Losing Sleep Over it

Before I had my little brood of furballs running around the house, I remember a little something called sleeping in. When it was just Piper and I, she would sleep in right along with me on days off. She’s the kind of cat who eats when she’s hungry and stops whens he’s full so I just kept her food and water bowls filled and she ate and drank as she pleased. It wasn’t uncommon for us to greet daylight at 10AM or even later on the weekends.

And then the boys came along and put a quick end to our lengthy beauty rest. I soon realized that my new little puppy Ares was not only going to have me up at all hours of the night, he was also going to have me up and starting the day long before 10AM. Even on Sunday. Sure he would stop his incessant wining eventually, but knowing he needed to be taken out to potty, fed and walked had me out of bed to tend to my responsibilities. Chaos just doubled the reasons to be up by 8AM and that’s just the way it’s been for the last 2 years.

 

Even though now the dogs are older and adjust to time differences without much fuss, Little O will have none of it. If I’m in bed a minute too long I’ll shortly be awakened to very loud meows and little paws wigging underneath the bedroom door. And it won’t stop until he’s had his breakfast. Trust me, we’ve tested the theory.

While it would be nice for just leave food out constantly for everybody to eat when they wanted, it’s not so simple now. Chaos and Little O would devour their entire bowls and then move on to Ares’s and Piper’s, who prefer to eat more slowly and meticulously. Not only would it be unhealthy for all of them, it’s important for us to give them structure with feeding times.

 

Losing sleeping in privileges is one of the many things people don’t always think about before getting a pet. Making a living creature, especially one like a dog or a cat, part of your life comes with big responsibilities. If you’re sick or exhausted they still have to be taken care of. You can’t just go out of town on a whim or take a day trip without them unless you’ve got a trustworthy pet sitter. Sometimes you have to plan your entire day around them.

In the summer and early fall when temperatures are soaring, the dogs have to be walked either early in the morning before it gets too warm or later in the evening when it’s cooling down. During winter and spring it’s better to walk in the afternoon when temperatures reach their highest. Weather conditions like rain and snow can also dictate when we can walk. And because we don’t have a fenced in yard, walking is really important so we can’t just skip it unless it’s absolutely necessary.

We’ve changed timing for plans, showed up late, left early and bent over backwards to schedule things so that the dogs get their walk and all the furbabies are fed both meals at appropriate times. The cats have access to a bathroom whenever they need to use it, but the dogs can only be home alone for so long before they need to be let out. I left a bachelorette party to get home and make sure Ares and Chaos weren’t forced to hold it or have accidents inside.

Yes, never having the freedom to just do as we please can be frustrating at times. But our friends and family understand and honestly we wouldn’t change our lives with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I’ll trade sleeping the day away to 7:30AM Sunday mornings because now things just wouldn’t seem right any other way.

We Are Pit Bull People: Pit Bull Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and it would be hard not to notice with all the pink ribbons everywhere. Even the NFL goes pink in a show of support with shoes, gloves and specialty fan gear. Breast cancer awareness is a very important topic, but did any of you know that October is also Pit Bull Awareness month?

 

We intelligent and logical people know that judging a dog simply by his breed is ridiculous. But for those who believe my dog and all the other badly mislabeled pitties out there are born killers, Pit Bull Awareness is a big deal. The point is to show others that Pit Bulls are individuals and opinions of each dog should be based on that dog’s own personality and characteristics.

 

Subscribing to BSL is the equivalent of being racist in the human world. Yes, I realize that is a harsh comparison, but think about it. Do you judge an entire ethnic group based on reported behaviors of some of the members of that group? That doesn’t sound fair, does it?

Stereotyping is bad for both people and dogs. As a young looking petite blonde it is far too often assumed that I am immature, dense and cannot take care of myself. If you don’t know me personally and I haven’t learned from reading my blog yet, I can assure you that I act my age (usually), am pretty smart and can handle myself just fine. As a 65lb muscle bound Pit Bull with a big square head and strong looking jaw, it is far too often assumed that Chaos is mean, overprotective and anything but sweet. I can also assure you that he is very nice, loves greeting friendly strangers and is everything sweet.

I still am shocked by the reaction I sometimes get when I tell someone I have a Pit Bull. Apparently I do not fit the profile for the type of person most people think own this type of dog. Sure, thugs, drug dealers and money hungry idiots have used these loyal, athletic dogs to their advantage, and cost them their former good name, but there are so many Pit Bull owners out there who don’t fit those profiles.

Did you know that Pit Bull isn’t even a breed itself but rather a category of dogs? The break down depends on whose classification system you go by. The AKC will only recognize American Staffordshire Terriers as a breed while the UKC will register American Pit Bull Terriers (like Chaos).

As a Pit Bull mama, it is my humble duty to spread positive Pit Bull awareness. I try to do this in my everyday life but especially with this blog. Yes, many Pit Bulls have been bred to fight. That is a horrifying reality. But it doesn’t mean they are all man eating monsters. In fact, if you view footage from dog fighting ring busts when the rescue crew arrives, your heart will squeeze in your chest when you see the waggly tailed greeting the dogs give the humans. Now that is the spirit of a true Pit Bull. They are smart, strong and resilient and love being with people. It is humans who have done the unspeakable things to them, yet when humans arrive to rescue them they willingly jump into their cars without a bared tooth in sight.

Part of Pit Bull Awareness is also understanding that the media stories that continue to feature Pit Bulls in a negative light are not always as they seem. Print news, broadcasting and websites feed off the frenzy of Pit Bulls as the bad guy so it ups their ratings to spin stories or conveniently leave out certain details. Recently there was a big to do after a gruesome Pit Bull attack that was reported on everywhere you could turn. What happened was tragic but for more than the obvious reason. Not only was it vaguely noted or left out all together that these dogs were part of a drug operation, abused and not socialized, they were being used a drug mules. At the time of the attack bags of heroine that had been inserted into the dogs’ mouths and shoved down their throats had burst and begun to leech the deadly substance immediately into their blood streams. But it’s still the dog’s fault that they were overdosing at the hand of a human and they were just vicious Pit Bulls, right? The general public continues to blame the wrong end of the leash and remain oblivious to or uniformed of the truth.

I’m not asking you to run out an adopt a Pit Bull or even to help me spread the word. All I’m asking is that you think before you judge. That Pit Bull walking down the street with his human who makes you nervous because he starts to pull when he sees you and looks as though he’s ready to charge, may just be my sweet Chaos who is only desperately wanting to be your friend.  

Pit Bulls can make a great addition to a family or a wonderful companion for someone who lives alone. Don’t judge the dog by his breed, judge him by his heart. Proudly, we are Pit Bull people. Are you?

Are You My Mama?: On Pet Parents Deserving the Title

Has anyone ever said to you, “Just wait until you’re a mom/dad”? Maybe if you already are a parent you’ve said this once or twice before. But what does it really mean to be a parent?

I think most people can identify with certain qualities normally attributed to a parent. A person who loves and cares for, supports and worries about, protects and always wants what is best for their child. Sure, a parent has always been referred to as the mother or father of their human offspring. But in the modern world a parent doesn’t have to only fit into that little box.

Parents are now recognized as a collective group of people who take responsibility for raising, financially supporting, loving and protecting a child. That child can share their DNA, part of their DNA, or none of it at all. And now that “child” doesn’t even have to be human.

People have kept animals at pets for generations, but it’s only in more recent years that these pets have transitioned to family members. I don’t believe I had ever heard the term “furbaby” until I got Ares. But including pet owners into the parent category is not something everyone agrees with yet.

“But it’s just a dog.” You’ve all heard that one before. If your human child was sick I wouldn’t say to you, “It’s just a kid.” A dog is a living, breathing creature capable of forming strong emotional bonds with humans and even learning our way of life that is so very different from their wild roots.

Babies and puppies aren’t apples and oranges, they’re a lot more like apples and apples. Spend one night with a very young puppy and you’ll see what I mean. No, you’re not up feeding him at all hours of the night. But you are trying to let him cry himself to sleep in crate, meanwhile dying inside because you want to soothe him. You’re getting up 4 times a night to take him potty so he doesn’t have an accident and have to sleep in it. You’re praying for the pathetic wimpering to stop, but once it does, you have to go make sure he’s still breathing. Maybe you’ve slept on the floor next to a crate or gave up and let him sleep in your bed all the while you lay there awake because you’re afraid you’ll squish him. Parents of human babies, does this sound at all familiar?

My point is not that being responsible for a human child is the same as being responsible for a dog (or a cat). What I am trying convey is that just because we don’t have human children doesn’t mean we aren’t parents. We are financially responsible for raising our furbabies, loving/caring for them, making sure all their physical and emotional needs are met, worrying about them, protecting them and making decisions to do what we feel is best for them. Yes, the scale is smaller and the difference is in the details, but the role is still the same.

When Ares and Chaos had their surgeries, although minor and routine, I worried. When Chaos spent months battling itchy skin so bad he hurt, I hurt too. When a dog came after Ares at a dog park I didn’t hesitate before I threw myself in the way (thankfully neither of us were hurt). We research the best training methods, food, toys and daycare facilities. We pay for vet bills and expensive medications. We bathe them, groom them, and play with them. We try our best to teach them manners and are embarrassed and frustrated when they don’t listen or follow the rules.If you come after them I will go from nice girl to Grizzy bear before you can blink. But most importantly, we love them. Even when they disobey us, poop on the rug, or play to rough in the house and knock into a table with a hot wax warmer on it which sends the contents all over the place. Just like a parent loves a human child.

Just because your kid is furry, has 4 legs and can’t speak your language doesn’t mean you aren’t his mommy/daddy.