A Recipe of Three Ingredience...

Late last night, Shasta started barking at the back patio door...only it was a completely different kind of bark than when a stranger is near the patio. Naturally I went and checked it out and to my surprise, there is Lucy (my girlfriend's pup) without my g/f in sight. This is the pup I call Shasta's cousin as Linda and I have been friends forever. She's Auntie Linda to Shasta.
Naturally, I let her in and knew Linda was somewhere close behind, as they live out of town. Linda said when she opened her van door, Lucy jumped right out and run directly to my door.
Shasta was just as excited as Lucy to see her and when Linda asked if I minded if they spent the night as she had to go to the auto wreckers in the morning, naturally I was delighted.
We let Shasta and Lucy play for awhile, but since it was already late, we had to tell them it was bedtime. Shasta always sleeps with me, but last night I think she felt is she was to go to sleep, Lucy and Linda might leave.
I got Linda set up for the night and then called Shasta to come to bed. I didn't mind if she wanted to stay with Lucy, provided they would sleep and not play, but since that wasn't happening, I told Shasta to come to bed.
I'm not an early riser and Shasta is always by my side when I wake up, but not this morning. Linda said she had come out the moment she heard any sound in the living room. Naturally by the time I woke up, they were already playing. LOL
Lucy is growing so fast and at 4 months old is already taller than Shasta and you can tell she still has a lot more growing to do. The gentleness that Shasta uses while playing with Lucy is still amazing, considering that Lucy being a pup and extremely frisky, still uses her baby teeth, but it doesn't bother Shasta one bit. The odd time she let out a quick yelp and Lucy instictively knew she was playing too rough and calmed down...a little.
Shasta shared her toys, food and water like she always does. The cats rather stayed out of Lucy's way, but not out of fear, but rather than get stepped on.
Lucy is one of many that Shasta plays with and it's always the same. Shasta is the perfect hostess offering her toys, food, etc. When they say Pit bulls are dog aggressive, well, I can't understand that part as Shasta is not in any way animal aggressive. Quite the opposite.
When my son's dog Spanky came to stay with us for a few months, I had to take the toys away as Spanky refused to share. He gathered up ALL of Shasta's toys, but would allow her even one. Top dog that I am, said...you share or you have NONE! I gathered them all up and put them away.
By the time I figured Spanky had been there long enough, I went out and bought 2, two foot rawhide bones and gave Shasta her's on one side of the living room and Spanks on the opposite. I didn't allow Spank to do the trade game, because that's when he ends up with both. I insisted his was his and Shasta had hers. If I had to leave for any time, both rawhides went up until I returned.
Being Top Dog is about fairness and not taking nonsense, and being firm about it if need be. I don't hit dogs. Shasta has her corner for disapline and Spanky, well all you have to say is Mr. Paper is coming. Or...Where's Mr. Paper. When he was a pup. I'd have a rolled up newspaper and smack it on the wall. That was Mr. Paper.
Spanky, now about 8 years old, still remembers Mr. Paper, even though Michael never threatens him with it. Spank would also bark his fool head off as Shasta's friends walked by, which I got that stopped in a hurry.
Spanky's mom was a purebred Sharpei and his dad a purebred staffie. And naturally Spank was the independent runt of the litter.
When Spank was about a year and a half, my son moved in with his buddy that had Spanky's father. Had Michael of known what would happen he would never have moved there, but sometimes things can't be foretold. Spank's dad grabbed Spanky and practically ripped his face off. It was brutal. The owner of his father has brought up his dog as 'tough', even to feeding him hog food (which is like a steroid when I looked it up).
I could put blame on people, but what good would that do. While I was away on holidays, my ex kicked Michael out of the house. I could blame it on him for doing something like that without even talking to me... which I would never of allowed.
I could blame the owner of the other dog for not warning Michael of the dangers of bringing him.
Blaming can't take away what Spanky went through and he did survive, but now he is hesitent with sharing. With a little determination and stubborness on my part, I found that slowly I could break Spank of that habit. I must give Mr. Paper credit too. *giggle*
What I'm getting at, is their have been cases where pitties have been taught to fight and left abandoned to die a horrible death. But, they were found and rescued and with a lot of love, patience and understanding, these same dogs became hero dogs that have been honoured and awarded metals for bravery. Not all make it unfortunately, but so many more do, due to kind hearted souls that take them in and give them what they really need.
There are people who don't deserve any kind of animal, let a lone a pittie. The damage they do to these animals physically and mentally is heart breaking, yet even these dogs can be turned around with the right ingredients...love and understanding. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get rid of these people rather than allowing them to damage another animal! If they don't have love to offer, then they shouldn't be allowed something that requires love.
25th day countdown before the Ontario Pit bull Ban takes effect!