Back in the day, pit bulls actually had a great reputation for being "Nanny Dogs". They were known for being loyal, affectionate companions that were amazing with children. Think
Petey from the Little Rascals.
What people don't realize, is that pit bulls are also amazing "Nanny Dogs" for single ladies. Though maybe the term "chaperone" is more appropriate.
Being a single lady in the city can be daunting. There were times when the buzzer would ring unexpectedly, and I wasn't sure if I was letting in the UPS guy, or some stranger. I was always wary of being alone with workmen in my apartment, and walking home alone in the dark. But once I got Miss M, everything changed. She became my chaperone, escorting me whenever I felt uneasy. And luckily enough, the really scary people were scared of her.
Even more literally, Miss M used to "chaperone" my dates. I always dreaded being stuck in some restaurant trying to make small talk, so I would suggest a dog walk and ice-cream instead. Miss M was always the
perfect accomplice and wing-women. Plus, if things were going badly, she was the perfect excuse to leave early.
Though my days as a single lady are over, the pooches still regularly escort me around town. Mr. B loves being my escort during the summer when I meet friends at outdoor cafes. He will wait dutifully under the table, until after nightfall when he serves as
the perfect escort to bring me back home.
I always wonder why it took me so long to figure this out.
36 comments:
Mesa is my chaperon if I need one. Baily works as well but Mesa has a bit more bulk to her :)
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/
I still can't imagine being afraid of that sweet face of Miss M's! I understand the sentiment, though. A lot of people give us a wider berth with Morgan in tow, and I can't say that I mind!
It's funny cos the scary people in my neighbourhood are scared of Barbie! A diminuitive spindly greyhound with the bite of a gnat!
When I lived in Lincoln Park everyone used to cross the street when they saw us coming. Now that we're in Logan/Humboldt people stop their cars to yell out the window what a handsome guy he is! I've even had mothers roll their pushchairs into his face so he can slobber on the kids! Thank heavens he's good with children because they don't always ask...
http://bwpaws.blogspot.com
Pit bulls are great companions!
The other day I had a very scary situation happen with a male stranger... I looked at my cute little 6 and 12 pounds pups and wondered, WHAT WAS I THINKING GETTING TWO LITTLE DOGS?!?!?!?!
I like to protect my Mom.
But when I'm with Dad, we like to talk to the ladies...hehe
Wyatt
Dogs make GREAT wingmen or -women! That's why I love bringing at least one of my pack wherever I go.
Good ol' Miss M and Mr. B escortin you around town with their stylin selves :)
Can't think of anyone (well except me) to chaperon my Mom. Fair warnin you'd have your work cut out fur ya in keepin her in line ;)
Waggin at ya,
Roo
Nanny dogs, I didn't know that but it's interesting. I can see why they would make the perfect chaperone. Lovable, quiet, and yet just enough of a menacing appearance to prevent any shenanigans. It's nice you have some insurance of your own, just in case. ;-)
I'm glad you have those two to make you feel safer! I would never consider Flash or Ollie guard dogs in a million years, but there is something about them that just makes me feel safer as well. They're definitely not scary looking!
I am totally with you on this one! Dogs often mean automatic personal space. YAY! And Calhoun has an ability to "judge" people. If he doesn't want to stop for a pet or acts like he doesn't like someone (disinterested), we are outta there!
It's a good thing those scary peoples don't know that the only thing they gotta be afraid of with your dogs is is being luved to death. Heehee!
Mom says she always feels better when she has one of us with her. Even though Ranger is little and cute and not many peoples are skeered of him, mom has no doubt that he'd take out somebuddy's knee caps if they tried to hurt her.
Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie
Thanks for the great idea. My next date, Im totally suggesting ice cream and a dog walk! We are a package deal afterall.
I think it is great that they can be chaperone. If given the chance I think Sherman would be perfect for me too:)
i just love that snaggle-tooth grin of hers!! it's no wonder she is so magnetic :)
My Luffy man looked scary enough to keep the creepy guys away. It's so funny since he'd probably just lick everyone. I'd rather people just stay away sometimes though.
I get the opposite! Men are always coming up to me to ask if they can pet Cassie and then start chatting me up! I have to throw the fact that I'm happily married into the conversation or they won't leave us alone...maybe I need a pitbull????
Sounds like Mr B and Mrs M are super well behaved. Did they go through a lot of training classes?
ahhh the best benefit of a bully breed. zeus looks like he could be mean. he's alert and has that pittie 'block head'. a lot of people cross the street when we walk by and i love it. i do use him to my advantage though - when i'm walking him and see/pass someone who kind of creeps me out i hold zeus tighter and say things like 'easy boy' 'ok zeus, you be a good boy now' to make it sound like he has potential to be mean. the reality is that he's such a scared/soft dog, but i don't care. it works great for us! (plus he has a great bark, and i always know if someone is at the door/walking by our house)
well, actually the term "nanny dog" was NEVER used for the APBT in the US ... it's a term allegedly applied to the cousin breed, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, in the UK. ('nannies"??? who had nannies? none but the very rich, and they didn't own pit bulls) But we certainly have a ton of early photos that demonstrate the affinity of the APBT for kids!
I can't decide what gives me more pleasure when I walk mine... some obvious creep giving us a wide berth. Or some big intimidating looking tatooed guy complimenting my dog, showing me photos on his cellphone of his pit bull and crouching down to coo over my dog and get kisses..
Orange Sugar--Both our dogs have good temperaments, but Miss M is really excited all the time. She went through a lot of formal training, and she took to it so well she is now CGC certified and can do all the "circus dog tricks" we wrote about here: http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2010/09/pooches-mr-b-escort.html
Mr. B just has a really good personality, he's in tune with us and will usually do whatever we say. He's not really a trick dog, and it took him a really long time to learn to lay on command.
You guys could chaperone us around any day
Benny & Lily
What great chaperones you have!!
Thanks for the posting on the boots. We are still trying to find the right ones. We tried the rubber ones but had a hard time getting them on. But...we don't give up easily :)
What great chaperones! I'd love to have either of them chaperone me!
Darwin makes an okay chaperone. Her size is intimidating to most people but if they really knew her they'd know she's a big scaredy cat!
I couldn't agree more...on both nanny dogs and chaperones. After my son was born, we lived in the Boston area, and my work out consisted of a 30 minute run around 7 or 8 at night. During the cooler months this meant it was dark outside and I would just take my (rescued) pittie with me and feel pretty safe. He was fairly tolerant of kids though not as tolerant as our current rescued pit mix (my running buddy died of cancer two years ago). Our current pittie girl is absolutely fantastic with kids. We now have 3 boys in the house and she is just not fazed by anything that they do, no matter how loud or obnoxious they get. I think she's more patient with them than I am...sigh. We adopted her when she was about 8 years old and it was clear that she had been bred quite a bit, but I'm not sure if her tolerance comes from having lots of (canine) kids herself or exposure to (human) kids in her previous life (we don't know her history). Nevertheless, she is the epitome of the nanny dog.
I couldn't agree more. Dogs are the best to tag along when you're in the city. Miss M doesn't look intimidating at all though. Mr. B looks much more fierce! Love that black and white dress- too cute! :)
Lucky you! Dakotah was great for this same type of thing. Little guys are a better fit for my current lifestyle, but I sure do miss having a big, scary-looking dog as an escort during late night walks.
Had trouble again today, and on a different computer. I copied and pasted the error message below:
Page not found
Sorry, the page you were looking for in the blog Two Pitties in the City does not exist.
Hmmm...mystery! But with a little persistence, I finally get here. And it's always worth it... :)
So true! Being a single gal myself, I love having my pibbles along, especially during neighborhood walks in the dark. Carrying mace and a 38 Special doesn't hurt either. I also encourage them to give a couple loud barks anytime the doorbell rings. At least the person outside knows there is something (2 somethings) big on the other side of my door.
Maisie is more like a overprotective parent than a proper chaperone. her complete distrust of strange men (combined with my occasionally feeling the same way) has led me to pretty much stop dating altogether!
http://maisieme.blogspot.com/
Duke is a big German shepherd and it works the same way!
I was once on a woods trail this scary looking guy came along, but he was far more scared of Duke then I was of him. I couldn't help but chuckle.
We dogs are very good to have around !
It is true that the scariest people are the most scared of our dogs. I admit I sometimes don't stop Levi when he barks at suspicious people. On the other hand, it is nice having a dog like Neptune who loves everyone. He is still pretty intimidating though.
Thanks! I have an "Outward Hound" pack for Bill but not only does the weight sit right on his back but it's already split, just over a year after buying it (and he doesn't wear it in the summer since he gets too hot and just keels over...!) You're definitely right that it helps with focus.
Hehe - I LOVE feeling the safety of my dogs beside me. There's something so natural about a canine companion. And a great idea for dates - ice cream with the pup and suitor!
Love your black and white dress, by the way - very cute ;)
I thought of you both today - we drove past a the shelter for a city a few towns over from our own today. There were several (8-10) wonderful Pitties waiting for adoptions there and 2 in particular stole our hearts. There was a young boy that looked alot like Mr B and another brindle young girl with some skin issues.
Sadly, we had to leave them behind. We are at our 2 dog max (apt rules) but I'd have taken either one or both in a heartbeat otherwise...I just can't stop thinking about them!
I couldn't agree more A. Not only has Luna forced me to come out of my shell and meet my neighbors but she also gives me the confidence to go for nice long walk when it's dark out. I don't trust people, but with Luna it doesn't matter, bc I know they'll be too scared to try anything. Also when weirdo ask does she bite, I say, "on command". So not true if anything happened we'd both run away in tears but they don't know that!
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