Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mute Monday: P is For



Once, they were America's most beloved canine companion.







Stars of stage and screen . . .



And not just friends, but heroes, loyal companions to the end.







So why the hate, the fear, the banning, and abuse? 
They are, after all, just dogs.














So all we are saying, is give pits a chance.

32 comments:

h said...

Good dogs and great old and new pics! I don't really why they became canina-non-grata.

Happy Mute Monday!

Jenny said...

I thought you might pick Perfume, but this is sooo much better. Those old photographs are tres cool and I had no idea of their long history.... and of course I love the one with the Chihuahua on the back of that beauty. Every Pit I've ever known has been sweet and kind... can't say the thing for some of the owners. Great pick and Happy MM.

Pam said...

Love the pics, but not gonna lie, pits scare the heck out of me!!! Happy MM!

Bear said...

Ah the movie dogs, I remember them so well.

Cool pics... happy MM.

VintagePurseGal said...

We thought our shepherd mix, Daphne, might have been part pit because of her brindle coloring. Tough-looking, but a big baby. Always carried around a stuffed toy.

The Java Junkie said...

Excellent pics! My daughter has a house full of pits, chihuahuas and children, all living in perfect harmony! Happy MM!

Karen said...

Wow Moi...those old pics you found are just incredible. I love all dogs...big, small and eveything in between. The world would be a poorer place without them.

Happy Mute Monday.

NYD said...

Go Petey!
If I were going to get a dog my first choice would be to go to the shelter. If there just happened to be a Doberman or Pit Bull there I would waste no time in bringing it home.

Joanna Cake said...

Pits also scare me - but no more so than Rottweilers or Alsatians. I guess the thing to remember is that, just like humans, there are good tempered and bad tempered examples... Nice doggy pics :)

Aunty Belle said...

Whoa! LOVE these old photos--very classy. The Rascals had a Pit? Love the history aspect of your theme.

Happy MM!

moi said...

Troll: A few thugs start fighting them and all of a sudden we got Enemy #1 of the canine world. Doesn't matter that the vast majority of the dogs live happily in responsible homes. We humans sure love our hysterias.

A.B.: It WAS a toss up, actually. A perfumed pit, now that would be a trick.

pamokc: www.badrap.org Check 'em out. Don't give in to the myth.

Bear: Pits are banned in Australia, I think?

Wendy: Been around the breed on and off my entire life. Never met one who wasn't a mush pot.

Java: Purple shoes love AND pits in da famblee? You rock.

Gypsy: Yeah, life goes better with dogs!

nyd: I knew a Dobie once who wasn't just smart and good looking, but he actually had a sense of humor. Great breed.

Cake: Actually, that's smart. You should be wary of ALL dogs until you meet them. Because they're ALL canines. But to say one breed is "bad" while another is "good" is like saying all Irishmen are drunks and all Hispanics drive low riders. In the work I do with dogs, I judge them by their individual traits, not their breed.

Aunty: The Little Rascals dog was a famous pit bull named Petey. If you do a You Tube search, you'll come up with the funniest videos staring this mild mannered canine. Many other famous pit bulls throughout history along with famous owners: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Helen Keller, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison. Today: Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, John Stewart, Michael J. Fox, Brad Pitt, Rachael Ray, Mel Brooks.

Gnomeself Be True said...

It's a lot of pit owners I'd like to ban. Not just Michael Vic variety either.
I frequently see people selling pits on the side of the road, bred indiscriminately. More common still is the advertisement for "Pit mix." Because, apparently, a great many Pit owners dont' fix their animals or keep them from running about.

There's nothing wrong with the breed that could not be fixed at the human cultural level. Unfortunately, it's against the law for me to put those ass hats down.

Vixen said...

Awww......love the pics. One of the best dogs I ever had was a lab/pit mix. She was a sweetie.

HappyMonday :)

sparringK9 said...

they truly are some of the coolest dogs ever. i had a brindle in my 20's...ol otto. but you know that already since he's hanging (hopefully) in your house. i like 'em but the big dog said NO. i like the little staff bull terrier too. my day had one: bebe the land shark. she was the cutest puppy i had ever seen. like a little black pig. excellent MM and message.

moi said...

Iamnot: Yup.

Vixen: Lab/pits can be very, very goofy :o).

K9: Send the Big Dawg to Moi's Reedumacation School for People Who Say No to Pits. He'll be cured in 5.632 seconds. Staffie Bulls are Moi's fave, too. Lil' piggies! It's worth it to rent the terrible Ray Romano movie, Welcome to Mooseport, just to see the Staffie named Plunger.

Doris Rose said...

Great photos, I don't know how anyone could pass up a cute puss like that. Figers are still crossed...

Meghan said...

Oh yes. This is my favorite MM by far.

Aunty Belle said...

Moi, Honey Chile, is thar a a book on the history of Pits? I mean...thas' a book fer ya to write iffin' it ain't been done!

MommyHeadache said...

lol.....
btw ....are you addicted to TOP CHEF yet? Padma, butter wouldn't melt in my mouth, up her own posterior is always good value

The Poet Laura-eate said...

If I ran a restaurant, it would bear a sign saying 'Well behaved pets and children welcome.' And there'd be choccie drops for both if they did behave!

moi said...

Doris: Fingers AND toes crossed.

Meghan: Thanks!

Aunty: There isn't a comprehensive history – although Diane Jessup's Working Pit Bull has excellent historical info – and it's something I'm considering compiling.

Emma: Totally addicted. You? If so, visit http://www.tc2blogger.blogspot.com/ for the Dark Side.

Poet: It's all how you train 'em – humans and canines :o).

Big Shamu said...

I love American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terriers. Sadly because of their strength and muscle, they were perfect candidates for dog fighting abuse. As long as there are dogs, there will always be idiots who will abuse dogs. I hope that the public finally realizes that the pit bull breed is not dangerous. No more than rotties, german shepherds, dobermans or St. Bernards (anyone remember when they were feared?). I've never owned one but I'm still young enough to want one.

moi said...

Shamu: I have the perfect pittie for you. Seriously.

Big Shamu said...

As much as I want one, I'm at my town's limit of dogs (3) with one very elderly dog (almost blind, mildly deaf, about to reach immobility), another elderly dog (has always had eye problems, almost deaf, and intrepid chewer) and Jake. I would seriously consider it but it's just not the right time to introduce a new dog into the mix. You don't even know how hard it is for me write these words.

moi said...

Old dawgs should always be deferred to and you are wise to know your limits :o).

Wicked Thistle said...

Such faces. Thank you for all the work you do. You're committed, girl.

Big Shamu said...

A little warm up to tonight's main event over at the Squirrel House.

MommyHeadache said...

Of course I am totally addicted, but alas there is noone I hate in it yet, like the cook equivalent of Kenley

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