When I read on Pip's blog that his friend Corbin was having a pittie day post I knew I had to participate, and not just because I love Pip and adorable Corbin, whose blog we just discovered. See one of the canine loves of my life, a dog who has filled my heart for ten years is a pitbull mix, or at least a possible pit mix.
Nearly, ten years ago my husband and I went to the Staten Island CACC to see a dog that turned out not to be there, having been recently adopted. Not to worry though the adoption counselor assured us that there where plenty of dogs. One of them was an adorable, gangly white puppy, sitting quietly in his crate. All of his 12, yes 12!, brothers and sisters had been adopted and in fact he had been adopted once himself, but promptly returned. The counselor let the puppy out of the cage and he promptly tripped over his big feet as he ran up to greet us. I was a goner. The cage label said the pup was a pitbull-shepherd mix.
A few days later I was standing out side my apartment building holding my new pup in my arms (hard to believe I could ever hold Norbert in my arms) and a women came up to us and remarked on how adorable he was. She asked Norbert's name and was petting him and remarking on his sweetness. She asked me what breed he was. When I replied he was a pit mix the women literally took of running.
That was the first of many baffling reactions to Norbert's possible pitbull origins that I have experienced. There was the women who complained when I took Norbert into block buster (they were a dog friendly store) thankfully the manager defended him, the many people who have crossed the street to avoid him or loudly said in a frightened voice "what a big pit", the people who have asked me if the little dogs are afraid of the big one, the women with a baby carriage who yelled at me when Norbert and I stood next to her at an intersection, the co-workers who have seen Norbert's picture and said how scary or mean he looks. Sigh. Of course, the truth is I've had just as many positive reactions to Norbert, as well as just as many negative reactions to my little dogs.
In this post we are supposed to express all the wonderful things about our pit bull and pit bull mix dogs, but the truth is I can't even begin to list all of the wonderful things I love about Norbert. There are too many. I love the way he jumps excitedly in the car every time the door opens (even if he has just gotten out), I love how he leaps with joy when ever we take out his leash, how he delights in every walk whether its around the block or through the woods, how he squeezes his large body into a tiny spot on the couch, how he sleeps on his back with his front legs turned one way and his back legs turned the other, how he barks at me when he wants me to throw him a toy, how he bumps me with his head when he wants pets or attention, how he plays gently with puppy Weasley, how he licks the ears of the other dogs, how he pulls towards every pug on the street (like his parents he loves pugs!), how he groomed Bingo our late pug during his final illness..... and so on. There is nothing about Norbert I don't love.
When I look at this list and when ever I think about how much I adore Norbert I get a lump in my throat. See in July Norbert will be 10, a very advanced age for a large breed dog. I know that my time with him is running out and that thought is never far from my mind. Every evening when we go to bed, with Norbert draped across my feet, I am conscious that another day spent with him is gone. I know just as no person is ever replaceable, neither is any dog. However, the uniqueness of Norbert's mixed breed status really brings this home to me. I know there will never be another dog like him, ever. Furthermore, due to how my life is....big city, lots of dogs, not the most athletic person my husband and I are unsure if we want to have another large dog.
I am beyond blessed to have Norbert in my life.....if ten years ago my husband and I had made a snap decision based on breed biases when we saw Pit Bull that cage card at the CACC then I would be a completely different person then I am today.
In this post we are supposed to express all the wonderful things about our pit bull and pit bull mix dogs, but the truth is I can't even begin to list all of the wonderful things I love about Norbert. There are too many. I love the way he jumps excitedly in the car every time the door opens (even if he has just gotten out), I love how he leaps with joy when ever we take out his leash, how he delights in every walk whether its around the block or through the woods, how he squeezes his large body into a tiny spot on the couch, how he sleeps on his back with his front legs turned one way and his back legs turned the other, how he barks at me when he wants me to throw him a toy, how he bumps me with his head when he wants pets or attention, how he plays gently with puppy Weasley, how he licks the ears of the other dogs, how he pulls towards every pug on the street (like his parents he loves pugs!), how he groomed Bingo our late pug during his final illness..... and so on. There is nothing about Norbert I don't love.
When I look at this list and when ever I think about how much I adore Norbert I get a lump in my throat. See in July Norbert will be 10, a very advanced age for a large breed dog. I know that my time with him is running out and that thought is never far from my mind. Every evening when we go to bed, with Norbert draped across my feet, I am conscious that another day spent with him is gone. I know just as no person is ever replaceable, neither is any dog. However, the uniqueness of Norbert's mixed breed status really brings this home to me. I know there will never be another dog like him, ever. Furthermore, due to how my life is....big city, lots of dogs, not the most athletic person my husband and I are unsure if we want to have another large dog.
I am beyond blessed to have Norbert in my life.....if ten years ago my husband and I had made a snap decision based on breed biases when we saw Pit Bull that cage card at the CACC then I would be a completely different person then I am today.
