Bully Breeds--American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT)

There are several breeds that fall under the general term "pitbull."  So I'm gonna spend a bit of time on each one in the category.

HISTORY:
The modern American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) comes from stock in England and Ireland.  They were specifically breed between bulldog types and terrier types to create a dog to use in bear and/or bull baiting.  These poor dogs have been used badly by humans for a long time.  They have courage and tenacity and are good at coralling bulls.  Fortunately, bull and bear baiting was deemed inhumane in 1835.  Unfortunately, things turned more sinister for the dogs that were breed for baiting and dog fights were the new direction that the APBT were steered.  It is interesting to note that these dogs were never breed for human aggressive traits and that dogs who exhibited aggression toward humans were put down.  The "pit" part of pitbull comes from the pits that the dogs were put in to fight each other.

The first registry for APBT was actually in the UK in 1898 and to be on the registry, the dog had to have won three fights.  The AKC adopted the APBT under the name Staffordshire Terrier in 1972.  The breed is often referred to as APBT or American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, AmStaf, Staffy, and so on which often leads to a lot of confusion about whether it is one breed or several.

CHARACTERISTICS:
The American Pit Bull Terrier differs in appearance from the breed in other countries as the "bull" aspects are more muted and less pronounced in the dogs' features.  They are a medium sized dog with short coat of fur.  They can be any color.  They have short to medium ears, which can be cropped---a practice that was done to prevent excessive bleeding when the dogs were fighting in the pits and serves no real purpose anymore other than for appearance.  They range from 17 to 22 inches tall and weigh between 30 and 60 pounds.  They have a lifespan of 12-14 years.  They are muscular, but should not be overly muscle bound.

TEMPERMENT:
The APBT is highly intelligent and eager to please.  They are quick learners, strong and full of energy.  They are very friendly and make excellent companion dogs, particularly for families with children.  Because they are so friendly and outgoing, they don't make the best guard dogs.  They are very energetic (this cannot be stressed enough) and very athletic, so long walks and play time is a daily necessity.  They can leap fences very easily.  They are not human aggressive.  In fact, most reports of human aggression in the news are from dogs who were used in dog fighting (Shame on you Michael Vick!), dog baiting, or in dogs that have been trained to be "aggressive."  Dogs who have been trained to go against their nature are more dangerous because they have no filters of their own and only have the ones they were taught---remember they are eager to please.

RESOURCES:
About Dogs--pitbull
trainingapitbull.net
Pit Bull Rescue Central

Rescue a Pitbull

Pibble is part pitbull, part labrador and all a ball of energy.  She is also a rescue dog.  We adopted her from a wonderful organization, Mended Hearts.  A rescue dog gives a dog a second chance.  They usually need less training than a new puppy and are much less likely to come from a puppy mill.  Rescue dogs tend to have gotten off to a rough start and, in my mind, they are more grateful and loving.  They just seem to have a closer bond to their people than those who were purchased.  I have two rescue dogs who just epitomize the way rescues seem eager to become part of their pack.

Here she is the day she found her forever home---scared and too thin.

Pibble was found wandering the streets of Lafayette as a puppy.  I'm still not sure how she ended up in Indianapolis, but she came from a foster family that had other dogs to teach her how to socialize and she was crate trained.  She was almost completely house broken.  Most rescue dogs are up to date on their shots, spayed or neutered and microchipped.  Pibble was spayed, chipped and completely up to date on her shots.   Yes, I paid to adopt her but then I would have paid to buy a puppy at a store or breeder as well.  AND I would have had to pay for her to be spayed and chipped, and most likely update her shots.  I am so very happy to have her in my life and my little pack is a happy family.

Pibble and Boo Boo are my little "brown dogs and are the best of friends.

INDIANAPOLIS RESOURCES:

F.I.D.O.

Indy Pit Crew

ARPO

Mended Hearts Indy

Southside Animal Shelter

Pitbull Information

a very happy Pibble

First of all, pitbull is just a generic classification like caucasian.  The word "pitbull" has come to encompass several breeds with similiar characteristics, but are primarily from the following breeds:  the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire TerrierStaffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bulldog or any dog with crosses between one of those.  The pitbull was specifically breed as a working dog by crossing the bulldog with a terrier, and as such, will have traits from both lineages.

Pitbulls are known for their square, stocky head and thick chest.  They have short fur and a tail that tapers to a point, which may or may not be docked.  They are energetic and muscular dogs.  Owning one means spending at least two hours of quality exercise time a day.  And contrary to popular opinion, they do NOT have locking jaws.  In fact, in a study done by Dr. Brady Barr studying the locking pressure of a rottweiler, a german shepard and the Americal Staffordshire Terrier (aka AmStaff or pitbull), the pitbull had the lowest bite pressure of the three dogs.

Pitbull bite force study:  link 1, video of the study

American Bulldogs

There is a lot of misinformation out there.  I recommend everyone to get to know the pitbull and join a pitbull organization.  There are several good groups out there.
Pitbulls on the Web

Pitbull Rescue Central

Dog Breed Info Center

Badrap.org

For the Love of Pits

Dogs Are People Too

I have four dogs.  They have been with me through thick and thin.  They have watched me cry as life became overwhelming and they have celebrated with me when life was joyous.  Just like people, they are different from each other.  If I were to describe them as people, Bella is borderline hyperchondriac.  She is jealous and possessive of those she loves.  And she talks way too much.  Boo Boo is in the middle of an identity crisis.  He can't decide if he is a boy or a girl.  On one hand, he loves his pink toys and is overjoyed to be praised but on the other hand, he does like to, err, hump.  He's also as smart as they come and is the leader when it comes to plotting schemes.  Penny, well she is the middle-aged, laid back friend everyone would like to have.  She isn't afraid to talk back to you, but she isn't about to waste any unnecessary energy to do things either.  She loves a long nap in front of the fire or space heater so her joints don't hurt.  Finally, there is Pibble.  Pibble is young and rambunctious.  Every day is a day to live life to the fullest.  She wants everyone to like her, but she won't take any guff either and often feels left out of the group because she's the new kid on the block.  She slim and athletic, a real pretty little girl who loves to run.  Our last pack member passed awhile back, but let me describe Katy too.  (There is a reason)  Katy was a sweet old girl.  She never complained, even when she was in pain.  She just wanted to be with people, a wall flower.  She never wanted to be the center of attention.  She was fiercely loyal to her family and loved them regardless of how they hurt her (yes, I am referring to an accidental broken tail).  She gave her entire attention to whomever she was with and couldn't be bothered with anyone who wasn't part of her family.

So why am I describing my dogs this way?  I am a fierce opponent of breed specific legislation.  Under BSL, both Katy and Pibble would be considered dangerous dogs and banned from some communities.  Some states and countries would put them to death because of their breeds.  BSL means that ALL dogs of a specific breed are considered dangerous simply because of their breed.  Sound familiar?  Excuse my language, but it sounds a hell of a lot like Hitler's regime.  A dog is born.  Period.  Whether he or she becomes dangerous has a lot more to do with their training than what their breed it.  It also has a lot to do with which breed the media has labeled the demon of the week.  I think the self-proclaimed dog whisperer has said it best.

Each dog has it's own traits and tendencies and yes, most breeds have some generalized tendencies just as most stereotypes have some kernel of truth to them.  I invite you to say no, once again, to discrimination---for it if starts with an animal, how long before it rises to people....again?

Sign the Indiana BSL Petition here:  Indiana BSL Petition

New Beginnings

Welcome!  A new year and a new start. I've got a lot to share with the world from causes to hobbies to favorite quotes to recipes.  My interests are eclectic and varied and I suspect all of my posts will be as well.

So who is Trinda Barocas?  I'm a happily divorced mother of two.  My son is serving in Afghanistan and I couldn't be prouder of him for standing up for what he believes in.

My son at boot camp

My daughter, aka the spawn, is finishing high school this year and will be going to IUPUI in the fall with a major in psychology. (The spawn won't let me post her picture) I also have four furry hounds who also are convinced they are my biological children.

left to right:  the puggle is Boo Boo, the basset hound is Penny, the basset-beagle is Bella and the pitbull mix is Pibble

I have lived in Indiana, New Jersey, Illinois, and Florida.  I like to cook and I'm pretty damn good at it too.  I am an artist of many mediums.  I write.  I try to grow things with a hopelessly black thumb, but I do try.  I home school my daughter.  I am also just enough of a hippy that I make my own shampoo, laundry detergents, and cleaners.  Okay, maybe not a hippy but allergic to a lot of things which made it necessary.  See what I mean about being eclectic?

Okay, let's focus on one aspect of Trinda Barocas tonight.  I am an artist.  It's kinda hard for me to say that because I am no DaVinci, but yes, I am.  I love colors and seeing how they go together and I like being the one to blend everything into a cohesive creation.

As a digital designer, I have worked for Digital Pixel Pixies until they underwent a change of ownership.  I have also designed for Arkansas Outhouse Scraps and a few other smaller stores.  My preferred program for designing is paint.NET, a freeware program that took the place of Jasc Paintshop.  I have very eclectic designs that don't really fall into any one specific category.  One of the things that I really enjoy doing is cutting out high resolution photographs to be used as elements.  Of course that has led into a sideline hobby of digital photography, which I also like to share.

As a traditional artist, I have painted murals in Indiana and Florida.  I work with acrylics and latex and do most of my own color mixing to get just the right shades.  I also like to draw.  I have done charcoals, pastels,  and of course, traditional pencil.  But I have to say, my favorite medium is colored pencil.  I am a Prisma Color fan, but I have also fallen in love with Derwent colored pencils as well for their soft leads that easily blend and rarely break.

And that is Trinda Barocas in a nutshell....until next time.