Have you ever seen one of those annoying dog mom's who talk baby talk to their dogs, treat them like humans and get offended by people thinking anything even remotely negative about their dogs? Well, I've become one of them. I didn't intend for this to happen. I was happy being the owner of a couple of dogs who are nice enough, even family members, but not connected to me as much as other dogs in the past. Last January my family coerced me into getting a puppy. I was not thrilled with the idea. I had often said that if we were ever to get another dog it would be an older rescue. I barely survived Sydney's puppy hood and there was no way in Hell I would go through that again. Like many mothers, I have a hard time saying no to my youngest. As the baby his siblings often label him as the "favorite" child and believe he has it so much better than they ever did. I don't agree with that. I believe that each child is loved and has gotten perks that the others didn't. Nicholas is my firstborn, Kelli is the only girl and much to his dismay, Kyle is the baby. His injury last January deeply upset me and made me susceptible to moments of weakness. I can only say that I must have been momentarily possessed when I agreed to a pit bull rescue puppy. I am not a stranger to pit bulls. We had a couple of very sweet ones when I was in high school. They have big hearts and are unfailingly loyal. They love with all of their being and want only to please their people. This naive desire to please is what gets them into trouble. Many dogs of this breed have been trained to fight or have been abused so badly that it is their only recourse. They have gotten a bad rap. No one looked at lovable Pete, the dog friend of the Little Rascals and claimed that he was dangerous and would probably mall one of the kids on the set. I have seen viscous dogs of all breeds. Believe me if poodles, shih tzus and chihuahuas weren't so little they would be in the headlines daily. Those little things can be mean and like to bite. Don't even get me started on mini dachshunds or mini pincher's. Pit bulls are big, they are strong, and when you run into a bad one it does more damage then other breeds. That doesn't mean that the whole breed is bad. They are completely misunderstood, labeled and unfairly hated. For this reason I was not keen on the idea of bringing one into our home. I knew all to well how neighbors would feel and the public would react to him.
As I said, I lost the battle and Rooney was picked up and brought home on a Sunday while I was at work. The dog was to be Kyle's so I didn't have any choice in which dog he would get so the family went to the shelter without me. They went to look at a puppy they had seen on line. They made the trip across the Columbia to a little shelter in Washougal, Washington. The dog that had caught their attention was spoken for but he had siblings and there were other puppies at the shelter. Rooney won their hearts and I came home to a little guy who was cuter than I wanted to admit. He was a fast learner and was soon potty trained and didn't do as much damage in chewing as I expected him to. Unlike Sydney he didn't dig giant holes in the grass, eat my shoes or wreak havoc with the neighbors. He was sad that the two older female dogs weren't readily charmed by his cuteness and didn't want to cuddle with him. He cuddled with everyone else. He was affectionate and before I knew it, I was hooked. I worried about him being in his kennel too long, I bought him toys at Ross where they are cheaper, created a toy box for him and spoiled him rotten. When no one is around I talk baby talk to him. It makes me throw up in my mouth when I realize what I'm doing, but I go on doing it. He is sweet and deserves to be loved back. He wants the world to love him. When new people come into the house it is hard to control his enthusiasm. He wants to kiss them and play with them and make them his best friends. He doesn't understand how big he is and that for most people he isn't really a lap dog. Our family has adjusted. We cuddle on the couch with him and treat him like the lap dog he believes he is. We deal with the occasional eaten sock and the "pit fits". His pit fit is when all of the sudden he just has so much energy that he picks up a toy and runs full speed through the house several times. He circles things, knocks a few things over and jumps furniture. When he is finished he drops on the floor exhausted by his efforts and gives a big loud sigh that signals that he is ready for a long nap.
My daughter informed me today that although Rooney is cute, he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. This made me sad. I don't want anyone to think he is stupid. He is my baby. He is big, clumsy and sweet. He may chase his tail and think that the dogs on TV will come out and play with him, but he isn't a complete idiot. He can undo knots in ropes and socks, he shares his toys with Sydney by playing with it in front of her, then pushing it over to her. He does taunt her with toys at times, but that is when he is trying to get her to play.
We also have a neighbor who lives next door to the house behind us. Sometimes Rooney lifts himself up to look over the fence to see what is going on in their yard. He is super curious. He likes to get into grocery bags, boxes and laundry baskets. He just likes to see what things are and when he hears a noise in the yard he wants to investigate. The irate man came to inform us that our pit bull looks at them and that they feel threatened because they have dogs and kids. Well, we have dogs and kids. We feel completely safe. He do our best to keep Rooney away from the fence now. That neighbor doesn't deserve Rooney's curiosity. He is shortsighted and shallow minded. See--I am labeling a man I don't even know because he dared to make assumptions about my dog. I've lost it. I take pictures of him watching TV with me. We record Pit bulls and parolees every Saturday night because he loves that show. I love that show. When I first heard the title I pictured something completely different. When I watched if for the first time and learned what big hearts they had and the passion they have for the rescue work they do I was hooked. Like many on the show who adopt rescue dogs, they end up believing it was actually the dog who rescued them. Does Rooney make me a better person? Maybe. He makes me laugh, exasperates me at times and loves me with the unconditional, adoring love that only a dog can give. My children are growing up and distancing themselves from me. They are becoming their own people and asserting their independence. My motherly instincts are now focused on a 70 pound pit bull who has stolen my heart. I am not the over the top annoying dog mom, but annoying dog mom I am. :)
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