Hello readers (or no one!) - it's been 6 whole months since I wrote on this blog.  It is difficult to maintain a blog, you really have to commit!  When you are generally up to your ears in dogs, on top of your job and other responsibilities, you have to really prioritize writing, and that this clearly something I have not done!  But I am here and I am recommitting and if I disappear again you can call my bluff.

In the past months I have said goodbye to my beloved Charming foster, finally!!  Fostered a dog named Gilly while Charming was still here and now I am fostering my first pit bull puppy mix (pit rottie), Darla.  When Darla first arrived to my home, she was a true pip-squeak of a puppy, just 2 1/2 months, about 15 lbs, and I thought she would be in and out in a blink but 2 months later she's still here, and she's twice as big!

So a puppy is a puppy, whether it's a pit bull mix puppy or a purebred fancy dog, and that's what I have loved the most about fostering this puppy.  As it turns out, a pit bull puppy breaks down all walls of discrimination and judgment as people LOVE PUPPIES.  Just as people are drawn to babies of all races and drop their prejudices as they are oohing and ahhing and baby-talking . . . the same thing happens with pit bull puppies.  When you walk an adult pittie down the street, people jump off the sidewalk, avoid eye contact, and mumble nasty comments under their breath.  But walk a pit bull PUPPY down that same street and 80% of people ask to pet them, crack up laughing when they get puppy kisses, and there is a lot of smiling.  Many people will ask the question, "what breed is she?" and when you reply "she is a pit bull mix" they don't even recoil.  They cannot resist the puppy love and charm.  

Darla is now 4 1/2 months and she is extremely outgoing and social with dogs and people and she is well on her way to growing into a beautifully balanced and loving adult pit bull mix.  She continues to charm strangers but I know as she gets large, she will become a lot less charming to the average stranger and people will sadly start to jump off the sidewalk.  I know the heart of this dog and I know that whether she is a 2 months old or 2 years old, whether she is 15 lbs or 65 lbs, she is pure of heart and full of goodness and she  deserves nothing but love in her life.  This week she will head off to her forever home where I know she will be treated like gold and will continue to be a breed ambassador.  I'll miss you puppy.  

Currently in my home I have 2 adopted dogs, 1 foster dog and 2 rescued cats for a total of 5 animals that all get along.  At this moment in time my home is a fairly well-oiled machine, we have our routine, everyone gets along and respects each other's space, and we are all pretty happy.   BUT we did not get to this place easily, and with every dog and cat that has come and gone from my home, there have been struggles, obstacles to overcome, and an abundant need for patience, commitment and faith.  All too often I see dogs being returned to a rescue or shelter after ONE DAY!  Or a week.  I'm not sure what people are expecting but I am here to share the truth.  Adopting a dog, in the first days and weeks and sometimes even months, is VERY STRESSFUL.  But if you stick it out, there is hope, there is reward and there is a lot of love.  This blog is just sharing my personal experiences and I would love to hear yours in the comments!

When I adopted my first dog Rory, who is now almost 7, many tears were shed in the early days.  The feeling of uh oh what have I done was overwhelming at times.  Rory had been picked up as a stray and was about 7 or 8 months old.  She was unspayed and she was pregnant.  I loved her the minute I saw her.  The rescue spayed her and terminated her pregnancy which was very early along and by the time she came home with me I think her hormones were way out of whack and frankly, the dog had issues.  She immediately showed signs of being very territorial with strangers visiting the home.  She was horrible with the cats who took to the basement in fear.  She was hit or miss with my parent's sweet old lab Sydney and she was guarding her space.  She would bark in the middle of the night.  She challenged everything I asked her to do.  It was tough!  I adored her but I felt very overwhelmed and I questioned whether I had made a mistake.  I remember specifically crying to a friend about it over a cup of coffee and that was six years ago!   But we stuck it out.   After a few weeks went by, she stopped chasing the cats as much, she was nice to Sydney on a consistent basis and they became buddies, we got into a routine, she got used to being gated into her space at night and stopped barking, and the guarding behaviors quickly went away as she trusted me.  We bonded and she started to respect me as the boss and as the weeks and months went by and our bond got stronger and stronger, I knew that adopting her was the best decision of my life. 

A few years later I adopted Cy and although he was a senior and fairly calm and he and Rory liked each other immediately . . . I still had many uh oh moments and big concerns about whether this was going to work.  He was very intense around the cats even slamming right into the glass screen door trying to get at one of the cats.  I was not taking any chances . . . the cats moved downstairs temporarily and they lived separately for about a month but obviously aware of each other's presence in the home. Slowly we added some time in the same space while on leash and with lots of treats and rewards for dogs and cats to keep everyone happy.  Then we added some free roaming times with gates.  Then we built up a strong stay (always with a leash on) and Cy was frankly not even allowed to look at the cats.  Once he got used to them moving around while he was in a stay things got really easy.  I will never forget the day that Jake my oldest cat felt confident enough around Cy to walk up to him while he was in a stay and things were pretty much smooth sailing from there.  As much as Rory and Cy hit it off from the get go, they had a couple of little squabbles in the early days that left me feeling worried and having a couple of sleepless uh oh nights.  

Then came Cookie . . .  While Cookie had no issues with the other animals, she had some medical issues but most fun of all, she was only "partially house-trained."   There are a lot of dogs that get adopted that are not quite fully house-trained and sadly this is a common reason why dogs end up shelters.  I did not immediately get on board with crate training her but once I did, I no longer had to wake up to middle of the night poops.  :-)

The fact is, where there are multiple dogs getting used to each other, there are probably going to be squabbles.  Where there are dogs and cats getting used to each other, there is going to be chasing and barking and hissing and growing pains.  Where there is a dog who has been in a shelter for a long time, there will be confusion, maybe some resource guarding, and some other unwanted behaviors that will probably settle down once you get over that 3 month hump.  There will be house-training issues, counter surfing, and shoe eating.  Rescuing animals can be stressful business but if you hang in there, take things very slow and make the commitment to get over the hump, after 3 weeks you are going to see a big difference.  And after 3 months you will probably be feeling pretty relaxed about your new family member and head over heels in love.   If you are not up to the challenge of what is being described above, and you are not open to possibly working with a trainer if needed, you probably should not be bringing a dog into your home.  Please consider a cute stuffed one!

(Stay tuned for my next blog on tools and tips you will need to manage your new dog and make the adoption stick!)

I have a new foster dog.  His name is Charming.  

As a volunteer at a large municipal shelter, it is my great joy in life to meet and get to know hundreds of dogs.  Some I get to know better than others.  And some I see and hear about from other volunteers and staff, that really need to get out of the shelter for various reasons.  Some dogs have an easier time being at a shelter and becoming institutionalized essentially.  But all need love and it affects them in different ways, physically, emotionally and behaviorally.   The stress and loneliness can be too much for many.  

Charming is one of the many dogs I have spent extra time with, often at off-site adoption events where I might spend 5+ hours with group of dogs, usually having one or two I hold on leash for hours, talk to, cuddle, introduce people to.  Or sometimes I see the dog with another volunteer and I can just watch them in action.  

What impressed me about Charming is that he was very relaxed around everyone he meets.  Small children too.  I watched him the first day I met him licking the faces of two other male dogs he just met, also up for adoption.  He didn't show any possession over toys.   He took treats gently.   He didn't get over excited.  He sometimes rolled on his back for a good belly rub and a stretch.  

I also found out how he jumps in the kennel at the shelter, banging his head on the bars at the top.  This boy can jump!  And he was so incredibly stressed out that the only outlet for his energy was to jump and jump and jump.  I saw the scabs and wounds and scars on his head, and knew this guy really needed out of the shelter.  I also found out he had been in the shelter since last summer when he was found as a stray at about 10 months of age. 

I had the pleasure of holding him on leash for the majority of the day at an outside event on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in front a pet store.  There were 4 dogs in total outside and several cats that spent the day inside the store in cages.  Charming was incredible.  Sometimes events can be stressful for dogs, especially for an isolated suburban shelter dog at an event on a busy Manhattan street!  Charming really loved the city.   Twice I took him for walks and once another volunteer Lori and I walked him up to Central Park, on the first nice day we had after the brutal winter.  The park was covered in people on blankets, people biking and running by, horses walking by!  Charming loved it, was very relaxed, took it all in.  On the streets he walked easily by other dogs.  The only thing confusing him a lot was that the trees on the streets all had little gates around the tiny grassy areas and he didn't know where to pee.  Suburban dogs rarely pee on concrete!  The other thing that happened a lot that day is that I had to explain to people why Charmings head had all those scabs and wounds on it.  A lot of people thought that they were cigarette burns. 

I am very excited to be starting a pit bull rescue called Get A Bull with my my fellow animal rescue friend and it was on that day that I knew we had to get this guy out of the shelter.  At the same time, my eldest dog Cy was sick and I knew I wanted to get a foster dog as soon as possible but I also knew that it wouldn't be fair to stress out a dying dog by bringing a foster dog into the house.   Just a few weeks later Cy was gone.  I grieved for a week, saw that my two girls were doing pretty good despite a couple little signs of grieving for a day or two, and 10 days later I brought Charming to the house, ten months after he first arrived at the shelter.

Charming is very much a foster dog and there is no possibility that I would be keeping him.  I say this because everyone asks me that!  I think he's a loving, good natured, beautiful dog that is going to make the right family very happy and he is in my home because I am trying to help him.  He is doing very well after a week here, really exceeding all my expectations.  The rest of my pets, especially my dog Rory, is not ready to have him integrated into the family, and she may never.   Cookie I think would love to wrestle with Charming all day but we are taking things slow.   Charming is way too interested in chasing cats to live in a home with cats.  I have two cats.  Charming has a guest room that is all his.  And he spends most of his time in that room, sometimes in the crate with the door open and sometimes loose with door closed.  When I take him outside quite a few times a day, I walk him through the house on leash and then he does his business and sometimes runs like crazy in the backyard.  He has a beautiful run!   I sit with him on the screened in porch.  We take a long walk together first thing in the morning before work.  He chews on a lot of stuffed kongs to keep him busy, bully sticks and nylabones.    Sometimes he'll cry for a couple of minutes when I leave him but he stops very quickly.  There are definitely a couple of training issues to be worked on including mouthiness which has already improved and basic obedience, but he is a pretty kickass houseguest, he has had not one accident and he sleeps quietly through the night in his crate which is the best!   My heart swells with joy to know that Charming will never see the inside of an animal shelter again.  

Charming is almost 2 years old and will be available for adoption soon via Get A Bull.  He is a pit bull/hound mix with incredible eyes.  He is located in Long Island, NY.  Email getabullrescue.com for more information.

My Cy man is gone.  
Yesterday he was well enough to go for a walk in the morning.  By the afternoon he was very tired and his tumor doubled in size in hours.  He was walking very slow and in visible discomfort.  I gave him tramadol which I am so glad my vet had given me just in case.  He laid under my desk with his head on my feet and slept for two hours while I worked, something he has never done.  He was still eating but having trouble with steps and laying down.  I propped his head up on a pillow which helped him rest.  He slept well and ate in the morning but I could see this would progress rapidly, he was limping and walking very gingerly and not wanting to do steps, and my goal was for him to never suffer.  He went in the yard with his sisters and laid on his bed with Cookie.  We drove to the vet in the afternoon, a long, pretty drive along 25A with the windows down and his head hanging out the window.  And while he was being euthanized he laid on the floor and licked peanut butter off of a spoon.  
A nicer dog I never knew. 
RIP Cy, Age 11

Once upon a time I was a normal person with one dog and two cats.  One night I was sitting on the couch, wasting time on facebook as I am known to do, when I saw a posting from someone about an elderbull named Cypha at the NYC ACC.  The post was via a page on facebook called "Urgent Part 2" which is made up of volunteers who advocate on behalf of the dogs of death row in the New York City shelter system.  It's a crazy world unto itself where every night they post "the list" of the dogs scheduled to be killed the following day, and rescue groups, people called "cross-posters" and just concerned citizens, share, pledge and try to rescue as many of those dogs as possible.  Cypha was an 8 year old dog who had been within the ACC system for an unheard of 3 months and who had managed to survive "the list" a couple of times, and had been transferred at one point from the Brooklyn shelter to what is considered the safer shelter in Staten Island.  

I had had the thought of rescuing a senior male pit and on that particular night as I looked at Cypha's face and read his profile I thought, sure, let's go for it.  They said he was a mellow guy but there was no information as to whether he could live with cats.  He had been surrendered due to "landlord issues" which is a sad and common story due to discriminatory housing policies against pit bulls but also other large dogs.   This is a link to his original posting.  I asked a few questions, was put in touch with a wonderful woman named Jackie who volunteered at the SI shelter and had met Cypha, and she put me in touch with a rescue group who would "pull him" for me on a foster to adopt basis (just in case the whole cat thing didn't work out).  

I did the necessary paperwork, reference checks, home check etc and Cypha was scheduled to be neutered and then delivered to me in a few days.  I ended up picking him up unneutered because a hurricane was headed our way and they were evacuating the SI shelter and moving all the dogs to Brooklyn.  I made a plea and was able to pick him up the morning before the storm hit.   My Mom and I drove to Staten Island and I will never forget the first time I saw him.  He was bigger and stronger than I thought, and after 3 mos in the shelter he was a little bit shut down and afraid to look at me. 

We headed back to Long Island with Cy (I decided to just shorten up his name) and in the car he ignored me but at one point made eye contact with my Mom.  We got home and did a very rushed intro with Rory out in the street, transitioned to the backyard and fortunately, they took to each other right away!  Here they are during the hurricane watching out the front door as the rain was picking up.   We still kept a leash on Cy for a few days and seperated them when I wasn't home etc but they never had an issue these two.

Now acclimating Cy with my two cats at the time Henry and Jake was a whole other issue, one that I will write about in another post because teaching dogs to live with cats is something I have done twice now.  I will say that it was 2 month process in which for the safety of the cats, Cy was kept separate from them.  Today I can say both Cy and Rory could give two shits about cats in the house and truthfully, they are afraid of them!   

Fast forward now 2 1/2 years and my old man is about 11 years old.  He is one of the great loves of my life for sure and while I wish he had never lost his home in the first place, I am so grateful he came into my life.  He is a smart, stable, loving dog and the favorite among most of my female houseguests.  In particular he has stolen the heart of our petsitter Beth who considers him to be a son.  He now has another baby sister Cookie who adores him and doesn't leave him alone for a second.  He loves to share food with me (when he first came home he was very leery of people food) and eats everything from kale stalks to bananas, pizza crusts, cherry tomatoes, carrots and his favorite, peanut butter.  He loves to lick the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and he loves taking a walk in the morning with his two sisters.  He follows me from room to room no matter what, even when I vacuum.  When we go to the vet all the vet techs come out into the waiting room to say hi to him.  

Sadly my old man has been battling stage 3 mast cell tumors for about 6 months now and he's finally starting to slow down.  He is so strong and tough, and aside from the giant tumor he has right now you would think he is a young guy.   I will write a post about cancer someday soon but for now just wanted to tell you all about my boy, and ask you if you can to say a prayer for him.   I also want to encourage anyone reading this to consider adopting a senior dog.  As much as I love my young guys, adopting a senior is such a gift.  A gift to the dog you rescue but also a gift and blessing for your life.  

I've had dogs for years, my whole life really, and have always heard about the dangers of feeding rawhide to them.  Rawhide is not digestible because it includes lots of added fillers and binding agents and most rawhide is made in China making it fairly dangerous in terms of contamination.  Also it can be a choking hazard.  That said, the appeal of the rawhide is of course, keeping our dogs mentally busy and occupied and also chewing is good for their teeth.  Walk into any drugstore or supermarket and they sell a lot of cheap rawhide products and I don't recommend it. 

So when I would hear people speak of bully sticks, I immediately lumped them in with rawhide and never even considered giving them to my dogs.   Fast forward to the bad weather of this winter and living with 3 crazy dogs needing an outlet for their energy!   I live up on a hill and it's been a snowy icy prison this year, despite having a yard.  My dogs need to get out, off of our property, smell things and burn off some energy so without a walk it can sometimes get annoying.   I had heard mention of bully sticks from the founder of a rescue group called Unchained New York, when I asked her what supplies they were really in need of.  I have been volunteering with this rescue group for a few months now and it has been life changing.  "Unchained New York's mission is to improve the quality of life of chained and neglected dogs through community outreach, education, rescue and advocacy." (That is a topic for another time!)  Bully sticks are especially needed to keep these dogs busy both when they are stuck in the hell of living outdoors but also when they are brought inside, to keep them occupied and out of trouble. 

So I began researching bully sticks and discovered there is a big difference from rawhide.  Bully sticks (for the most part) are 100% dried meat (actually they are made from bull's penises, gag I know, and I am a vegetarian and don't even wear leather!)  They are far more digestible in dogs systems than rawhide (rawhide just passes right through) and they last a very long time!   I found a couple of brands made in the USA, one in particular  and immediately ordered a bunch for the Unchained dogs but also stocked up for my own dogs.  

Bully sticks come in all sizes but I buy either the 9" or 12" ones but there are smaller too depending on your dog and even larger ones.  They also come in varied thickness.  They are not cheap, at all, I have found some great sources online to buy in bulk.  If you buy them in the store you will go broke.  I buy them from and they are often on sale at chewy.com.   right now they are a case of 35 of the 12 inch size for $119.99 and fast free shipping.  They have a case of 35 of the 7" ones too for $69.99  and so on.  There are many size and price options.  These are made from free-range, grass-fed beef.  I have also purchased from bestbullysticks.com.  Looks for coupon codes for bestbullysticks.com online and make sure to click on the Made in the USA menu.  Chewy.com never has coupons.  

One other thing to keep in mind is the caloric content, it can be high and they are high fat!  So consider this and don't overdo it.  Truth be told, Cookie got a little chubby this winter so I think I am going to buy a smaller sized bully stick to have around for her, and she's on a little diet!   I also give my dogs digestive enzymes daily which really manages their gas and helps them digest!

There have been many days this winter, around 2 or 3 PM, that if my dogs didn't have a bully stick to chew on, I would have lost my mind.  I work from home and I can't get anything done if they are barking; like if Cookie is chasing Annie Cat or if Cookie and Rory are wrestling and rolling around non-stop (with sound effects) on the rug behind my desk.  They are very expensive and so the rule I made was definitely to only feed them to them when there is a serious need to manage energy.  On days when we have a good walk in the morning, I almost never give out bully sticks.  I usually don't need them on weekends.  So usually 3X a week.  My other rule is to never ever feed them to the dogs when they are unsupervised god forbid they choke and of course with multiple dogs, just in case there is a battle over possession. Luckily my dogs have shown respect to each over their sticks but if you have a multi-dog house, definitely separate them into their corners and be sure to tell your kids to steer clear just in case.  Rory always finishes hers first, can take anywhere from 30-60 mins depending on width and the day, Cy is second taking from 45-90 minutes., and Cookie once took almost 3 hours!  Aaaah.  Cookie is a smaller dog but also the troublemaker so I am glad to keep her BUSY.  However sometimes Cookie will get up after a long time to get some water, which is when Rory always moves in and takes it, and Cookie at that point shrugs and moves on.   Oh and when they are done chewing on their sticks, guess what they do?  They sleep!  Ah yes, it's nap time and I am a happy dog mama.  

A final benefit of feeding bully sticks or similarly a stuffed kong or other busy toy or treat is to give them out if you have a dog that is stressed with a contractor or someone doing work at your house or any other reason your dog might be stressed or barking at your home (while you are home.)  They can be a life saver. 

When we bring bully sticks to the chained and penned outside dogs, they usually get pretty excited and this amazing dog Bebe immediately buries hers in her straw for later.   Some take them into their igloos or houses and hide them inside in the back.  Just thinking of them enjoying their sticks when they are alone or cold, helps me sleep at night.  Consider donating some bully sticks to a local rescue or outreach group in your community.  

That is the tale of the bully stick.  It really has made for a much happier winter for all of us.  

Since the name of the blog is "I Have a Pit Bull" it probably makes sense that I tell you about my dogs.  Yes, I have a pit bull, two in fact.  Although really, like many pit bulls, while people look at them and say "pit bull," the truth is, they are mixed breeds, mutts even.  

One of my favorite TV shows of all times is "Gilmore Girls" a beautiful and quirky series about the bond between a mother and a daughter.  On the show, the mother and daughter have a tradition where every year, on the daughter Rory's birthday, the mom, Lorelai, tells Rory the story of her birth.  I do a similarly weird thing, where I like to tell my dogs (yes I talk to them) the story of how they came to be mine and of the first time I saw them.  And so it will not surprise you that the first dog I ever adopted where I was the mama (not a family dog), I named Rory.  Here she is pictured about a day or two after coming home. 

I first saw Rory in the month of October, just one month after a devastating breakup with my boyfriend.  I had moved out from his apartment and was living with my parents, sleeping on a blow up bed in the basement.  To call me fragile at this point in my life was an understatement.  I had been volunteering for many years and walking dogs every Sunday with a group called For Our Friends.  That Sunday I was told people were bringing by a dog they found as a stray.  She had been living in their basement for a couple of weeks.  They said they tried to keep her but their dog was not accepting of her.  They pulled up and this little brindle dog hopped out of the car, very serious looking, not more than 40 lbs.  We did our usual evaluation and determined that we would take her.  They called her Brownie.   She was about 7 or 8 months old. 

I took her for a little walk and already my head was planning and plotting if I could take her home.  Keep in mind I had been working with dogs for years but this was the first one who had me really seriously thinking.  I think the timing had a lot to do with it and also maybe a little bit of fate.  I had two cats at the time, was living at my parents house as I said, where we had a senior dog, a labrador retriever named Sydney,  who was 9 years old at the time and my parents had a cat as well.  I decided I would take it slow but first things first, I asked the president of the rescue if we could call her Rory and to my excitement, she said yes!  That day as I put her into her cage, she fought me like crazy although never tried to bite, and I said goodbye until the following week.  

I remember the second week I met her,  this one male volunteer had taking a liking to her and was walking her all week and he came that Sunday.  He remarked about how smart she was and how she seemed to listen to people when they talked and I watched and saw that he was right, as people spoke to each other her eyes would dart back and forth to the person who was speaking.   And her ears would stand up and move like antennas.  

Finally I was able to get agreement with my family to bring her home.  She was spayed and vaccinated and she was ready to go.  My Dad came with me to the animal hospital where we picked her up.  I will never forget that day, me and my Rory riding in the back while my Dad drove.  From there well there were many ups and downs with my girl, months of getting her not to chase cats, lots of training, quite a few tears, but mostly love.  She and Sydney bonded quickly and were good buddies until I moved away.  Now Rory is 5 and she will always be my baby girl.   She is super smart, alert, sensitive, affectionate and very obedient at home but is a fearful dog out in the world.  I will definitely post more about Rory's challenges in another blog.  But I accept her as a whole, just as she accepts me.    

Hi, and welcome to I Have a Pit Bull!
Here is a photo of me, oh a hundred years ago or so, with the very first pit bull I got to know and become bonded to.  I don't even think I knew enough at the time to think about what breed he was.  I just knew he was strong, tough to walk (but I was good at it,) and very sweet to me.  To me he was just a dog and I was so happy to spend time with him.  This was at the time I was living on my own in an apartment in Queens, I was not allowed to have a dog, but I was craving the companionship of one.  I saw an ad somewhere for volunteer dog walkers needed, I made a call, and 13 years later (there I said it) I'm still at it.  
Flash-forward to my life now, I have been volunteering in animal rescue all this time, working with all kinds of dogs and even some cats.  But it is the pit bull dog that pulls at my heart strings and is most in need.  Here in Long Island, NY and surrounding, the shelters are filled with pit bulls.  This is not an exaggeration, in the shelter where I am currently volunteering, there are about 140-150 dogs at any time and maybe 10-15 are not pit bulls.  I have had people to say to me, why are there only pit bulls in the shelter?  Doesn't that prove what bad dogs they are?  That's not even close to being the truth.  The truth is that most of these dogs come into the shelter due to no fault of their own, mostly as strays.  Backyard breeding is rampant here on LI and the most popular dog for breeding seems to be the pit bull.  They have become a bizarre status symbol and many keep them chained in their yards as a symbol of their masculinity or I don't know what.  Spay and neuter in my opinion is the solution to this problem.  The more pit bull dogs and dogs in general that are spayed and neutered, the less dogs we will have in our shelters.  Of course adoption vs. buying and breeding dogs is also part of the solution.  
I will be rambling on about all this stuff as this blog takes form.  This is just a quick intro to why I started this blog.  There is much more to come.  In addition to the serious stuff, I really want to celebrate pit bulls here, brag about my dogs, let other people brag about their dogs with some guest posts, talk about special dogs looking for homes, and talk about issues that interest pit bull guardians and dog guardians in general.  Excited to get this baby off the ground as it is been ruminating in my head for a long time.  Thanks for reading!