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Oh, the Dog Whisperer has some wonderful pit bulls and pit bulls mixes in his “pack”, Connie, probably because he’s been called in as a last resort to rehabilitate some of them.  He calls them “gladiators” and believes there’s a lot of misunderstanding about how to raise them.  Most of his seem sweet and adorable!

We live in a rental house on a fenced lot with another house in the same fenced in yard. The neighbor in the back house had a pit bull. When my sister’s girls would visit, the dog would dance for joy. She loved those little girls. those little darlings spent many an hour playing with that pit bull who was gentle and playful.

Over the last years I have tried repeatedly to avoid Christmas.when I lived alone I seldom decorated and I never send Christmas cards. But family won’tl et you forget Christmas completely. So I always spend Christmas Day with family, one way or another. It cannot be avoided. I don’t live alone any longer. I share a house with Mom. It’s nice to have family around for the holidays (and other days too). WAtching children open gifts is special and heart warming.

My sister has a pit bull, a little over a year old now.  Dora is a sweet, sweet dog, though she does get into mischief, like chewing out the bottom of her crate.  (My sister said she’s kinda a smarter version of Marley from Marley and Me).  The biggest problem is this big dog still thinks she’s a lap dog.  It HURTS when she sits on your lap, but you can tell she’s in heaven. 

I’ve had many low-key Christmases, with my dad being a priest he always works a lot at Christmastime.  So we try to get the family together at some point but the actual day is usually pretty quiet.  I like it.

We had a very quiet Hanukah this year, mostly because all of Denver was snowed in last week and none of us could get anywhere (except my poor husband, who too is a physician and had to brave the storm to get to the hospital). One lovely afternoon though, amidst the blizzard, some of the neighborhoods moms and I dressed up all our respective kids in huge snow outfits, and took them sledding. Afterwards, we let the kids run wild in one of the basements, and we drank wine and chatted and made latkes. And I decided not to worry about all of my Christmas/Hanukah cards that were going to make it to people for Valentine’s Day, and just enjoy having nice friends. It was wonderful.

P.S. I forgot to add that I think pit bulls can be great dogs, it all depends on who raises them. So I have utter faith in Connie, and am certain that her dogs will not be nibbling on any babies’ toes.
: ) they look far too cute for that anyhow.

Well, I have to post about my own, sweet, wonderful little lady, don’t I?

Here are a few things you may not know about pitbulls-
1. They were originally bred to be “nannys” for children
2. They adore kids
3. They are ranked fourth from the bottom by breed for number of dog bites- goldens are statistically much more likely to bite anyone
4. They are one of the most loyal breeds and extremely eager to please
5. They like to sleep under the covers (my fiance and I are never cold!)

Oh, and by the way, my Havanese, Eddie (isn’t he cute?!) is one hundrend times less likely to come, sit, stay, kiss, etc. than his “vicious” sister Sophie… And she is pretty vicious- just look at that picture!

~Dooooodah home for the holidays with her kennel

My little brother received a Pitbull/Basset hound mix for Christmas about 23 years ago (OMG, I’m not that old...)
Auggie Doggie was the sweetest, kindest, most loving dog… He was bred as a hunting dog… We lived in Hawaii where people hunted wild boar, and this combination of dog was incredibly strong, small and fearless… Auggie was more the strong, silent, chicken type… He was truly the best dog we’ve ever owned… He was kind of a mess when you looked at him, more basset than pit, but with just a hint of the pit all over…
I have absolute faith in your Pit’s ability to overcome the stereotype and be a loyal, faithful companion…

Oh and don’t let mom fool you! When I told her I had rescued a pitbull, she was very worried and questioned it a lot… but then she met Miss Mae and fell in love. In fact, a direct quote from last night, “After knowing Sophie Mae, I would get a pitbull in a minute.”

So, if you’re nervous about the breed, as most people are, just come on over and let Sophie change your mind!

Connie and Doodah--

Your little brood all look so adorable. 

I think next year I’m gonna try your idea about Christmas, Connie.  It sounds wonderful and relaxing. 

I hope everyone had a day filled with joy and love with family and friends.

--dorothy

My daughter Sarah adopted a pit bull mix 9 years ago---Charlotte (or Charlie for short). She is sweet and very shy, not at all aggressive, altho she will bark at strangers while moving backwards to get away from them!

I too dispensed with a tree this year, most cards, most baking. We pledged not to go crazy with presents and we actually kept our vows. All of us spent three days at my daughter Jessie’s house where I was perfectly happy to let her do everything along with her sisters. I sat in front of the fireplace, read and watched the wide-screen TV (okay, I ate and drank way too much too). Next year it will be Sarah’s turn. And we can always go to our son Christopher’s house in Florida and my other daughter Abby’s in Boston.I figure if I play my cards right I may never have to do Christmas again!

I agree that pits get a bad rap. Any dog will be vicious if it is raised to be that way. My nephew has a pit, Rockie, he’s a bit less than a year and that dog is such a love bug! He always comes up and gives you kisses and likes to romp all over the place.

If you want to see vicious. http://eloisajames.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=1809 Here are pictures of my demon cat in the third post down. He’s just over a year and he is mean. Two weeks ago he got mad at me for cuddling him and shredded my arm from wrist to elbow. And trust me that cat has not been raised to be mean.

Your Christmas sounds amazing! We took a relaxed approach this year also. I did put a tree up but no other decorations. I made some candy but not the mountains of cookies I usually do. Its been the best Christmas I remember.

I had a pit bull mix for about 14 years (she died in April) and she was absolutely one of the sweetest, gentlest dogs I’ve ever loved. I fell on her once (tripped over her, big klutz that I am) and she never offered to even nip me for hurting her.  She thought everyone on the face of the earth had been put here to pet her.

Mai

What great photos of your fur babies, Connie!  Thanks for sharing them.

I, being a dog lover, believe there are few bad dogs and many bad owners.  Pit bulls can be unpredictable and protective like alot of breeds, but they have also gotten a very bad rap.

Breeding plays a big part but so does ownership.

Sophie Mae is beautiful and I applaud you for giving her a chance.  A firm hand and training should be part of her life but if she is a lovable as she looks she probably won’t need it.

I wish you luck with her and your other “babies” they look so lovable.

Great photos, Connie!

Awww Doodah, your pack is adorable.  Thanks for sharing the pics with us, Connie.

I’ve owned dogs most of my life and, like others have said, most dogs are the product of their care and training.  Sophie Mae looks like a wonderful addition to any family.

Doodah, your kennel is adorable!  Any keepers there for your mom?  No pit bull stories here but I was shocked at the number of pit bulls were saw at our local animal shelter.

So far no unkept holidays for us.  It’s kind of hard to let a holiday go with small children in the house.  They tend to gear up pretty early for them and herald their arrival weeks in advance. 

I am glad to hear you’ve turned in ‘Skinny Dipping’!  I can’t wait to dive in!

The Springer puppy is my moms, and then she has the love of her life, a Tibetan Terrier who hates my dogs with a firey passion. And most people. But he loves my mom.

He would not appear in any of the christmas pictures- its much too childish for a dog of such
stature (my dogs just think uncle ollie is no fun).

Oh man, it’s sick how engrossed in our dogs my family is…

Great dog pictures!  We’ve been looking for a second puppy this holiday and I can’t believe the number of pit bulls at the shelter either, Santa!  We have to find a non-shedding dog, though, because of allergies, so pit bulls aren’t on our list.

Our holiday was pure chaos.  My kids are also too young to skip any of the holiday stuff.  Working today felt like a break!

Doodah, my family is embarassingly into our 11 month old schnauzer puppy!  I’m sure our friends and family think we’re nuts.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

LOL, Connie!!  At least your dogs look happier with their antlers than Christina’s did…

Oh man, it’s sick how engrossed in our dogs my family is…

Hey Doodah, I don’t think it’s sick at all.  Btw, did I happen to mention this year’s Christmas card was a picture of me and Smokey (my chocolate lab) and signed by both of us or that Smokey sleeps on an orthopedic mattress that’s better than mine?  Nope, not sick at all. 

Hi all!

Well, as someone who’s nauseated from too many cookies, has a half-broken back from picking up ornaments from the tree over and over and—over (anyone else in a house with six grandchildren, THREE OF WHOM ARE IN THE TWO-YEAR OLD RANGE?), and exhausted from helping cookies elaborate meals when half the people peer at the courses suspiciously and reject that “green stuff” though “the orange” looks OK…

I’m going your direction, Connie.  NO Christmas next year!

Eloisa the new Scrooge

I had a pittbull when I was a baby. Sadie Mae somehow got it in her head that I was her puppy when they brought me home from the hospital. She slept under my crib, acted like a mother hen whenever someone held me, and when I got one of those walkers she followed me around the house. I have yet to meet another like her.

After spending yesterday surrounded by Guitar Heroes, a Barbie guitar, a set of drums, a talking farm, and various action toys thay make violent noises, a quiet Christmas sounds heavenly. But I know by December 24, 2007, I will be ready for another noisy Christmas with the clan.

One of my favorite moments this Christmas came when my five-year-old grandnephew sang me his favorite Christmas song. I have posted his lyrics a couple of other places, so some of you please excuse the repetition on the grounds of advancing years.

M.’s song:

‘Twas the night before Christmas
my true love sent to me
a party in a pear tree.

As for being nutty about dogs, based on the crowds at PetSmart’s holiday shop and the number of Christmas cards I received featuring dogs in the family picture, I’d say that we dog nuts are in good company. We certainly consider our Aussies part of our family.

I’ve never personally met a pitbull...but I certainly wouldn’t condemn the breed based on the unfortunate stories we see in the papers.  I was raised in a house with two dobermans.  Val was just slightly nutty and did a killer lap around the house faster then any other four legged creature present.  She also had a fondness for stuffed animals *sigh* Sasha was my staunch friend through those awkward teen years.  Neither of them were vicious by nature.  They slept on our laps, in our beds and under the covers.  And I miss them still… I no longer have the life style to support a dog.  So the house is now the domain of feline friends.

Love, attention and a stern hand will give any dog the rules needed to live happily with their humans.  It’s just not every human that understands that

And Christmas...I stopped doing the tree about four years ago when I didn’t take it down for two.  I work Christmas Day, and any other holiday you might want to include.  The flip side is I get to hang with friends and family when the rest of the world is working.  Neat trick, isn’t it?

My parents have Chief, a Welsh terrier (think a mini Airedale), and this Christmas morning I woke up early around 7 a.m. to let the dog out and went to do things on the computer (i.e., visit Squawk and EJ’s board *g*).  Suddenly, I hear a ripping noise coming from where the presents are kept… I go to investigate and find Chief opening up ALL of his presents from Santa Dog!  It was incredibly funny and cute… even at 14 years old, he still acts like the spoiled puppy that he is.

Didn’t have a great X-Mas meal and it was a bit noisy, too.  I was so tired when I got home last night.

My word: walked73… Probably how many miles I’m going to have to walk in order to lose any weight that I put on the last two days!  *g*

LOL, Santa Dog!  My kids came up with ‘Santa Paws is Coming to Town’ and run after Blizzard, our white Boxer, bellowing it out ala Springsteen at the tops of their lungs.  It’s a good thing our puppy adores the ground their trample on!

Doodah, no such thing as being too engrossed in your pets. Around here we call it Santa Paws and man is he generous! Ginger and Precious got a big ole bone and a new baby. The bones are so big Precious can’t even carry hers. LOL. Sheriff got a bounce ball that lights up and a mouse that wiggles all over the place. And have I ever told who gets the middle of our tiny double bed? That’d be Ginger.
Yeah, no such thing as too engrosseed

We have always had adoptees from the shelter, so usually they are the mixed breed type (we have a beagle mix right now). Well, she gets her own stocking (as does the cat) that overflowed this year!

We, too, have smaller kids, so we aren’t opting out yet. But I have to say I pick and choose what to do. Only 2 types of cookies, and I do love Christmas cards, so I do those. All the rest the kids like doing..fine with me!

Omigosh, Connie!

Those puppies are too cute! I don’t have any cute pitbull stories...I just have a lhasa...and at 14, she still thinks she’s a pup! Every day’s an adventure, I say…

As for my Christmas, I didn’t really do much myself. I slept in until 1 (pm)! Oh! I really loved that one, given that I avg 4-5 hours of sleep per night, usually...ah, the life of a grad student. I cleaned the dishes in the sink and watched Love Actually, sniffling through the sweetness of the various love stories and went and had dinner and hung out with friends. You know, I thought it would be a bummer of a day, not doing much of anything, but it turned out to be a really nice one.

The one argument in my favor was I did (finally) put the tree--last Tuesday! And it probably will come down in less than a week. Oh, well. You win some you lose some...LOL!

LdyB