Always Guilty

Always Guilty...
The funny thing about the automatic assumption that my dogs are evil because of their breed is something that has always floored me. How can all pit bulls be classified because some have been raised poorly, or dropped off in the wild with no choice other than to attack another animal for food. But not all of them are evil. Take Bella and Tripp for instance! Tripp is a water freak... If it is not fresh cold water, he will not drink it. Bella doesnt care, as long as it is wet. Tripp is all boy and loves the outdoors. Bella wants to come in after a little running, because she doesnt want to get hot. Tripp runs into the water streaming from the water hose, and Bella will run for her life because she thinks that its not fun.. Tripp loves the bathtub so much, he has gotten in the shower with me (more times in his life than I would like to admit), where as Bella does not want me to drip on her. My dogs are so different, yet they are both pit bulls! If they are all evil, and all going to kill their owner eventually, wouldnt they be alike in any and all other manners? I would go with probably so. My dogs are my family. They are sweet. Bella will lick your freckles off and Tripp will play until he wears everyone else out and then some. My dogs aren't going to hurt anyone. They are welcoming, and fun. They listen (most of the time). The only times they are even close to dangerous are when they are left alone. And that is only because seperation is killer for Tripp.. NO TOYS ARE SAFE... :)

Yes, I own TWO pitbulls. But, they are going against stereotypes, and because of that, I can proudly write blog posts and try to share my babies with the world. Adopting Tripp into our family has inspired us to prove a point and try to show everyone that pit bulls are brilliant and loyal animals and they deserve a chance and they do not deserve being banned in cities.We make a point to talk about them to everyone because by doing that, we have a chance to change a mind. We take them with us whenever  and where ever we can, because their good behavior can change someones mind. Its time that people see them for who they are and can be, and quit seeing them as those defensless dogs that are brainwashed into being tough and vicious creatures, because those dogs may stand out and may set the stereotypes, but as a responsible pit owner, we can change the world!!

Motivation

Happy Independence Day to all fellow bloggers. Wednesday I learned a very valuable lesson. One that made me very sad and showed the true colors of some people in regards to my dog. But it has motivated me to return to the original reason I wanted to start this blog. Tripp and Bella are like our children. Heck, I feel a little guilty because I have a blog on my dogs and not one just for my child, that is why I must include her in a lot of my posts. :) But, for Independence Day we went to a party that my uncle was having. We had 20 kids under the age of 10 and about 20 adults. We took Tripp, our male pit, with us because we take him everywhere with us. Of course he was on his leash with us at the party, because he had just gotten there and we didnt want him over excited with all of the people and the other dog that was there.  My aunt had her dog there as well, which was no big deal, because ever since we've had him, he has been around her when they visit. She has come to our house, and we have taken them to other family members houses together. This dog is a little taller than ours, but ours is all muscle. As soon as we get there, her dog attacked ours. We told them to stop and removed her dog from ours (not even mad that he had been attacked), Tripp had a little scratch, and I asked Jamie to take him to the house, just so we can go about the day. But, before they had a chance to leave the driveway, I was told that I did not know what my dog was capable of doing. Dolly, my aunt's dog, was protecting herself from him because he is a pit bull and therefore, he is going to kill anything, anytime he wants. WHAT?? A dog just attacked my baby and it was my fault that my dog didnt fight back, but could have if he wanted to? The situation escalated, and of course I played a momma bear who would fight to the death in order to protect her cub. We left, and our feelings are hurt. See, we work hard with keeping our dogs socialized. They make terrible guard dogs because they see everyone as friends. They greet all people who come to our house, or who see on our walks with licks and sits, not with growls or bites. I was finally coming around to believe that people were starting to become open minded because of seeing our dogs. But, truth be told, nothing had changed. In fact, we are a target of criticism because of our animals, who we consider apart of our family.

I have said it once, and I will continue to say it. These are not the faces of evil. These are faces of loyality and love. There is no doubt that these dogs have a reputation, but just because you see an Asian rob a McDonalds, it doesn't mean that all Asians are evil doers. And just because previous Pit Bull owners didn't take the role of being a parent to these creatures seriously doesnt mean that they are all bred to fight or that they will eventually turn on you. Its interesting how we are sure to hear about the news of a pit bull mauling someone, but we never hear about those who lived 15 years with the same owner, who loved them and considered them family that has never been attacked. Isnt it funny how main stream media picks and chooses the stories that are "worth" hearing? They are painting a picture for civilization, and it isn't an honest one!! These dogs are MY family, and they deserve a chance, not to be hated just because they are born into a breed whose reputation is less than perfect! But, thanks to this incidence a fire has been fueled and I will continue to fight and represent these animals in an honest and accurate light from the experience of my two "automatically guilty" pits.

Making Blogging A little Simpler

FYI, my keyboard is on the fritz, so if I am missing some Ns, I apologize in advance!! :)

Have you heard about Bloglovin'? I know that Blogger is a fantastic host for us bloggers, and allows us to see the feed of those we follow, but Bloglovin allows you to do the same. Except, those bloggers who make you subscribe instead of merely just follow, this site can help you organize those without them filling up your inbox. I put all of the random blogs that may be useful and creative on this feed, and I am emailed with a daily feed for any new posts. It is a much simpler way to organize the blogs that you follow!! It is superb!!! Check it out.. .Bella loves it.. She wandered over to my computer the first chance she got.. :)

No Dogs on the Bed

After getting Belle, we decided two big dogs on and off the furniture any time they please was too much for our furniture to handle. But, as I spent yesterday in the bed, working on my resume and spending the rainy day being absolutely LAZY.. I had my three children in there too.. Serenity, Tripp, and Belle. As you can see, they assumed that since it was declared to be a lazy, stay in the bed day, that included them as well..

But, as you can see, Tripp didn't let Belle back on the bed, once she got off.. I think he just decided to give her a tough time. She doesnt jump like he does, she has to climb. And he would start playing with her and she couldnt get up.. What a meanie!! But, it was quite fun to watch.. The rule still applies about no dogs on the bed, but they got to have a one day pass yesterday!! :)

GRADUATION DAY.....

I think I may quite possibly be the HAPPIEST graduate out of all Memphis graduates Saturday. I got to walk in front of thousands of people in the FEDEX forum (home of the Grizzlies), and spend time with my family, on Beale Street and at my pool party (which I was of course fabulously late for). Not only was it Cinco de Mayo, and those of you who love history know that is when America helped Mexico defeat the French, and that deserves celebration. I grauated college and I honesetly never thought that I would make it. But, there is one more secret too.....

^^^^^^^^^

SEE THIS GUY????

Well, he is the one that has swept me off of my feet, and he has been a fantastic father to our daughter, and the best supporter of my dreams of going to school... I guess he realizes that I am a good investment for a wife... :)

Because right there at the party, in front of all of our family and friends, he asked me to spend forever with him... I have a video I will post a later time, but when I was asked to let down the banner I thought it was a trick to be thrown into the pool, expecting congrats, or a variety of embarrassing baby photos, I see WILL YOU MARRY ME!!!

WHAT???

I stood in silence for at least a minute, which when a crowd is gazing upon your every move feels like an eternity, then he looked at me and asked "Well, what do you say?"

I yelled with all of my might "YESSS!!!!"

Then, to my surprise, I was right, I was thrown into the pool.... :)

So, needless to say, shots were going around like CRAZY to celebrate two HUGE moments in my life....

My grandma just wanted a picture with the shot, she did chicken out, however, the picture is AHMAZING just because she was a trooper!!!

So, I am officially a graduate and fiance, and the HAPPIEST person in the world. . I hope that all of you enjoyed the weekend as much as we had, because it was truly truly a dream come true for me...

Day Two without School

So being busy every day for the last several years with school, a child, and dogs has been CRAZY busy!! But, now that school is gone.. What did I do??? I spent WAY too much money...
Hair...
Straightener...
New Curling Iron..
Toys for Serenity...

Other than being cute.. .What do I have to show for it?? :) Lol..  I think I miss school already!!

But, to catch up, here is a small synopsis about the family...

Usually, Tripp thinks of Belle has his play toy.. He will sit on her, bite her, anything to just be mean to her (kind of like a typical little boy) :)But, she got him during nap timp.. He let out a small snarl, and went right back to sleep.. I guess all the fun that we had outside earlier this day had him too busy to care that her large behind was sitting directly on top of him!! :) So, needless to say, I just had to get a picture of it, because this is epic for their relationship.. Lol.

Tripp is still handsome as ever.. See this blueish black circle on his head?? Well, he decided to try to break the door down in his room one day because we were at the hospital and he was in there longer than normal. We figure he must have heard something, but we found him bloodied up, and had to take him to get stitches.. He is still so adorable, scars and all.. I like to think he just has a bad boy look to him now, instead of just that cute innocent pup look!! :) Ha..

And Belle, well lets just face it, who couldn't love this girl?? I love this photo and the background with her little paw showing.. She is so ladylike....

And Serenity is growing up.. .She thinks that she is a princess.. My favorite line... Mommy a Princess doesnt do that!!! Ha.. I do not know where she got it from, but I wouldnt change my girly girl princess for the world...

WELCOMING MYSELF BACK!!

I have been away for so long! I feel silly for apologizing to an audience, but since I have neglected the few that have enjoyed this blog, I feel it is necessary before writing why I am back. I've been absent from blogging because it was my last semester in college, and TODAY is my first official day off. So I am done!! Graduation next Saturday, and I am looking forward to this.. For those of you who have been following my blog, you will see some drastic changes coming. This blog isn't going to be dedicated to just my pittie family, but just life in General. But don't let that fool you, its still going to have a lot to do with my pups, because I like to talk about them ALOT. Im that crazy parent who brags about her kid because she thinks they are better than your kids when it comes to my dogs!! Even though, God knows, my dogs are possessed sometimes.. Especially Tripp.. Belle however is an Angel.. So I guess she evens him out!! :) Ill be back soon with more... A lot has happened. My baby girl has turned four years old )on Monday April 23), I will graduate on May 5 (WHOOT) and who knows what is going to happen next, but if you guys come here often enough, it seems we shall find out together!! Hope everyone is having a happy Thursday, because mine is pretty swell so far!!

A TYPICAL LITTLE BOY

I was briefly about to brag about Tripp. I thought that he was starting to learn to share...

But then he stole the bone from her and walked away. He is a playful pup, and loves for Belle to be around. But he is not okay with her touching any of his toys. So we got her a bone of her very own, and he stole it from her and has hidden it... She is only allowed to share with him, or it is his and his alone..

Good thing she doesnt let him hurt her feelings. She just walks back over, and chews on it.. Sneaky Girl.

Serenity has surely given her approval on Belle. But going from having a tough little boy and adding a little pup girl into the mix has us making some adjustments. See, Serenity and Tripp play and she beats him up and he just lets her, and tries to get her to play tug of war. Belle is a little more sensitive, and we have to be a lot more gentle with her. But for the most part, she is adjusting well to Belle, and Belle is adjusting well to us.. Although, my loud mouth freaks her out sometimes, I cant help it. Im loud, and shes not used to it. Hopefully we will be able to toughen her up some!! 

Growing Family

We went to the park, because thanks to mother nature our weather has been absolutely fantastic the last few days!! Tripp hasnt visited this park yet. Mostly because I have been busy with school. But, I realize that I preach socializing, but other than our familiar houses, we have been terrible examples. So our goal for this year is to try a little harder with him being on his leash around people and DUCKS!! He was everywhere. And loved every minute of it. 



 He surprisingly never went in to the water, but he got a couple of sips from it. But sadly, I have a confession. Everytime you go to the park, you see that crazy lady with a big dog whose dragging her everywhere. :( That was us... Okay, okay.. Maybe not that bad, but I do have some training to do on that leash, because his excitement and my commands did not meet the same level of importance in his mind, and he tried to show me where to go a few times. :) But, he for him to be one, and that be my complaint, Ill take it.

We would like to introduce everyone to a new member of our growing family.. BELLE!! 

She is a pit bull mix, and she is a sweetheart. She is approximately four months old. The family we got her from rescued her. She was thrown from a car window as a puppy, had no teeth, and was left to fin for her own. But they have had to relocate and could not take her. So, to promise her a happy home and to make sure she didnt end up in the wrong hands or the pound, we have taken her as our own.

We let them meet before making any decisions, and right away playing began. Which was great, because sadly most dogs dont like Tripp, mostly because he is way bigger than them. But Belle on the other hand, has worn him out a few times. We are thoroughly pleased how happy they seem to be and how well they play together. Tripp is our man, and the main concern was to make sure that he was happy and that he would be able to adjust.

 We are excited about the growth and we look forward to them keeping each other company. Because Tripp has needed a companion and I have wanted a girl to spoil!! So, stay posted, and well be posting more soon!! Life with two dogs is something new for us, but something we are looking forward to experiencing.



Its been hard trying to get a picture of her face.

But, luckily, I managed to get these. Enjoy!! And we will keep you posted on our new life with a bigger family!! :)



TRIPPS VERY FIRST MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We have been looking forward to spending our first Christmas with our pittie. It was also his very first birthday. He didnt know what was going on when we started putting up decorations and when he got in trouble for chewing up stuff (presents) laying by the tree. But, we have overcome our troubles wiht his unruley chewing by giving him his very own bedroom. You wouldnt believe what a difference in this family member we have seen. He loves it. I clean, put his toys up, and one by one, he makes a trail back to the living room... :)

Tripp was more than anxious to dig into his stash that Santa Clause brought to him. I had to beg him for like fifteen minutes just to sit down long enough to take a picture. I was happy his was excited, but I was about to tackle him just so I could take his picture next to his stash. He also got a huge bed for Christmas, but since we had to give him his own room, we gave that to him early.


Another HUGE hit was Chicken Jerky. I have never seen him react to his treats like he has with these. They smell like Chicken, and he seems to LOVE them. So we give them TWO thumbs up.. After such a success, I looked up their website, CLICK HERE all of their products are REAL, from the jerky, to the sausage, to the meatballs, and I found comfort that they are pet lovers and parents as well. So, definitely a must have for all pet owners. It is a brand we have actually been 100% pleased with!!

And Tripp's FAVORITE treat from Santa was this Enormous Flavorful Bone!! YUMMY!! He is still chewing on it now. He has a dog door to let him self in and out of the door whenever he pleases, and when we let him take it out of the stocking he went running to take it outside (Thats usually where he takes his yummy ones), and before we could get him to stop, he was stuck. All that we could hear was the banging of his consistency to try and get out of his door. But this large bone is not small enough to fit out of his Extra Large dog door. But, thats good for us, because maybe he will actually enjoy this bone instead of just going to bury it. And of course after Christmas dinner we brought the Ham bone home for him, but he hid from me and would not let me take a picture.. :( But, thats okay, I know he thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it while it lasted.. And it did not last too long!!

ONE MORE TRICK BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS

I originally attempted this trick with making him hold it on his nose before getting it. But that has been a real challenge!! He has let me do it once, and has allowed Jamie to do it once to him. But now he moves his head around so we can not put it on his nose. I GUESS THE SMELL IS TOO MUCH TO HANDLE!!! :) But, he has mastered letting us put his treats on his hands and not going after them unless he is told to. And we have been impressed. We have put two at a time on each paw and he sits there like a champ. He wont let his eyes leave my face because he knows that when I say 'GET IT,' it means that it is time for him to devour his snacks. Normally I just get "Ge.." out of my mouth and they are already in his mouth!! :) My little boy makes me so happy. He is so smart.. We love learning new tricks because he knows that means snacks everyday and each time we have visitors.. So, he is pretty easy to convience when it comes to the importance of him learning new tricks..

We hope that you all had a very merry Christmas as we had.. We enjoyed ourselves, and Tripp was spoiled by everyone that saw him.. So, with a shake of our tails, have a WONDERFUL REST OF THE YEAR!!! Our new years resolution is to quit using my phone for pictures of Tripp, and use my camera I made my boyfriend buy for me!! :) 

The Beginning of a New Kind of Training

So, as you have probably noticed. I think that my dog is brilliant. He learns tricks within the first ten minutes of being taught. Our only problem was that we have gotten so attached and so has he, that he has had severe seperation issues. He has tried destroying things in order to get back at us for leaving. (We take him EVERYWHERE that allow dogs, but now that he is bigger it is harder to get away with taking him). So after becoming exhausted with the battle of whether we could keep him or not, I decided it was time for research on the issue, and advice from the experts. Days like these are when I really began to love the fact that I have joined the Dog Blog World.
Many of you are unaware that my blog started because of a class assignment for my Media 2.0 class at my University.The things I have learned about this community have shined tremendously, and the fact that I have expert advice and reviews within this little blog world excites me!!
So, here is what we have decided to do...
We have cleared out one of the back bedrooms and have given him his own room. I read on the IAMS website that giving them their own space is something that helps them cope with their seperation issues. How this works, I dont know.. But with only two days of testing it out, we are BEYOND pleased with the results. He is more than capable of breaking out of his cage, that was our huge issue. But with this new room, and his early christmas present.. A BED.. He has not attempted to get out once. His room is still under construction, so I will post a picture later. But as of now, its pretty much empty with just his bed and cage in there. But we plan on giving him free roam of the room later and having it set up just for him, toys and all. .

Th Bitter spray is our next process in this training. When we catch him messing up, our form of punishment will be a speray of this bitter spray inside of his mouth. But, so far we havent had to. I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart, and I look forward to sharing more of our adventures and training successes with you. We are always opened to more suggestions. Thanks again!

How do you train a dog to know to leave your stuff alone?

My dog has gone on a destructive path this week. I am not quite sure why. So, I did what I thought I had to do and I started making calls to find him a new home that would treat him like we would. And I had three different takers, one with over two acres of fenced in land. Sounds perfect!! But, as the tears came, I realized I couldnt get rid of Trip. He is still a fantastic dog in every sense of the word, except when it comes with him messing with stuff that is not his. There are presents out now that arent usually around. Have you had this problem with your dog?? And what did you do?
Someone said use Hot Sauce, but I dont want to dose my presents with hot sauce. I just need advice because my heart wont allow me to give him away. He is apart of our family, and we will figure something out. But any and all advice would be great. Thank you dearly.

Tripp's Big Trip

Another story about my wonderful dog and pictures to go with it. We have really enjoyed our weekend and it means to world to share it with the rest of the earth. Enjoy..

 

It rained most of this weekend in the Memphis area. We were once again rained on in the middle of hanging up our outdoor Christmas decor. We stopped at the gas station and Tripp has an infatuation with the Drivers seat in our truck. He loves to ride in vehicles, we always have the window rolled down, and like a typical dog, he will hang his head out. I love to see him in the car, because you can tell how happy he is to get out of the normal routine around the house.

We have been unable to take him to Petco the last few times that we went, because we were going for longer than just a stop at the pet store. Yesterday, when we took him, we realized just how much he has grown since we've last had to put him on his leash. Our dog weighs almost as much we do, and he is pretty darn muscular. We have been hunting online for harnesses, but have been so worried with which ones to buy. I didnt want anything cheap, because I wanted it to work. And my better half didnt want the expensive one that I had picked out. So, while at Petco, our usual lady came to help us, and I asked her for No Pull harnesses, thinking there would be no way they would have what I had wanted. And lo and behold... For only 19.99, a No Pull Large Dog Harness.. Thank you PETCO!!! We ofcourse had to test it out, and walked around PETCO with it on for the rest of our visit.

It was Perfect.

While looking through all of the harnesses, Tripp was ready to take a break. So he sprawled out in the middle of the isle, and the attention he was getting was funny to watch. Everyone stopped to tell us what a beautiful dog we had, and a lot of people stopped to pet him. But some people were too afraid to go too close due to his big size. But, no evil looks and no ugly words, we were greeted with open arms. And this is why I LOVE ANIMAL LOVERS!!!!

Our Trip wore Tripp out, and the cold rainy day had us all wanting to get in front of the heater. But, due to our 75 pound dog, there was only enough heat for him.. :) This is his permanent winter spot, and for some reason it doesnt get old, it remains to be cute. And he likes it so much, he doesnt mind to perk up and take a picture to share with the world. Now I have a new bribery tool!! :) Isnt it funny how our animals are like your adopted children??

Tripp's First Encounter with Christmas Decorations

 Can you find my dog?? We started blowing up our inflatable Mickey to see how he looked after we bought him, and we can hear Tripp, but we can't find him??

:)


I hope that you all enjoy these pictures and videos, as we enjoyed getting them on camera. Tripp brings laughter into our lives and we love how we can share them with the world. I find these quite funny, especially since Pit Bulls have such a terrible reputation as to being terrorizing monsters that will eat you in a heart beat. We have captured actual footage of a Pit Bull being SCARED! He growls at the inflatable Mickey, but he wont dare go near it. :) Enjoy the Holidays, because we are already enjoying ours!!!

I am Saying it, Because Someone Needs to.

We had to rake leaves this past weekend. Not that it did any good because they have all reappeared in our yard. But between Trip and Serenity, the work was worth it. We all played in the leaves and had a blast!!! Unfortunatly, I heard in the news today some more hype about Pit Bulls, and how they are all doomed to be awful and vicious creatures, and should be destroyed. CLICK HERE TO READ Obviously, some pit bulls got out and slaughtered 42 goats. Which is awful, and chances are they were probably starving, and they destroyed these creatures. There is no denying the strength that these animals possess, but there is no need for breed descrimination. Just because the dog is pit bull doesnt mean that it is predestined to destroy herds of goats.

I put this link to this story up here, not to spread the word of the story but to show you the comments that the story held

"Another grotesque example that shows us why pit bulls should be banned--eliminated. Either that or the name of the breed should be changed... to "fairy princess". No one would want to own a dog that, when asked "What kind of dog is it?", you would have to answer "Oh, it's a fairy princess." That wiould put a quick end to the their popularity among the idiots who believe the lie that "they are good dogs."

Awful comments like this are a pattern on this news page. Eliminate the whole population of pit bulls because these starving dogs got a hold of some goats? Now, I am not excusing them, or saying these particular dogs are good. But that does not mean that every pit bull in the world is going to go and destroy herds of animals, or kill people. I have met people in this world that are cruel, there are murders who have slaughtered families who are back in the world, there are rapists and abusers who are put in the spotlight as athletes who are supposed to be our childrens rolemodels. That doesnt mean that we should destroy Humans because of a few bad apples.

This is not a killer..

This is an animal who has been trained to not jump on people, to open doors, to sit, roll over, and play with a 3.5 year old gently. He is smart and he is fully aware that he is apart of our family. If an animal is raised properly, he will behave in a good manner. But, when a dog is let free to roam, or abandoned, or trained to be cruel, what do you expect from them????

You can't expect any animal in those types of conditions to be nice, and friendly. Dogs that are not domesticated are hunters, no matter the breed!! Just like wolves, tigers, lions. Its in their blood. But, dogs that are domesticated and treated right dont destroy their owners, and they do not go around destroying herds of goats. If you were out for days without food, would you pass by a herd of goats, and not eat them? No, we are hunters. Humans eat meat EVERYday, and they destroy animals EVERY day. We are allowed to treat dogs and cats, and goats, and pigs and cows and chickens as if they have no rights. We are horrible creatures that make other animals around us the terrible creatures that they are!! US!!! But, you dont see people standing around having chats and discussions about how each of us should destroy and demolish our kind.. Pits can not stand up for themselves. They can not speak, they can not defeat humans who are going to unrightfully destroy their breed!!! SHAME ON YOU, IF YOU ARE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THESE ANIMALS. Take a good long hard look in the mirror, then turn the news on.. Who do you hear about more? Humans killing other humans and being cruel to animals, or animals being cruel to humans???

You are going to have bad apples in any breed of being that exists. 'You dont see a teacup chiuaua in the news for destroying herds of goats' (because they are only 2 pounds). Giving these kinds of excuses to try and make up for the destruction of a beautiful and strong breed is unintelligent, and only makes the person saying it look like a complete fool. Please educate yourselves before destroying a kind of dog that can ultimately be the best companions a person and family can ask for. And yes, some people do Buy these Dogs or breed them because of their name, but those are the people who are responsible for the reputation that they hold. Not all dogs are the same, and the breed of a dog isn't what makes their actions, just like the color of our skin doesnt determine whether we will be criminals or doctors. Breed discrimination is NO different than Racism. Dont let that thought leave you. Because that is the Honest Truth, and it needs to be said. .Racism is wrong, and discriminating against an animal for its name is Wrong.