This past weekend we celebrated our freedom and commemorated our nation’s independence. As we all know freedom can take many forms and one way we become free is by overcoming our fears.
Fear can be a powerful thing and as any pit bull owner knows, oftentimes people fear our dogs even if the dogs have done nothing to warrant it. One of the great lessons I took out of last week’s interview with Mitzi Bolanos of StubbyDog was her comment about how we as pit bull parents can make a difference simply by taking our dogs out in public, “showing everyone that pit bulls are ordinary, loving family dogs.”
It sounds straightforward enough but sometimes it also helps to have an ice-breaker. Case in point - last Thursday, while picking up some dog food with Mickey, on a whim I bought him a stars and stripes bandana instead of his usual cookie. He wore it over the weekend and we received some pleasant surprises.
Fear can be a powerful thing and as any pit bull owner knows, oftentimes people fear our dogs even if the dogs have done nothing to warrant it. One of the great lessons I took out of last week’s interview with Mitzi Bolanos of StubbyDog was her comment about how we as pit bull parents can make a difference simply by taking our dogs out in public, “showing everyone that pit bulls are ordinary, loving family dogs.”
It sounds straightforward enough but sometimes it also helps to have an ice-breaker. Case in point - last Thursday, while picking up some dog food with Mickey, on a whim I bought him a stars and stripes bandana instead of his usual cookie. He wore it over the weekend and we received some pleasant surprises.
Normally when we are out walking, we get a whole spectrum of reactions and unfortunately they are not always positive. On this weekend though, things were different. Most of the people we passed on the street did not really acknowledge us but on two occasions they did. I don’t know whether it was solely because of the bandana but I do know that, at least for a little while Mickey’s breed did not matter. What these two people seemed to see was just a cute dog wearing a Fourth of July bandana!
Friday morning was a perfect day for a walk so we began the day with a three mile jaunt around the neighborhood. Not far from home we spotted a woman coming from the opposite direction. When she saw us, she approached very cautiously and appeared to be afraid. There were no sidewalks on the other side of the busy street so she really had little choice but to walk past us. A funny thing happened as we got closer though. She noticed Mickey was wearing his bandana. You could see her relax and a smile came over her face. “Happy Independence Day,“ she said, and continued on her way. We met her again on our way back home. There was no fear this time, just a smile and a “hi.”
Friday morning was a perfect day for a walk so we began the day with a three mile jaunt around the neighborhood. Not far from home we spotted a woman coming from the opposite direction. When she saw us, she approached very cautiously and appeared to be afraid. There were no sidewalks on the other side of the busy street so she really had little choice but to walk past us. A funny thing happened as we got closer though. She noticed Mickey was wearing his bandana. You could see her relax and a smile came over her face. “Happy Independence Day,“ she said, and continued on her way. We met her again on our way back home. There was no fear this time, just a smile and a “hi.”
Saturday morning’s walk was even better. As we were nearing the end of our walk, an older woman who I would estimate was in her late 70’s walked toward us. When she saw Mickey, her face broke out in a huge smile. “Aren’t you adorable,” she said. “So patriotic!” She gave Mickey a little pat on the head and he gave her a kiss on her arm. As she walked away, she repeated, “aren’t you the patriot……adorable.”
Another success!
Two brief encounters and two positive reactions. It may not seem like much but it’s a start. Freedom from fear….one person at a time. Way to go Mickey, GOOD BOY!
Another success!
Two brief encounters and two positive reactions. It may not seem like much but it’s a start. Freedom from fear….one person at a time. Way to go Mickey, GOOD BOY!
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