We have to be more honest, if we're ever going to save this dog.....

I had intentions of taking my boys for a nice long walk at this beautiful time in the morning; right after I checked in on FB (aren't we all guilty of this).  I read an interesting article: "The State of the American Dog: Heartbreaking American Pit Bull Statistics Everyone Needs to Know" (you can find it here http://www.esquire.com/features/american-dog-0814?src=soc_fcbks if you are interested...you'll have to close a couple pop-up ads to get to it, but worth a scan).

While yes, it is heartbreaking what is happening to a Dog in the eyes of Humans Who Have Created This Issue, the article mentions something that I, as a 'helper' of many different kinds of families has found to be a growing problem.

In the article, she talks with a shelter worker who explains that a dog who is a pit bull mix, will be labeled as what it is mixed with, because it gives the dog a better chance at finding a home.  Like say, a pit bull/Weimaraner  mix is looking for a home (direct example from the article), the shelter will say it is a Weim mix, and it goes home.  The lady who adopted this dog took it to her vet, and her vet says "nope, it's a pit bull" and the dog is returned to the shelter.

As this is sad, that the lady has this prejudice towards a type of dog due to the overwhelming media hype, the demonizing of this particular style of dog, and perhaps even personal experience or how she was raised, or whatever, it still does not excuse, in my opinion, the omission of this important piece of information on the shelters behalf.

I used to think it was a wonderful thing.  Shelters "Saving" a dogs' life, who otherwise may have been euthanized for being a 'pit bull.'  Animal facilities in areas where a breed ban is in effect, finding creative names for pit mixes, in the hopes someone may adopt them:
Mastiff mix
Lab/boxer mix
Weim mix
Cattle Dog mix
Plott Hound mix
Etc.....I now see this is becoming a huge problem.  Humans who are not at all equipped or ready to bring a terrier into their lives, are adopting these dogs.  When terrier traits arise, such as chasing, grabbing, shaking, checking out into prey-drive land; these well-meaning humans are not prepared.  They go out and get a book on Labs, I mean, after all, the shelter said they had a Lab, right?  Everything in the book tells them to handle this a certain way, so they try.

Now, I'm not trying to say that breed has everything to do with character.  But it IS a factor.  And some people, whether it's prejudice or just innocent ignorance, are not ready for a terrier.  The pit bull type dog is a terrier....my favorite terrier.  But they aren't for everyone.
Just like owning a Coonhound is not for everyone.
Or a Malamute.

I am not saying the pit bull type dog cannot be a wonder family member; they can, and do.  They are intensely loyal and can be ridiculously tolerant and patient.  They are couch hogs.  They can hike with you all day, or lay around and do nothing quite well (depending on the particular personality).  They were, and are, the American Breed.

Stubby (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20bwOpj8DSc) was a hero.

They make fantastic service animals, as they seem to have an uncanny knack for knowing when we need them emotionally.

They excel in obedience (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RB9xlT-aqE  watch Brandee and Apollo do their stuff), and are growing as officers of the law, in some, more enlightened areas of the world.

We created this fine animal to do it all.

We wanted a dog who could handle the vermin on the ranch:  Cool.  He's got it.
We needed a dog who could move livestock, and protect us from wild animals:  Covered.
He had to be smart: Check.
He had to listen well: Ok, dad, whatever you say....*wag wag wag*
He had to be tough, but gentle enough to take care of the babies while you weren't home:  Check, check and double check.
And not to mention, he makes you a bit of coin on bull baiting....
oh, but what's this, a "gentleman's sport" beginning?
"Excuse me Sir, but I couldn't help overhear that your Sammy is the toughest dog in town.  Rumor has it he's trounced several coyotes and such...what say we see if he's tougher than my Duece?"
You see where I'm going here?

We are doing to the pit bull what we did to the African Americans (what we're still doing in some backwards places).  Hating the pit bull for being a pit bull, is racial profiling.

But we do need to be profiling to some degree.  I personally feel it is doing a disservice to these amazing dogs to place them in homes who are unprepared to handle them.  There is a shelter close to my area, that does stay away from the "p" word, when labeling the dogs available for adoption.  But here's what I see on the kennel cards:
"Terrier/Lab mix"
"Cattle dog/Terrier mix"
"Hound/Terrier mix"

Giving people a bit more of a 'heads up' about the Terrier part, is the honest and responsible thing to do.  Until the tides change, and they are changing,( did you know John Stewart has a pit bull?  ) it is our responsibility to do our best to ensure that the public is learning that a pit bull is not a breed, but a type:  Terrier.  And terriers do things that terriers were bred for; chasing stuff and ridding your property of vermin and danger, so they can come back and lay by your fire.