When you see or hear the words "pit bull", what's the first thought that comes to mind? My guess is that many of you had thoughts like "vicious fighting dogs," "aggressive towards people," or "make bad pets."

What if I told you that pit bulls were once the perfect dogs for children?

It's true. In the early 20th century, the pit bull was considered to be one of the best family dogs.

The breed is a descendant of bull baiting dogs - "bulldogs" that were used to bite and hold bulls, bears, and other large animals. When this activity was banned in the 1800s, these dog owners began to make their dogs fight each other instead.

But when the breed made its way to America, the pit bull's loyal and gentle nature made it the ideal family dog - and these dogs were trusted around children.

These dogs were not just excellent dogs for children and families. They were actually used to represent America during World War I. The pit bull, with his proud stance, represented the American military in political cartoons and propaganda fliers.

How, then, did this gentle breed become associated with fighting and dog attacks? The answer is ownership. Studies have shown that in many cases the breed is not what determines whether a dog will attack a human; it is the ownership and treatment of the dog.

Pit bulls that are used in dog fights are kept in poor conditions. They are often starved and beaten to encourage aggression. Sometimes owners will use small animals like smaller dogs and rabbits to train their dogs to kill. These dogs are trained never to give up during a fight, which usually leads to serious injuries or even death.

Even though dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, organized dog fights have a strong subculture. You may think that only "lowlifes" take part in this so-called "sport," but in fact there are often lawyers, judges, and teachers participating in the ring.

It's heartbreaking to see the noble, gentle pit bull be treated in such a way. Because of illegal fights, many humans have become afraid of the breed. But there are things you can do to help raise awareness and put an end to dog fights.

One thing you can do is to adopt a pit bull! If more pit bulls are placed in good, loving homes, less will end up in horrible situations.

Becoming aware of legislation and local pit bull issues is another way you can help. Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to keep up to date on dog fighting legislation in your state. You can also volunteer at a local animal shelter and help keeping pit bulls and other dogs physically and mentally fit through exercise and love. Or you can simply share the truth about pit bulls with those around you to help spread the word.

The sad truth is that there are many pets that are not loved. Every bit of time or money you give to rescue groups such as ARF, Sarges and Friends or Carolina Animal Rescue & Adoption brings us one step closer to a world that is free of animal cruelty. Pit bulls do not deserve to be treated with such cruelty. Nobody does.

P.S.  You may be wondering, "What difference could my small donation really make?" A huge difference!  as little to any of those local NC rescue groups can help dogs and cats get adopted by loving families. Any dollars will help keep their Field teams equipped and ready to rescue animals in need. No donation is too small - every little bit counts.

If a neighbor called and told you that your dog is “running about in the street with a knife in her head,” what would your first reaction to be? At first Vernon Swart said he thought his neighbor was joking. But when he saw cops running around outside, guns drawn, he realized this was no laughing matter.

Neighbors had called police about some trespassers they thought were up to no good, possibly up for a game of robbery or burglary, say police. The trespassers never got into Swart’s home, most likely because his dog, Bella, held them off in the yard. She probably chased them away, say neighbors, and she risked her life doing so.

In the whatever altercation took place, one of the criminals plunged an 8-inch knife into 6-year-old Bella’s skull.

When Swart saw her, “I feared the worst and assumed she was going to die, but incredibly she was running around as if nothing had happened,” said Swart. He swept up his dog, who looked like a unicorn gone terribly wrong, and raced her to the vet’s. He describes a bizarre little scene in his car.



“Bella was on the back seat and every time she turned her head the handle of the knife banged against the window. She obviously couldn’t feel anything as she was acting normally, but it looked horrific,” he said.

The veterinarian who anesthetized her and pulled out the firmly embedded knife – by bracing his knees against Bella’s head and pulling with all his might – said the blade missed her brain by fractions of a centimeter. A few more millimeters, and Bella would have died as soon as the knife hit her brain.

Bella is now resting comfortably at home by the fireplace wondering why she’s getting special treats and why people are visiting and fussing over her.

“We’re just so relieved that she’s okay,” said Swart. “She’s been our family for ages and we’d have been devastated to have lost her.

“I’ve told the police that if they find the guys who did this we’d like to leave them alone in a room for a few minutes with Bella, and she’d quickly get her revenge.”

There is a Simple Solution to these Common Problem. Dog anxiety is a surprisingly common problem and includes issues like fear of thunder, fireworks, separation, travel, crating, problem barking and much more. Millions of dogs in the United States suffer from anxiety severe enough that their owners are seeking help. And these anxieties are often very serious problems for their owners… destroyed furniture, damaged homes, personal injury, lost sleep, loss of control, financial strain. These problems frequently cost owners thousands of dollars in veterinarian, trainer, and damaged property bills. Medication is the most common approach used to treat anxiety… unfortunately, drugs are expensive, time consuming, risk negative side effects, and often result in very limited improvement. But there is another solution that is highly effective for most dogs. The history of Thundershirt is truly a story of a common problem in need of a simple solution.

Thundershirts have now helped many thousands of dogs around the world. And Thundershirts are being rapidly embraced by professionals; thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers are now recommending Thundershirts for their anxiety cases. Dog anxiety often brings the dog/human relationship to the breaking point, and far too many of these dogs end up abandoned or in shelters. They say their mission is to help relieve the suffering of millions of dogs and to help strengthen the dog/human bond. I say, I'm just happy it works!
If you need help solving this problem, we have Thundershirts in the store, Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery or online at www.smokymountaindog.com

Maria Goodavage wrote this on her excellent blog, Dogster for the Love of Dog  for May 11th, 2011


When his adult son died of cancer a few years ago, Ara was heartbroken, empty, and lost. And then he adopted a dog named Spirit. Spirit had had a rough go of it himself, and had his own emptiness and emotional damage to overcome. Ara and Spirit have been inseparable since. They’ve traversed 140,000 miles by motorcycle together. As they zip along, Spirit sniffs the terrain in his sidecar, looking ever so happy to be with his man for this grand and healing adventure.

“Spirit is my therapy…His unconditional love is always there, lifting my heart,” says Ara.

There is a movie in this. For now, here’s a pretty awesome little music video.

 Dogs have evolved, thrived and become our companions while eating the same food as us. However, certain foods can be dangerous to your pet, causing varying degrees of illness. Some food is toxic due to ingredients and some by improper cooking, storage or poor hygiene.

Alcoholic Beverages. Ethanol is the component in alcoholic beverages that can be toxic when an excessive amount is ingested. Pets are much smaller than us and can be highly affected by small amounts of alcohol. Exercise caution when drinks and pets are together. Toxicity can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, and may result in death. Signs may include odor of alcohol on the animal's breath, staggering, behavioral changes, excitement, depression, increased urination, slowed respiratory rate or cardiac arrest and death.

Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums. Ingestion of large amounts of stems, seeds and leaves of these fruits can be toxic. They contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity include apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation and shock.

Avocados. The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin," which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown. Do not feed your pet any component of the avocado.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents. A leavening agent is a common ingredient in baked goods that produces a gas causing batter and dough to rise. Baking soda is simply sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder consists of baking soda and an acid, usually cream of tartar, calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate or a mixture of the three. Ingestion of large amounts of baking soda or baking powder can lead to electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium, low calcium and/or high sodium), congestive heart failure or muscle spasms. 

Chocolate, in addition to having a high fat content, contains caffeine and theobromine. These two compounds are nervous system stimulants and can be toxic to your dog in high amounts. The levels of caffeine and theobromine vary between different types of chocolate. For example, white chocolate has the lowest concentration of stimulants and baking chocolate or cacao beans have the highest concentration.
Depending on the type of chocolate ingested and the amount eaten, various problems can occur. The high fat content in chocolate may result in vomiting and possibly diarrhea. Once toxic levels are eaten, the stimulant effect becomes apparent. You may notice restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination and possibly excessive panting. Heart rate and blood pressure levels may also increase. Seizure activity may occur in severe cases.

Xylitol (sugar sweetner) Xylitol is a sugar-alcohol sweetener found in sugar-free human food products such as chewing gum, candy as well as other products. Dogs that eat significant amounts can develop a sudden drop in blood sugar, which can cause weakness, lethargy, loss of coordination, collapse and seizures. 
Symptoms can begin in as little as 30 minutes and last hours. It is recommended that pets that experience symptoms be taken to a veterinarian or local emergency clinic for evaluation.

Yeast Dough. When ingested, bread or yeast dough will "rise" in the stomach just as it would for bread. As the dough rises and ferments, alcohol is produced. There are two problems with yeast dough. The biggest problem is that the dough often rises to many times its size, expanding the pet's stomach. The second problem is from the alcohol component, which can cause "alcohol toxicity." Symptoms of vomiting, retching, abdominal discomfort, lethargy, depression or bloat is possible.

Nutmeg. You may not realized this but high levels of nutmeg can be toxic, even fatal. The toxic principle is not well understood. Signs of toxicity include tremors, seizures, nervous system abnormalities or death.

Onions or Garlic. Dogs and cats lack the enzyme necessary to properly digest onions and this could result in gas, vomiting, diarrhea or severe gastrointestinal distress. If large amounts of onion or garlic are ingested or onions are a daily part of your dog's diet, the red blood cells may become fragile and break apart. This is due to the toxic ingredient in onions and garlic, thiosulphate. Signs can begin immediately after eating the onion or a few days later. Large quantities of garlic need to be ingested before signs of toxicity are seen. Severe anemias and even death can occur if the dog ingests lots of onions or garlic and receives no treatment.
All forms of onion and garlic are a problem. This includes raw, dehydrated, cooked, powders or those in foods. The most common source of onions for dogs is in human baby food. Some baby foods have onion powder added for taste. When consistently fed baby food with added onion powder, signs of toxicity can develop. Many people use garlic pills as 'natural' flea control. The amount of garlic is low but if large amounts of the pills are ingested at one time, toxicity may occur.

Coffee (grounds and beans). Dogs that eat coffee grounds or beans can get "caffeine" toxicity. The symptoms are very similar to those of chocolate toxicity and can be just as or even more serious.

Fatty Foods. Rich and fatty food are favorites of dogs. They often get them as treats, leftovers or from getting into the trash. These fatty foods can cause pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can affect any pet but miniature or toy poodles, cocker spaniels and miniature schnauzers are particularly prone. Signs of pancreatitis generally include an acute onset of vomiting, sometimes diarrhea and abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is often evidenced by hunched posture or "splinting" of the abdomen when picked up. The dog may become very sick quickly and often needs intensive fluid and antibiotic therapy.

Dairy Products. Dairy products are not highly dangerous but can pose problems for two reasons. One is their high fat content and like other foods with high fat content, there is a risk of pancreatitis. The second reason is that pets poorly digest dairy products since they lack the enzyme required to digest lactose. This affects some pets more than others, and can cause gas to diarrhea. Small amounts of plain yogurt or cheese are tolerated by most dogs but it is probably safest to avoid dairy products altogether. 

Grapes and Raisins. So far, about 10 dogs poisoned by grapes and raisins have been officially reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. The amount of grapes or raisins ingested has been between 9 ounces to 2 pounds, and dogs ingesting these large amounts have developed kidney failure. Aggressive, and sometimes prolonged, treatment may be necessary to give the affected dog a chance at survival; without treatment death is possible. Despite testing, the reason for the kidney failure and the amount necessary for toxicity remains unknown. For now, any dog that ingests large amounts of grapes or raisins should be treated aggressively, so contact your veterinarian immediately if ingestion has occurred.

Macadamia Nuts. Macadamia nuts, also called the Queensland nut or Australia nut, can be toxic. The mechanism behind why these nuts are toxic is a mystery. However, it has been noted that as few as six to 40 nuts in dogs have caused severe toxic signs. Dogs develop weakness, depression, vomiting, difficulty walking, tremors, abdominal pain, lameness, stiffness and/or pale gums. The signs usually dissipate in 12 to 24 hours. I had a Maltese eat 6 nuts and the next morning was paralyzed in his rear legs, thankfully the following day he was symptomless 

Moldy or Spoiled Food. Dogs love to get into the trash. A medical problem arises when the trash contains moldy or spoiled food. In addition to food poisoning, some pets can develop tremors related to the ingestion of certain molds. Some natural food pet foods are adding mold (aspirgillus, aspergillus niger) to their food. They claim it is inactive but I would not feed it to my dog. Read your labels always!

There may be more issues with human foods for dogs, please feel free to post those here. We do use human grade ingredients in our treats and no preservatives or chemical additives and I also feed my dogs many of the same foods that I eat


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