APBTs and the idea of Agility Training/Competing

I’ve been a huge fan of dog agility competitions for as long as I can remember. At a very young age I was exposed to this sport on Animal Planet and I immediately fell in love with it. Who doesn’t enjoy watching an agile, intelligent dog work its way through an obstacle course at a steady canter or full gallop? It’s a beautiful thing to watch, as well as incredibly thrilling and something that is very obviously fulfilling to both pet and owner. It’s a mental and physical challenge for the pooch and a special way to bond with its owner.

I’ve always had the vague interest of wanting to try agility training one day, when I grew up to be a big, awesome adult and had the time and resources to do so. And, of course, the dog with the right level of intellect and energy as well as eagerness to please. It wasn’t until I became an independent adult last year (Something I am in no way ashamed of, even if I am a “late bloomer” in this regard) that I started toying with the idea of combining two things I have a natural knack for: psychology and animal behavior. And with my new found freedom and low-stress environment I found that I was ready to adopt a dog into my fold and begin working with him or her.

So I adopted a beautiful year-old pit bull named Jaz and she seems to be the fit I was hoping for. She’s intelligent, eager to please and very attached to me and simply loves doing things with me.

Naturally, it clicked in my head that I could begin researching what it takes to learn agility training for dogs and find places in Portland that I could take Jaz to, in order to begin the training. So I took my questions to the ever handy Google and found plenty of articles and links and solid information. If solid can be said about every-single-website saying that “Pit bulls are naturally aggressive towards other dogs.” Pit bulls are not social dogs.” “Pit bulls can do agility training and competing but first have to be very well trained so that when they’re off their leash they don’t go and try to attack the other breeds at the training facility/competition venue(s).”

This infuriated me and almost every single link I’ve opened thus far has come up with those types of false information somewhere in their articles. I’m pissed. It is made clear to me that all of the authors and groups associated with them are woefully un-educated about dog behavior and psychology /in general/, never to mention that they don’t understand the first thing about American Pit Bull Terriers. It is insulting and pathetic how little they know and understand. So I will tell you a little something about every Pit Bull I’ve ever met who has been in the RIGHT hands (including my Jaz), not raised by dog fighters. APBTs are some of the sweetest, most affectionate family-dogs you will probably ever have the pleasure of petting and playing fetch with. The breed has a natural drive to please their owners and love absolutely everyone they can get in contact with, so much so that they put the wholesome labrador retriever to shame. APBTs LOVE children and seem to be rather intuitive when it comes to “babysitting” or “helping” mom and dad with the younglings of the human brand. Jaz, for example, enjoys adult humans and their attention just fine but any time she sees a child on the street, she cannot help herself but to want to smother that kiddo in kisses and be its best friend for life. On the spot. Jaz is also very pack-oriented with my three year old daughter, to boot, and you can see the “mother dog” side of her come out when Rini hurts herself or runs too far from me when we three go out walking. (Rini loves to run. But sometimes, being a child who doesn’t always understand boundaries and limits and rules, strays a wee bit too far from me. Which is something Jaz also seems to have a capacity to measure as well, for as the further Rini gets from me the more Jaz pulls on the leash — to a point of taking off at a hearty trot to get me back at a more comfortable proximity to my own offspring. Cute!) APBTs are also very happy go lucky dogs who enjoy a hearty game of fetch/retrieve or “tag!” and “Catch me if you can!” with fellow dogs at the dog-park. Another example is of Jaz who, as her foster told me, was dangerously aggressive towards other dogs. Until I took her for a walk as a calm and assertive pack leader and Jaz lost her /fear/ for other dogs (because it’s never truly aggression, it’s fear or uncertainty) when she could sense my supportive nature of her activities. After a mere 1.5 weeks with me, I took her to a dog park, where Jaz made upwards of 10 friends and was playing very well and mannerly amongst them in a pack-setting. Even when another dog (a border collie/lab mix) started attacking her, bullying her, and /pinning her down by the throat/, Jaz just waited for me to handle the situation — she never so much as “fought back”. It all boils down to how you raise the dog. Yes, ANY dog will be aggressive to other animals and humans — if they were raised to be. It’s not a default personality trait just because they are an APBT. Just like African Americans aren’t all thieves and thugs and how Caucasians aren’t all rednecks, hill billies or self absorbed narcissistic hotel heiresses. Being black, white, pit bull, labrador or whatever your breed or species doesn’t automatically mean you fit the bill of the stereotypes. Those words are simply a description of your physical appearance and genetic lineage. I really wish the world would open their eyes and realize this about APBTs (and humans of any creed, color, or sexual orientation!).

I digress.

I know that not all of the SPCA and AKC and other dog-snobs out there believe APBTs to be blood thirsty Hannibal Lectors of the doggy world — you can tell because there ARE very talented and athletic APBTs out there competing — but it stands that opinions still need to be properly educated/informed and people literally shown how gentle and sweet these beautiful dogs are!

So I am going to arm myself with information. I’m going to devote my free time to studying and practicing. I’m going to spend hours, days, and weeks on my dog to really drive home her puppy-hood’s obedience class (and work in more complex things as we go! such as new “tricks” and clicker training) and months upon months building up her stamina, self confidence and agility until she is ready to compete. If only on an amateur level for nothing more than a cutesy medal or trophy (or for the amusement of my friends), I am going to get my dog out there and I’m going to show the world just what amazing and beautiful things American Pit Bull Terriers can do. Even if I only prove it to a small group of people, I will feel accomplished — I want to spread the word to today’s people that APBTs are just as wholesome and wonderful as any other family-dog out there and can be trusted around both humans of all ages and animals of any type.

(Or possibly try other dog sports! They all look like extreme fun)

And maybe I’ll blog about it on the way.