Most of the dogs were unsure of themselves and were struggling to grasp what was expected of them. By the second week, each dog was able to sit, and had a lot more confidence in themselves.

Here are some pictures:

Timid Boomer is starting to come out of his shell. By the second lesson, he wasn’t nearly as scared!

Sweet little Minnie Pearl is the smallest of the bunch. She is learning, and decided that rotisserie chicken is her favorite thing on earth!

Despereaux is probably one of the silliest dogs in class. He was one of the most pathetic little guys we had ever seen when he first came to MABBR, but thanks to a wonderful foster home, he is showing his true sweet personality. He is great on leash and seems to be thriving in his class.

Jolly is really learning quickly what being a dog is all about. She is less nervous and seems to be really enjoying her obedience classes. She always has a little smile on her face!

Ringo is not one of our OK dogs, but he joined the class anyway. He is a sweet boy who is doing really well in class!

Ted is doing really great too. He won the “fastest sit” contest the second weekend of class with a sit in 1.6 seconds!

The 11 that we were able to save are now thriving-

Diallo, Pumpkin Pie, Ted, Chance and Devereaux were all living at a boarding facility when we first were able to save them. Now Diallo and Dev are in foster homes working on their rehabilitation.

Dev was in the worst shape when we brought them back, and has made an amazing physical recovery. His skin is improving, his morale is improving and he is living a life of luxary in a foster home.

Diallo was fortunate to go into the home of an amazing pair of dog trainers and behavior modification experts. He started his rehabilitation on Saturday!

Ted spent the weekend with one of our volunteers and did incredibly well with all 5 resident dogs in the house, including an alpha male and a 13 week old puppy. He met a child over the weekend and fell instantly in love, we think he would thrive in the home of a loving family!

Pumpkin Pie spent some time over the holidays with the same volunteer and did very well. She was overwhelmed by the number of dogs in the house (who wouldnt be?) but seemed to get along with everyone. She would likely thrive in a home with a male companion!

Chance is a shy guy who seems to love everyone he meets. He is coming out of his shell quickly and really seems to love attention. He walks well on leash and did not react while passing other dogs on his walk.

All the dogs will be starting obedience classes this Thursday as part of their rehabilitation! If you’re interested in sponsoring, fostering, or adopting any of these dogs, please contact us!

With the new year arriving quickly, children all over the country are preparing to go back to school. They put away their games and pull out their books so that our schools can teach them to be successful adults.  Many dogs are never given the opportunity to develop their brains enough to become “good dogs.” People cast their dogs aside and proclaim that they have “no time” to dedicate to training the family dog. This ideology may work for the general dog owner because they’re not under constant scrutiny of their dogs behavior. I have said it once, and I’ll say it again, WE as bully breed owners are held to a higher standard when it comes to our dogs behavior.

If the neighborhood lab bites a child, it will not make the news paper, if your dog playfully knocks a child over, it can make the news and mean a law suit to your family. You cannot afford to have a poorly trained bull breed, the media is counting on it for tomorrows headline.  Cities such as Overland Park, KS passed breed bans without so much as an attack, it doesn’t take much for a bored city council to pass a piece of useless legislation right before an election to prove to their constituents that they “care” about “safety.”

My personal beliefs aside, a well trained dog is a benefit to all parties involved: happy owners, dogs and neighbors!  Dog training isn’t about teaching your dog to sit and stay, it benefits  all aspects of dog ownership. A well trained teacher can show you the ways that you are encouraging negative behavior. I felt as though my first dog training class was more about me than my dog. Our trainer corrected me more than he corrected my out of control dog. Every single owner can benefit from dog training because even the most experienced handler needs help with something.

Bully breeds are known to be stubborn, but also eager to please. Sounds contradictory right? I had a foster in a basic obedience class for the first time, she refused to sit, lay down or listen to me. My trainer took her from me and forced her into a lay down (gently) and my foster dog screamed like she was in a horror movie. The entire class looked as our trained held her down for 2-3 minutes, and then had me repeat the exercise. The very next class, my foster dog was one of the best behaved dogs in the class. She was used to getting her own way her entire life, and once that power was taken from her, she thrived in classes.

Anyone who watches Cesar Milan knows that you have to be the alpha dog. This is especially true with bullies. The second you let them run the show, you’re the submissive one. A good trainer can show you how you’re allowing your dog to dominate you, in ways that you didn’t even know.

Socialization is huge with bullies. Most bully owners don’t take their dogs to the dog park or anywhere else that they’re able to socialize freely with other dogs. I was this way too for fear of what others would do to my dog. My APBT Slappy was attacked so often in public, I stopped taking her out. (She has been attacked by a golden retriever, beagle, Australian shepherd, akita, westie and various other “nice” breeds.) The second Slappy turns to protect herself, I picture myself tangled in a media frenzy; “VICIOUS PIT BULL ATTACKS WESTIE,” and I start to panic.  Being in a class with other dogs on leash teaches your dog to be comfortable and confident in an enclosed leashed environment. Being in classes with other breeds and their owners teaches the other owners that bull breeds are not the media stereotype and can change minds. Being comfortable on leash helps with vet visits, boarding and other instances where your dog will be in close proximity to other dogs on leash.

You will also learn your dog’s limits while in training. I have learned through trial and error of training that my dog is uncomfortable being in proximity to a vicious dog. If I sense that another dog is going to bark and lunge at my dog, we cross the street to avoid trouble. When you’re in class with an experienced teacher, you will learn what sets your dog off, what makes them uncomfortable and what they like.  This proves true for all breeds, not just bullies. All dogs have limits to what they will take while in public, it’s up to you as the owner to decipher what your dog’s limits are and to keep them out of harm’s way.

If your dog has any dog aggression you should know that it is generally tied to boredom or poor socialization (fear), which may have happened before you even owned your dog. As the owner of a rescued bully, you don’t know what may be causing your dogs aggression and using an experienced trainer will help you learn what can be done to train the aggression out of the dog. My dog Beans started showing some leash aggression towards other dogs, and I knew that I had kept him closed up in our house with only on leash walks around the neighborhood. I immediately signed him up for a doggie daycare group and began dropping him off 2x a week. His aggression went away and his socialization has never been better! There are things you can do to help an “aggressive” dog.

Some rescued dogs have human aggression because of their rough upbringing. I don’t recommend taking these dogs to a basic obedience class. Human aggression is not a common trait in ANY bull breed dog and should not be tolerated. I recommend that you contacted an experienced aggression trainer or a behaviorist to have your dog temperament tested immediately. If the trainer feels that the aggression can be trained out of your dog, you owe it to them to do all you can. If your dog poses a real threat to human beings, you need to evaluate your options.

Bullies thrive in obedience classes and are generally the fastest learners. Your dog is bored sitting in your house all day and they deserve a chance to use that big brain of theirs. Stimulating the dogs brain will help form a bond between you and your dog that will never go away. They remember the training for the rest of their lives, and you are a better dog owner because of it!

Please keep all of our current adoptables in your hearts and hope that perhaps next year they will be curled up in front of a fireplace of their own!

With love,

All of the volunteers and dogs of MABBR

MABBR Adoptable Hammy

Hammy lives his big sister Sassy. He is finally getting old enough to chew on rawhides and he LOVES to chew on things. He is teething, so I am sure it feels good on his gums.

Hammy is a talker and makes a little purring sound when you pick him up… like a meeeeeer, its cute and he is usually full of kisses when he is making that noise.

Ham loves a cuddle, he loves everyone he meets and he has spent lots of time getting well socialized! He is super snuggly, and curls up with all of our dogs. His favorite is our 11 year old named Sassy. They spend hours cuddling and kissing each other.

The easiest article to write about a pit bull is the one about its place in the American past.

The American Pit Bull Terrier enjoyed a status in past American culture equal to what the Labrador and Golden Retriever now hold. It’s easy to find all the family pictures, the ads, the cartoons, the postcards and the paintings. It’s easy to find the memorials of pit bulls that were battalion mascots and war dogs keeping our troops company. It’s easy to find the photo records of the pit bulls who worked the American frontiers with their masters. One can almost effortlessly find the propaganda of old when the pit bull was so respected it represented our entire country at war.

In contrast, what is more difficult to write, what remains almost impossible to predict or foresee, the story that escapes us most, is the future of the American Pit Bull Terrier. In a time when the average citizen is dividing his brief time on this earth between his job and his family, the politics and social landscape is being left to the fringes of society. Special interest groups have hijacked American society and the pit bull has come to represent everything we have to win or lose.

There is not a major political party who supports your right to own your dog because it is not important to them. They have lost track of the true spirit of America: the America where the government was put in place to protect minority groups from the bias and bigotry of the majority; the America where each person is considered equal and individual rights are paramount to the success and prosperity of our country. This “de-Americanization” of modern culture has trickled into the prosecution of these laws as well. Where at one time, one is innocent until proven guilty, the burden of proof has been shifted from the state to the individual pit bull owners. It is on us to prove our animals aren’t a danger and in some cases the right to even make that defense has been taken away.