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| Kao |
Who doesn't love new beginnings? After all, anyone who has lived a full life appreciates the opportunity to start anew when given the chance. The people here at Nashville Pittie have been kind enough to ask me to start a blog and I am thrilled to represent this compassionate, hard working, and let's face it, kick-ass group of people and their furry, rescued or otherwise, beloved pitties.
I am relatively new to this group, but I am enthusiastic and at the ready to help the breed of dogs that are diabolical, loving, intelligent, and so misunderstood. Fortunately, there are lots of people out there, like myself, and the people in this group, who are on a mission to change the negative perception of pit bulls and rescue as many as they can along the way.
I am a proud pittie mamma and have been now for 4 years here in Nashville. Yes, I am one of those people that considers my dog "my child" and I don't apologize for it. However, my history with the breed began in 1991 at the naive age of 18.
My pit bull story started when my high school boyfriend and his friends all got pit bulls, at the time I didn't have an impression of the dogs one way or another, I had not heard the horror myths that circulate now in the media. To this group of young men, the pit bull seemed like a complete representation of them. They wanted the dogs to be big and strong, to look intimidating, to be well trained and loyal, and yet love on them at the same time. This was certainly accomplished.
During this time my boyfriend had his own dog (Dante), and a female puppy (Alexis). Dante accomplished his role as a representation of all the things they wanted, he was show boy if I ever saw one. But it was Alexis who stole my heart. At just a few months old she was just as well trained and behaved as her older big brother. I spent a lot of time with Alexis, snuggling, walking, I would take her home to my parent's house, or even to the store. She was my companion and she wasn't even my dog. I adored her. I didn't know that puppies were so smart! It was my time with Alexis that made me realize how special this breed was. It was as if she understood every word I said, I had no experience with dog training, but she just did everything she was supposed to. I suppose it is like being a parent for the first time and having a baby that just sleeps through the night and the parents have no idea how easy they have it. And as an independent 18 year old, I was ripe for that type of naivete.
Alas, Alexis was not my dog, and as my boyfriend and I drifted apart, as young love is oft to do, I saw less and less of her. Somehow, and I don't remember exactly how this went down, in the midst of our breakup I gained a rescue red-nose pittie named Akeel. My very own dog. Akeel took up right where Alexis left off. He was another golden child, and as I learned, just another true representation of his breed. He followed my lead, listened to every word I said. He obeyed on command, and at night he literally slept with his paws around me as if they were human arms. And yet again, I gained an immediate companion, he went everywhere with me. He was a gentle, affectionate soul, who watched over me day and night and helped ease the pain of a relationship break up.
In hindsight I see how odd we must have looked to others. A seemingly stereotypical blonde girl from the suburbs of Baltimore and Washington and her big, fierce looking pit bull. We defied the stereotype. At the time, I had no idea.
It wasn't until I had to move back home (living on my own without a college education didn't work out so well for me) that I suddenly realized that people were TERRIFIED of my dog. I was clueless. I remember my mother gently suggesting that people might be afraid of Akeel, or that they might make judgments about me because of his breed. I thought she was over-exaggerating, being a mom, and as the wise young adult that I was, I ignored her.
However, it was not so easy to ignore the neighbors who made gross generalizations about Akeel without ever having met him, or even attempting to find out his temperament. And as I settled back into my parent's tiny house with my 5 siblings, people in the neighborhood got increasingly vocal about their distrust and dislike for my dog. It made no sense to me. My big baby, who snuggled with my younger brothers, who was bossed around by the family cat, who showed everyone in the house what wonderful manners he had; this same dog was being relentlessly complained about in our neighborhood. It infuriated me, and it broke my heart.
Ultimately, my neighbors with small children refused to let their kids play at our house, or even go outside if Akeel was near. This caused a great disturbance in my family life, and as an 18 year old with nowhere else to go, it came down to me or the dog that had to leave the neighborhood. My parents just did not want the trouble the neighbors perceived my dog was creating. He was completely innocent. Not like the neighbor's poodle who snapped at little kids and barked relentlessly. He had never shown a hint of aggression, but the verdict was in, and they wanted my dog out. It was Crushing. I became one of those people that I hated, I had to give away my baby to someone else. It was my first feeling of loss, of grieving over a loved one that I could no longer be with, it was out of my control. And it sucked.
Throughout the years, every time I encountered another loss or difficult period, I longed for Akeel; and I knew that one day, when all the factors lined up, I would have another dog, and I knew it would be a pit bull.
Thankfully, I am now in such a place with my love-a-bull Kao. I am single woman with a house, a fenced yard, a school teacher's schedule, and a lake in my neighborhood (Kao is an avid swimmer). He is a big fellow, and he is a mamma's boy, the ultimate snuggle-bug. He watches over my foster daughter and my nieces and nephews with the diligence of a soldier, and he makes me smile EVERYDAY. Sometimes he snores, but hey, we all have our endearing flaws.
I dedicate this blog to the plethora of people who have had similar experiences. People who are loyal, smart, socia-bull, and just plain loving; who advocate, rescue, and educate tirelessly. I am proud to be a part of Nashville Pittie because the people in this group have all the same traits as the breed they champion for. It is with great pleasure that I start this new beginning and hope that many of our pit bull friends will have a chance at their own new beginning with every new reader that comes across this page. Welcome to our new feature, and I hope you return again and again. Or better yet, I hope I see you out in the trenches with us, doing this beautiful breed their due justice.
Peace and love,
~Kris
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