Editors Corner:
Looking Towards a New Year
Date: November 16th 2006
From: Jason Mann - Senior Editor
A new year is approaching and it seems like the fight we have been fighting for the past 20 years is still raging. People can say what they will about us Pit Bull lovers but I am proud to be among you. You are warriors who fight the good fight and for that I applaud you.
A new year is approaching and yes, PitBullLovers.com will be here. For our third year as one of the largest positive Pit Bull web sites on the World Wide Web and I for one am not satisfied.
PitBulllovers.com is growing into the largest, most sought after Pit Bull web site on the web but that is not enough. You and I need to pull up our sleeves and get to work in the coming year.
Work? Doing what? Well we can start by reaching out and touching more people with our message. American Pit Bull Terriers are not hellfire demons from the abyss! They are loving canine companions that need our help and deserve our respect.
From there we can spread the word about the millions of homeless Pit Bulls who need forever homes. From there we can continue to spit in the face of breed specific legislation and demand our rights and demand fair treatment as Pit Bull fanciers.
Say it with me... "Blame the DEED and Not the BREED!"
I hope you enjoy the rest of this months issue and here's to the upcoming year of 2007! (Saying that makes me feel quite old. lol)
Best Regards,
Jason Mann - Senior Editor and Publisher
Project Pit BullTM
Why is Merle an Automatic Disqaulification? Or Why is Merle Not a Purebred Pit Bull Color?
Over the last few weeks I have been debating back and forth with a number of people who have
merle "pit bulls." These debates have led me to doing even more research into the merle pattern
and why the registeries have made this an automatic DQ.
First school of thought...
Merle has always been showing up in the American Pit Bull Terrier but just showed up recently.
Why this is untrue...
The way the merle pattern is designed genetically makes this impossible. The only way to get merle
into a breed that does not actively carry it is to cross in a breed that does actively carry the merle
pattern.
Second School of thought...
Breeders of the past culled their merle dogs, that's why we never seen them until recently.
Why this is untrue...
Even if they culled their dogs (which most didn't) you would still have seen at least one or two
of them around back then. Breeders haven't changed that much over the past decade or two they
did give the dogs they didn't want to breed to their friends or family.
Yet, we do not see any merle dogs in old photographs or in old magazines or old literature.
And the final school of thought...
Merle dogs have been crossed with another breed to produce the merle pattern and are in fact mutts.
Why this is likely true...
Combine the fact that the merle pattern has never been seen in the APBT prior to 6-10 years ago with
the fact that the merle pattern can only be found in a dog that actively has it with the fact these dogs
started popping up in the south where the Catahoula Lepoard dogs are found and it doesn't take much of
an expert to see the liklihood these dogs are mixed breeds or have been crossed with another breed
is true.
For me it's easy, I believe at some point a merle dog breed was crossed with an APBT to create
a fad dog we now know as the "Merle Pit Bull" making them a hybrid rather than a purebred
American Pit Bull Terrier.
Now I am not a genetics expert so if you would like more information about this subject
I would suggest you do a search about the merle pattern and animal genetics at Google.com
You can also check out The Merle Pattern and the APBT by clicking here.
Have a great day!
Pit Bull Health Tip of The Month:
Head'em Up, Move'em Out, Get them Doggies Movin'
This months health tip is going back to the basics.
Getting outside and getting your dog moving is one of the best things you can do for their overall health. Dogs are social creatures that love to travel with their pack mates. Walking, taking long hikes, or running with your Pit Bull will do a world
of good for their health.
You will work their cardio, their muscles, and their minds all at once and as the old saying goes, "A tired Pit Bull is a good Pit Bull."
I suggest getting your dog up to a trot for at least 20-30 minutes. This is what will exercise them. Walking alone doesn't really burn off the energy or give them sufficient exercise. Walking helps you build a bond with your pooch and develops a respect between the two of you.
Taking your dog for a bike ride is another good way to exercise them. However, whatever you decide to do you should remember to work your dog up to a good exercise routine an don't just start them out by doing too much. If your dog is in good shape then you shouldn't have any problems at all.
Bottom line, get them doggies movein'
Pit Bull Training Tip of the Month:
Consistency: How long should you work on behaviors?
When you start the training process you make a contract with your dog. You shake on the fact you will offer the best training you possibly can and you will be consistent with that training and there in lies the "secret" to a well trained Pit Bull.
After working with dozens of dogs, reading thousands of pages of training how-to's, working with professional trainers that use a variety of training techniques, training my crew, and writing The Pit Bull Training Handbook I can tell you without flinching that consistency is the key to the whole training process.
So how long do you have to work on behaviors before your dog can be called, "trained?"
Well, it depends on your dog but more importantly it depends on how consistent you are with their training. I have found that a year of solid consistent training for a set of behaviors (sit, down, recall, down/stay, wait etc...) leads to a dog that shows high reliability when asked to those behaviors.
The truth is your dog is never, "trained" completely. You will spend the rest of their life working with them and proofing the behaviors they already know. However, with a year of consistent training you will see a dramatic difference. That's 365 days of training at least once per day for a couple of the behaviors you want to teach.
Why a Year?
As I said before I have worked with a lot of dogs and my own. From my experience and from talking to other professional trainers I know we all agree that 12 months offers enough time for both owner and dog to learn the training methods and behaviors.
Once you understand the training techniques and methods you will be able to train your dog and that is why I say a year. It takes time to learn these methods and work with your dog. Over that 12 months both of you learn to work together and it's consistent for a long enough time to stick with the dog.
So mark your calendar and start training with your dog. After 12 months if your dog is not worthy of being called trained then something is wrong with you. I'm kidding. Seriously, if you committ to one year of consistent training you will see how much of a difference it makes.
For some added help with the training process you can get your copy of the The Pit Bull Training Handbook.
So, what are you waiting for, go mark that calendar and get started!
Legal Stuff
Every thing on this page is Copyright © 2006-2007. Jason Mann &
PitBullLovers.com
You can pass this issues web address to friends if you would like.
That concludes the legal talk.
Best Regards,
Jason Mann
Senior editor - The Pit Bull Lover Gazette
Proud Doggy Dad - Angel CGC/CTD, Honey and Patch Three of the coolest dogs I've
ever had the pleasure of sharing space with.
P.P.S. Do you like The Pit Bull Lover Gazette? Why not pass it
on to a friend? You may copy this in it's entirety as long
as you don't change anything. Or have them send a blank email
to PitBullLovers@getresponse.com
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved.
Email:Jason@PitBullLovers.com
The Mt. Bachelor Pad by Ruff Wear - When I go out on training assignments or hold classes or just go out to hang with the dogs these bad boys are rolled up and ready to roll with us. The Mt. Bachelor Pad is a portable mat that is durable, comfortable, and provides your dog a nice place to hang out while on outings or in the home.
