Pit Bulls Are Amazing: Words from Owners who Love them

So last month, October, was Pit Bull Awareness month and we wanted to share some of the stories you sent us about why your Pit Bull is AMAZING. Here are a few of your stories in your words to shed some light on the most misunderstood breeds of all: the Pit Bulls.

 

“I just had to share my sweet boy, Goose! He turned three today, and I rescued him a little under three years ago from a farm right outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. He's been one of the best friends a girl could ask for, and such a joy. Pitbulls really are the sweetest! “ - Emma

 

 

"Hey there :) My name is Sami (@samisandss) and I have a blue pitbull named Bailey. My boyfriend and I adopted her from the humane society around 2 months ago. She is now 6 months old and was abandoned in an old run down hotel room with her mom and sister. We love her so very much and is the best dog we have ever had. Pitbulls are a misunderstood breed and it's so sad since mine is the sweetest and most loving dog ever." - Sami

 

 

"My pitbull, technically he's a BullyPit, Buster is the guy with the black eye :) Here our story:Two years ago around this time of the year, my mom decided that I needed a dog because of my PTSD. A family friend was giving away some puppies so of course we jumped to the opportunity. We took the puppy home, not even knowing or caring what breed he was. As he got older and my mom did more research on him, we figured out he was a BullyPit, half purebred pit and half purebred bulldog. I hadn't heard about the stereotypes of pit bulls nor did I care why people were scared of my puppy. As I got older, I was trying to register him as my ESA and it was then that I found out what pit bills were known for. There wasn't an ounce of me that believed that pits could EVER do what the media claims they do. So now, two years later I wear my "I Love Pitbulls" trucker hat almost every day, generally with a pit bull t-shirt. And to prove how sweet of a dog Buster is, we recently got Molly, a 7 week old full pit bull. They're rough, but Buster could never hurt anyone like the media says he would." - Karissa

 

 

"I have had Maddie since she was 4 weeks old, now almost 2 years old. Maddie is amazing because she is always changing people's minds about pitbulls, I can't name how many people we have had tell us she is so well behaved, and that she definitely makes them realize that it's all about how the breed is raised. Especially kids, Maddie adores kids of all ages." - Jeanette

 

 

We love hearing your stories and sharing your love of Pit Bulls with the rest of the world. If you have a story you would like to share please email us at mypitbullfriend@gmail.com and attach pictures!

 

Thanks,

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Paw Pack: October Box with Coupon Code

 

We received our first ever Paw Pack box for the month of October 2014 and I decided to do a review for any of you who are curious about this particular monthly dog product box and to give you my honest opinion and thoughts.

 

It works like this:

 

  1. Pick your pet: Dog or Cat.

  2. Decide on the size of your box: Starter, Premium, or Deluxe.

  3. Choose a billing plan: Monthly, billed every 6 months, or billed annually.

  4. Boxes ship out on the 15th of each month with free shipping.

 

Our box came in a bright blue color and held 9 items with a specialized monthly letter. I had Bentley try out each item and can tell you that she loved every single thing in that box, especially the odorous treats.

 

The first thing that caught my eye was the Beams- Pure Icelandic fish skin chew treats for dogs by The Honest Kitchen.

These are strips of dried fish skin with absolutely no added ingredients. I gave one to Bentley and some of her dog friends and they all disappeared with it and didn't reappear until it was gone. It's safe to say that this is something I would purchase considering that it is all natural and has a good amount in the bag.

 

The second item, also by the Honest Kitchen, is a sample of Embark Dehydrated Dog Food in the Turkey Flavor. This dog food is gluten free and made with human grade ingredients. Just add water and you're done. Bentley gobbled this up pretty quick. I love how the ingredients are simple and natural.

 

Our next item was Pizzle Puff by Hymalayan Dog Chew. The treats are grain free and gluten free and have no preservatives. The smell is a bit strong for my taste but then again I'm not the one eating it. Once again Bentley loved these. They are said to be especially for training so I might have to try these with some unruly dogs to see if it does in fact work better than other treats.

 

Of course what would this time of year be without the notorious pumpkin flavored everything? I was excited to see these dog treats because I am a sucker for pumpkin anything. These dog treats are by EOS Plato and they are Turkey with Pumpkin Dog Treats. These are grain free with no fillers and have over 90% turnkey. They contain no GMOS's or meat by products. These were a hit and smell a bit like cookies. I would buy these again.

 

The  next item was this Blue Collar by Project Blue Collar. Since October is National Shelter Dog Month, everyone who ordered a Paw Pack received one. "PBC is a global movement to celebrate rescue dogs and unite people who care. PBC is a way to show your rescue prode and tell your rescue dog's story. PBC gives back 20-50% of sales to rescue groups." Obviously I am all for adopting shelter dogs so I support what they are trying to do here. This collar is lightweight and made of rubber..

 

Last but not least, to keep with the Halloween theme, a bat squeaky toy and three more treats for Bentley to sink her teeth into.

 

Now when it comes to the sizes and billing plan the prices will vary. Here is a breakdown of each plan to give you a better understanding of your savings and the amount of products each box carries.

 

STARTER PACK: 2-3 full sized surprise items each month along with various samples and other goodies. Everything will always be either Eco-Friendly, Organic, or All-Natural.

$18/billed monthly, $16/ a month, billed every 6 months, $15/ a month, billed annually

 

PREMIUM PACK: 4-5 full sized surprise items each month along with various samples and other goodies. Everything will always be either Eco-Friendly, Organic, or All-Natural.

$28/billed monthly, $26/a month, billed every 6 months, $25/a month, billed annually

 

DELUXE PACK: 6-7 full sized surprise items each month along with various samples and other goodies. Everything will always be either Eco-Friendly, Organic, or All-Natural.

$43/billed monthly, $39/a month billed every 6 months, $34/a month, billed annually

 

After having done research on each individual product, I can say that I am overall happy with the quality of each one. I like the fact that they are natural products and that I actually know what is in each treat. Personally, I like the idea of having a monthly box since I am quite busy. This is the perfect way to try out new brands and products and the plus to me is that Paw Pack takes the time to look for healthier options.

If you want to try Paw Pack visit their website : www.PawPack.com

You can get 20% off your first purchase with code: MYPITBULLFRIEND

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the review. Leave your comments below.

 

Thanks,

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Xena the Warrior Puppy: Survivor and Best Friend

Every year the American Humane Society hosts the "Hero Dog Awards" Ceremony to recognize and award dogs in 8 different classes: “Law Enforcement Dogs; Arson Dogs; Service Dogs; Therapy Dogs; Military Dogs; Guide & Hearing Dogs; Search and Rescue Dogs; and Emerging Hero Dogs (for ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things or are just heroes to us)”. There are 24 semi finalists and one will be crowned as the American Hero Dog of 2014.

 

This year Trupanion is the "Emerging Hero Dog" Category's Sponsor and a very special dog has won this title. Her name is Xena and she is a warrior in more ways than one.

 

Xena was found on September 15 2012 by a rescue group, “Friends of DeKalb Animals” in DeKalb County Georgia, extremely emaciated and showing signs of severe abuse. “I’ve been doing rescue probably for about 12 years, and I had never seen a dog that young in that sort of condition,” said Chrissy Kaczynski, an animal rescue worker. Xena was about 4 months old, weighed about 5.6 lbs and was declared a Staffordshire Terrier mix that had most likely been caged, neglected, and starved to a point of near death. Had she not been found, that is exactly what would've happened.

 

The animal rescue group started a Facebook page to show Xena's amazing journey of recovery and that is where Linda Hickey first heard of this amazing dog. "I fell in love with a dog on the Internet," she told Today. The mother of two, residing in Georgia, took her family to a fundraiser in November of 2012 to meet Xena and decided to adopt her after seeing her son Jonny interact with her. “We were literally there for four minutes, and Xena ran right up to Jonny and my husband,” Linda said. “I already loved this dog, and after I met her, I really loved this dog.”

 

 

On March 25 2013, Xena was adopted by the Hickey family. Jonny is autistic and before Xena came into his life he was closed off and silent but since she's come into his life he is full of life, singing and talking to his best friend Xena all the time.  “Jonny has a very limited vocabulary…but since Xena came into our home, Jonny has not stopped talking. He talks to her all the way home from school, during homework and afterwards he plays with her until dinner.” Linda Hickey stated. “He is the happiest child that I’ve ever seen him be in eight years.”

 

It is truly amazing that this puppy overcame all odds and just so happened to be adopted by the perfect family and was able to help Jonny come out of his shell. A puppy that was left for dead is now an 8 year old boy's best friend and reason for having brighter days. This just goes to show that animals do in fact change our lives in positive ways. Hopefully sharing this message will show those who put down dogs, especially Pit Bull type breeds, will think twice before casting judgement.

 

 

Watch the video below for more information!

This video was produced by the ASPCA and was debuted at the Awards Ceremony on Nov. 21 2013....Xena! ASPCA Dog of the Year!

 

 

Make sure to tune in to the Hallmark Channel on October 30th at 8pm EST to watch the 2014 American Hero Dog be crowned. (We hope Xena wins!)

 

 

 

May the dogs be with you,

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The 45 Absolute Cutest Pit Bull Puppies on Instagram!

I've scoured all over Instagram to bring to you some of the cutest Pit Bull puppy pictures ever and I've compiled a long list of adorable pups. If you already love Pit Bulls you will fall in love all over again and if you don't, well it will be impossible to not crack a smile after peering into the eyes of these tiny heart breakers.

So without further ado - Voila! I introduce to you in no particular order,

 

The 45 Absolute Cutest Pit Bull Puppies on Instagram: 

 

 

1.  CAN I SKATE WITH YOU?

2. SWEET DREAMS

3. RASTA LIFE

4. UPSIDE DOWN CLOWN

5. PEEK-A-BOO 

6. MY FAVORITE SHIRT

7. SPOTS OF LOVE

8. LIFE IS RUFF

9. BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIT

10. CAN YOU PLAY WIF ME?

11. THE BEST PRESENT EVER

12. LAID OUT

13. TAKE ME EVERYWHERE MA

14. TINY DANCER

15. "I'M SO FANCY"

16. SO YOU SAID WE'RE GOING TO THE DOG PARK RIGHT?

17. WHATCHA DOIN' ?

18. CAN MY FWIEND COME WITH ME?

19. I JUST SAW A FISH IN DERE !

20. SWEATER WEATHER

21. SLEEPING BEAUTY

22. WEEEEEEEEEEEEE !

23. TECH SAVVY 

24. CUDDLE BUDDIES

25. CAN'T SLEEP WITHOUT MY PENGUIN

26. DO I HAVE SOMETHING IN MY TEEF?

27. HI THERE

28. BEST DAY EVER!

29. MY FAVORITE PLACE TO FALL ASLEEP 

30. NAVIGATING THROUGH THE BRUSH 

31. CELEBRATING GRADUATING PUPPY SCHOOL WITH A NAP

32. BABY BLUES

33. A STROLL IN A STROLLER

34. I MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION

35. READ ME THE BEDTIME STORY ABOUT THE PIT BULL AGAIN

36. THE  HUMANS WILL NEVER FIND ME DOWN HERE

37. DID YOU SAY "WALK" ?

38. PITTIE PRINCESS PARTY

39. LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!

40. WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

41. WEIGHING IN AT : ADORABLE!

42. TONGUE OUT TUESDAY

43. A CHARIOT FIT FOR A KING

44. OH HEY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE

45. PINT SIZED CUTIE

 

 

 

Now that was quite a list! Hope you enjoyed the profound cuteness of these little ones. If you would like to share your Pit Bull Puppy with us please email us a picture and a sentence as to why your dog is special to you to : MyPitBullFriend@gmail.com

 

If you would like some tips on how to train your Pit Bull puppy click here : 7 Tips For Training Your New Pit Bull Puppy 

 

 

Until Next Time,

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7 Tips For Training Your New Pit Bull Puppy

My brother just rescued two of the cutest little Pit mix puppy siblings, more specifically Pitweiler puppies (half Pit Bull half Rottweiler). They've been spending a lot of time with Bentley and I had forgotten how much really goes in to training a puppy since Bentley is now 2 ½ years old. The constant peeing and pooping all over the place, whining and barking, ankle biting, teething... the list goes on. This brought back some memories of when Bentley was a puppy. Let me tell you though, she is a very well behaved dog now and knows a lot of tricks and commands but she was a rambunctious little thing as a puppy. I remember her chewing up everything she could get her tiny teeth on. One day I came home to a half eaten mattress and I mean this thing was literally half way chewed up. My jaw dropped and stayed like that until I spotted Bentley coming from around the back of the bed wagging her tail with a piece of mattress in her mouth. I started laughing because I couldn't believe that this small 9 week old puppy had done this. Those days of disaster are gone now though, thank heavens.

                                                       Here are the 2 little Pitweilers -Sophie and Romeo&nbs…

                                                       Here are the 2 little Pitweilers -Sophie and Romeo 

 

I thought that I would go ahead and compile a list of the tips that got me through puppy-hood with Bentley that may help you with your new addition to the family.

 

  1. Do not lose your cool.

    This is the most important tip. I can understand that it may be frustrating to come home to a house full of pee and poo or things chewed up and to get angry but do not scream and hit your puppy. He doesn't know any better, he's just doing what comes naturally. Don't worry, with time things will improve.

  2. Start training from day one.

    Teach your puppy that you are the leader. A good way is with feeding time. Before you feed your puppy hold his filled food bowl in your hand and tell him to “sit” (Puppies usually go crazy during feeding time). Once he calms down and sits, put the bowl down and say “good”. This will teach him that you are in control and the more you do this the sooner he will learn the word “sit” and a plus will be that he will be calm during feeding time in the future.

  3. Introduce your puppy to everyone and everything.

    Seriously! Take your puppy with you everywhere possibly you can. Introduce him to people, children dogs, cats, squirrels, whatever, just get him to be social. The more you do this, the better your dog will be in different situations. A well socialized dog is a better behaved dog in many circumstances. They do not get overly excited, nervous, anxious, or aggressive like dogs that are not socialized.

  4. Take your puppy on walks.

    A dog doesn't automatically know how to walk on a leash. Many older dogs still don't know. By taking your puppy on walks from day one not only are you exercising him and getting out some of that energy that might instead be spent tearing something apart, you are also teaching him how to follow your lead and get comfortable on a leash. If your puppy doesn't like the leash at first then just walk him with a collar and hold the leash in your hand. He will follow you on your walk. Keep practicing until he is comfortable going on walks with a leash on. Teach your puppy not to pull by stopping every time he does and only starting up again when he follows your lead. You may use the word “heal” when you do this.

  5. Play with your puppy.

    Just like walking your dog gets rid of build up energy, so does playing fetch for 10 minutes. Your puppy is full of energy and curiosity. You will be doing wonders playing with him and he will look forward t o play time and see it as a reward and once again you will tire him out and help stop bad behavior that stems from boredom and lack of stimulation, like destroying the couch cushions.

  6. Get some toys.

    Chew toys, ropes, squeaky stuffed animals, balls...These will hopefully keep the little one entertained for long enough so that he doesn't chew up the legs of your table while you're away at the grocery store.

  7. Enjoy the small things.

    Literally, enjoy your puppy being small because one day in the coming months he will be huge and you might not be able to carry him anymore and he might think he's a lap dog and jump on you while you're watching tv and it might hurt... a lot.

 

Good luck with your new puppy and please don't get mad about those shoes, they are replaceable. If you feel that a puppy might be too much work, there are many wonderful dogs that are waiting be rescued that are already trained. Don't be fooled thinking a puppy is the only way to go. Do your research and share your knowledge!

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

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Shelter Chic: Coming Soon to NY

 

I absolutely love meeting young, innovative people with a desire to serve the less fortunate. I have recently made the acquaintance of just that. A beautiful young woman named Brittany Feldman with a bright idea to help animals in need with a neat concept and a fantastic name – “Shelter Chic”.

 

Shelter Chic is a completely different type of shelter experience than what we are all used to. The main goal is to attract the public to shelters as opposed to buying pets from breeders or pet stores and also to make it a positive experience, not a sad one. How many times have you been to an animal shelter and felt depressed by the whole thing? Staring into the eyes of a sad dog in a dreary looking cage can put quite the damper on your mood. Shelter Chic will change that entirely. One of the main components to making the experience unique is a boutique that will be located at the front of the shelter which will carry an array of products for animals and humans as well making an emphasis on products that do not test on animals. The proceeds from the boutique will go towards maintaining the shelter.

As soon as you walk in to Shelter Chic you will feel happy because of the funky atmosphere. Leopard print litter boxes, quirky t-shirts for the employees and the best part is that the animals will all be dressed to impress. Tutus, bow ties - the whole nine, because well animals can have style too! How can you not smile when you see a dog in a tutu? Exactly! This shelter will leave you with a sense of happiness and joy not sadness.               

(This is the logo for Shelter Chic, cute isn't it?)

 

Upon first hearing about this I was extremely happy to find that such a young woman had such an amazing vision and it is all in the name of helping animals. I wanted to delve a little deeper and ask Brittany a few questions.

 

When did you know you wanted to help animals?

Since childhood I have been a crazy animal lover (I used to play with insects and considered the ants in our backyard my pets). But a few years ago I started watching Pit Bulls and Parolees on Animal Planet and it had an enormous impact on me. I started sponsoring pit bulls from Villalobos Rescue Center and planned a trip to New Orleans to visit them. After meeting the dogs and seeing what they had been through, I quickly saw the resiliency, ability to forgive, and the overwhelming love the pit bull breed has to give. The people working at Villalobos were dedicated, passionate, and devote their lives 24 hours a day 7 days a week to saving animals. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I became friends with one of the employees, telling him my desire to help, and he said "you know, you don't need to come to New Orleans to help, you can get involved in NY" And that's when I started volunteering at a shelter in Manhattan.I always knew I wanted to help animals, but Villalobos made me want to take action. After getting involved in the rescue world and seeing that there were still so many people buying animals from pet stores and breeders, I came up with Shelter Chic, a fancified and funkified shelter meant to attract the non-shelter crowd. I sat on this dream of mine for over two years, when finally this past May I told one of my closest friends Amanda Folk about the idea. She loves animals and works in business and finance, and it was clear she would be the perfect business partner. She couldn't wait to put her knowledge and expertise to such a good cause. We've been working together ever since.




How did you come up with the name?


I was talking about the idea with a friend in May and he just blurted out "Shelter Chic". I originally wanted to name it Bally's Bitches (Bally is my childhood family nickname) and I wanted to go for that edge. After discussing it with Amanda, we realized that the name Shelter Chic would appeal perfectly to the crowd we were aiming at, those that tend to have a stigma against shelters. The juxtaposition of the two words works against this stigma. I love the name, I think it explains what we're about perfectly.



Do you have any rescues of your own?


I have a cat named Harris that I fostered and soon after adopted from the shelter that I used to work at. He was found alone in a box in a park and brought to us. I bought my dog Georgie from a pet store when
I was in college in 2006. I didn't know about puppy mills or the importance of adoption at the time. Georgie and Harris are best friends, it is adorable. They are the loves of my life.



When could we expect Shelter Chic to open it's doors?


Realistically we are aiming to be open by Summer 2015, although we hope it will be sooner (our paperwork is in process but there is a waiting period while it is still under review). In the meantime we are raising awareness about our cause and beginning to fundraise. We are currently looking for a space in lower Manhattan, which is very exciting!


What message would you like to give to anyone who doesn't want to adopt from a shelter?

 

When you adopt from a shelter, you save a life. Animals from shelters come from all different places. Some animals in shelters are former strays, some are rescued from abusive situations, and some are purebred dogs and cats that wind up in shelters after being
surrendered by their owner for various reasons. There are kittens and puppies in shelters, too. You can find any type of dog or cat in a shelter, if you look. It is heartbreaking to see homeless animals in cages, but if you truly love animals and want to welcome one into your family, why not save one? They might just end up saving you, too.

 

 

We need more people like this, who truly care about the well being of animals. Cheers to you Brittany! Keep up the good work and I will be looking forward to taking my first trip to NYC when Shelter Chic opens its doors. 

 

 

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