spay and neuter.”

During the relatively short time the organization has been in existence, Incred-A-Bull has already begun to make an impact in their community, by encouraging responsible ownership practices and asking the public to put aside their preconceived notions and see each dog, no matter its appearance as an individual. Some of their programs and activities include a low cost spay and neuter program, a 5 week obedience class for dogs of any kind called Fun with Obedience, pairing basic skills with an introduction to agility, a meetup group aimed at building a community of responsible dog owners working to end breed discrimination, educational outreach offerings and a petition initiative in support of a revision to NRS 202.500. The revision to the statute that addresses dogs considered to be dangerous or vicious would add language making it unlawful to enforce or enact any measure based solely on the appearance or perceived breed of a dog. In a nutshell, it would prohibit Breed Specific Legislation, also known as BSL in the state of Nevada. While many people believe BSL is a “pit bull” issue, that is far from the case. Across the country dogs affected by BSL include German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Saint Bernards and Chihuahuas. The point being, if we allow the discriminatory practices to become accepted public policy, no dog is safe.

The biggest challenge the organization faces in accomplishing their mission is dispelling the myths about these dogs that have made their way into the psyche of the general public. So, we thought we would take a look at some of the most common misconceptions.  In typical Dog In the Desert fashion we will do that with pictures too.

  

Myth #1: Pit bulls have poor temperaments, making them dangerous. 

The American Temperament Test Society has put tens of thousands of dogs, varying in breed, through multi part temperament tests since their inception in 1977. The ATTS has set the standard for uniform temperament evaluations across the United States. The average score among all tested breeds is 81.6%, the American Pit Bull Terrier tests at 86.8%. Here are just some of their findings, 100% being a perfect score: Border Collie 81.3%, Chihuahua 68.3%, Labrador Retriever 92.3% and the Lhasa Apso 70.4%.

 

Myth #2: Pit bulls have locking jaws.

In a University of Georgia study, Dr. I Lehr Brisbin reported,” We have found that the American Pit Bull Terrier did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws. The few studies which have been conducted on the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of the pit bull show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology is no different than that of any breed of dog.”

Myth #3: Pit bulls are aggressive towards other animals, especially dogs.

Each dog is an individual and has its own level of tolerance for other dogs and animals. Dog aggression is not a black and white issue. Each dog, regardless of breed or type, exhibits different tolerance levels based on genetic predisposition and past experience. Pit bulls are in the terrier group, making them less tolerant of poor social behavior and some have a high prey drive. Conversely, there are many pit bulls who peacefully exist with animals of all shapes, sizes and species. 

Want to learn more on the issues surrounding these misunderstood dogs and the organization? Visit their website at www.Incred-A-Bull.org  The group is run solely by dedicated volunteers, they pay no salaries, and all donations are used to keep their programs up and running. All donations are tax deductible, and they accept both money and merchandise that they can resell. Incred-A-Bull is always looking for talented people dedicated to restoring the image of such wonderful dogs. If you are interested in volunteering please contact them today! 

Most importantly I hope all my readers can take some time to get to know a pit bull-type dog, you wont regret it!  And thank you Jesica and Incred-a-bull for helping me put together this post.