For The Love of Dog!

Heaven is having a Pit Bull.

The first few nights I slept at Londo Lodge were absolutely terrifying. Sleeping alone in any new house can be scary, but not only was my new home large and mostly empty, it was also in the middle of a very dark forest. While you’d think I was used to being in the woods having grown up in Yosemite Valley, there were some significant differences between my childhood neighborhood and the plot of land upon which Londo Lodge sits. I grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of houses, street lights, and people. All the homes in Yosemite Valley are in pretty compact neighborhoods to keep the rest of the park free from development. In Fish Camp, where my house is, homes are more spread out and most of them are not occupied, being either second homes from city people or vacation rentals that are usually only occupied during the busier months.

All houses make noises. And Londo Lodge was no different. One particularly creepy noise came from behind the refrigerator. It sounded like someone knocking on the door. All night long. The house is only about thirty years old so it’s not as creaky as it could be, but there are still creaks and taps - mostly the result of winds and temperature fluctuations - that can feel a little creepy when you’re lying in bed, alone, in a large cabin at night.

For the first few weeks I had a really hard time falling asleep in my new home. The house is more than three thousand square feet - way too big for one person. I bought the house for a few reasons. Primarily, I bought it so that my family could have a place to stay near Yosemite. My parents retired and left the park years ago and we all missed having a place to call home up there. Secondly, I was feeling the need to have some sort of asset. I was nearing forty and the likelihood of finding a property I could turn into my dream home seemed to be diminishing as California continues to be one of the most expensive places on earth to buy a house. Finally, since I knew I to move back to the city eventually, I needed a home in a high-demand area for vacation rentals - renting the house out was part of my financial plan to afford the mortgage and upkeep while also maintaining a city residence.

All of this is to explain something pretty simple. I bought a country house and moved into it and then realized there was no way I wanted to live up there alone. This is when I started to think seriously about getting a dog. I’d always lived in apartment buildings where dogs were not allowed, but now that I finally had my own home, I could do whatever I wanted.

I began my search on Petfinder, which I’d been browsing for the past five years, fantasizing about what it would like to have a dog. I never had a dog growing up because my dad is allergic, so I didn’t really know what to expect, how much of a time commitment it would be, or what training the dog would be like.

A wonderfully helpful person who follows me on Instagram directed me to Wagmore Pets in Studio City, which is where I eventually found my dog. During my search, I was open to getting a dog of any age - I didn’t go in expecting to get a puppy. I did know that I wanted to a pit bull mix of some sort because my sister and her wife had a pit and she was so loving and affectionate. Eventually a sweet little puppy named Katya became available and I jumped on applying to adopt her. I had applied for a number of puppies on different sites including Petfinder at this point and had been beaten to the punch by other applicants (this was at the height of the Pandemic Puppy rush).

Some of the first photos I ever saw of Satie.

When I found out my application to adopt Katya was approved, I was overjoyed. It felt almost too good to be true because this was the exact type of dog I wanted. I’ve always loved beige pit bulls with the little white fur patch on their chests. And I feel a little guilty for saying this because I know senior dogs are harder to place and have a hard time getting out of shelters but I’d never had a dog before and subconsciously I really wanted a puppy. I think it’s important to advocate for people to adopt older dogs but I think going with a puppy was probably the best option for me. I knew I wanted a pit bull and I also knew I didn’t have experience taking care of dogs so it was important I get the opportunity to train the dog from puppyhood rather than try to retrain an older dog that may have been abused and thus more difficult to train for a first timer.

I was aware that pit bulls are a powerful breed with a controversial reputation so I didn’t feel quite up to the task of figuring out how to train a dog with behavioral issues caused by mistreatment as much as I recognize the importance of homing those older dogs.

The day I picked Katya up form Wagmore was on of the most exciting days of my life. She was so tiny and scared. And because I’d only seen photos of her (sent to me by her wonderful foster mom Megan) I had no idea how little she was. Megan was in tears when she handed Katya off - she had cared for her so well. Megan had renamed Katya “Sage” and had really fell in love with her. She’d named her Sage because she was so wise and perceptive. You could tell even then that she has a highly analytical, cautious brain. Her little personality had already been cemented.

Satie on the ride home from Wagmore.

The drive from Studio City to Fish Camp was about five hours. But it was made longer because I kept stopping to see if Sage had to go to the bathroom (she didn’t). She cried the whole drive home except for a few spells where she forgot her terror and fell asleep. I wasn’t sure when she’d stop being scared of me but as soon as we were out of the car and in my house she warmed up and wanted to snuggle.

Honestly, the only thing that was hard about training Sage - who I immediately renamed Saturday (more commonly called her nickname Satie) - was the potty training. Satie has a very stubborn streak and that makes certain types of training hard. When I got her I thought she was much further along in her potty training than she was and it took about six months for her to truly understand where she was supposed to potty. During that time I kept her in the kitchen (because the floor was tiled) and she tended to wait for me to leave the room then receive herself on the floor. This habit got so bad that I started taking her everywhere with me in the morning until she’d gone to bathroom. For some reason she knew not to go on the floor if I was in the room but would do it the second I left so I had to keep and eye on here all the time.

Satie loves to snuggle at night and loves being held like a baby during the day.

Eventually she got the hang of potty training and I could leave her more easily without worrying about an accident. I crate trained her and she loved her crate but she didn’t even last the first night in the crate. I’d been told to cover the crate with a blanket to help her sleep but the second I did that she’d start crying. So she’s slept in bed with me since the first night. Having a pit bull is like having a teddy bear that’s alive. They’re so soft and cuddly and they have an instinct to snuggle.

Satie is about 80% American Staffordshire Terrier, which is a type of pit bull. So I’ll be using the term “pit bull” and “American Staffordshire Terrier” interchangeably. As I said before, pit bulls don’t have the greatest reputation. While I am going to discuss the upsides and downsides of having this type of dog, I’m writing specifically about my experience with my particular dog - these ideas and opinions refer to my specific dog, not all American Staffordshire Terriers or pit bulls.

While I’ve known a number of pit bulls over the years and I anticipated that there would be people who were afraid of my dog, I didn’t necessarily anticipate how that would affect me. To be honest, it hurts my feelings a lot more than I expected when someone crosses the street to avoid walking near us or responds in fear to my dog. Satie has never bitten a person or another dog, aside from one time she nipped my finger a few days after she came home with me. I yelped (which is what the foster told me to do to discourage her) and she never did it again. I shouldn’t take peoples’ fear personally, but I do because it sucks to have a sweet dog that just wants love, pets, and licks be treated like she’s trying to murder everyone she sees. As a dog parent, you just want everyone to see the dog you know so it can be painful when people see her as scary.

Sniffing the breeze through the window in her new LA home.

Because pit bulls are so polarizing, you really only get two types of response when you’re walking dow the street. The most common response is fear but every once in a while you run into a “Pittie Person.” Because pits are so maligned, the people who love them REALLY love them. While I consider myself a Pittie Person, I don’t see myself as as hardcore as many Pittie People are. Basically, there are extremists on both sides. I’ve had so many people tell me, unsolicited, that my dog is a dangerous breed and that it’s irresponsible to have a pit bull. The other side of that is people who act like pit bulls are perfect angels that never do anything bad.

The truth about dogs is that they are animals - we can’t speak to them or really know what they’re thinking. So I don’t think any breed is perfect. And quite honestly I’ve been aggressed more often by Golden Retrievers and other “Good Breeds” than I ever have been by pit bulls. That’s not to say that pit bulls are not incredibly strong and potentially dangerous if not trained well. But with the privilege of having dogs in our lives we also must accept that they are wild animals and that literally any of them could do something dangerous or out of character at any time. That is the price we pay for the magic of their companionship.

My goal with Satie was to make her a nice dog by being gentle and sweet with her all the time. And honestly I’ve done a pretty good job of that. For the most part, she’s received lots of pets, a lot of affirmative talking (she’s constantly being told how sweet and good she is and I think she can intuit what I mean by my tone). But I’m not a perfect parent and she’s also gotten yelled at from time to time, usually when she does something that scares me like run towards a road or anything else dangerous. I don’t feel great about the times I’ve yelled at her but it’s almost instinctual sometimes, sort of like being a parent to a human child that does something that freaks you out. Your protective instinct and fear kicks in and you yell. I’ve gotten better about that over time and it’s something I continue to work on because I want my girl to continue to be the sensitive, eager, social, and snuggly dog she is.

Satie is a great companion that loves an adventure (and also loves resting her big pittie head whenever she can).

While I’m not a die hard “pitties are perfect” type person, I would like to discuss the pros and cons of the breed for people considering adopting one. Here’s a list:

PROS

Affection: If you ask most pit bull parents they’ll tell you the main thing they love about their dog is how affectionate they are. Pit bulls are people pleasers who constantly crave reassurance and attention. Satie is not necessarily needy though and she is fine to nap and relax all day long.

Sturdiness: One of the main reasons I wanted a pit bull was that I wanted to dog that wouldn't get smashed if I accidentally sat back on it on the sofa. You obviously still need to be gentle with your dog but you don’t have to be quite as paranoid about them as you would with a tiny dog.

High Pain Threshold: I’m pretty sure Satie has a high threshold for pain based on her reaction to getting shots at the vet. She doesn’t really react to needles. The high threshold for pain can also be a negative thing, which I’ll chat about below.

Low-Maintenance (Kind Of): One thing I love about Satie is that she doesn’t noticeably shed. Her fur is short and light so I don’t notice it on furniture. The only place I’ve noticed shedding is when I use white flannel sheets in my bed, which tend to stick to fur more than other textiles. Unlike many breeds, you don’t have to get these dogs groomed or get their haircut. When I first got Satie I was giving her a bath every week, using only water and unscented conditioner. I don’t use soap on most of her fur except her paws because it dries out her skin. And Satie has developed some allergies over time so I’ve cut back on her baths in order to protect her skin’s natural moisture barrier.

Cuteness: Pit bulls have really cute faces with expressive eyes. Lots of people describe them as “land hippoes” or “seals.” I call Satie a “Piggy” because she snorts when she’s happy (she loves getting soft pets between her eyes).

Low Pitch Bark: If you’re not a fan of high pitched tiny dog barks, you’ll like the lower frequency of a pit bull bark. Satie has a big girl bark that’s pretty intimidating, but normally it’s reserved for things like “THERE’S A MAN OUTSIDE!” or “WHAT’S THAT THING YOU’RE HOLDING I DON’T LIKE IT!?!”

Woos: If you’re lucky enough to have a pit bull that woos a lot, I’m jealous! Satie does woo from time to time and it’s the cutest thing ever.

CONS:

Bad Reputation: Hands down the most annoying and exhausting part of having a pit bull is their bad reputation. Having people constantly afraid of your dog is annoying, if easy to understand. It’s also just painful - you want people to see how sweet your dog is and all they can see is a predator. You feel like you have to constantly defend your dog. I’m not going to act like there are no badly behaved pit bulls out there, but as I said above one of the downsides of domesticated dogs in general is that you can’t always know how they’re going to act REGARDLESS OF THEIR BREED. I’ve seen so many conflicting studies that I no longer believe any of them. Half of them say pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs, the other half say they’re the easiest to train, best behaved dogs on earth. The arguments on both sides are so absolutist that I have decided to ignore them and base my understanding of my dog’s demeanor on my dogs demeanor, which is tender, inquisitive, sweet, and gentle. My ex boyfriend Joey had two tiny elder Maltese dogs and Satie was very gentle with them. She can perceive when a dog is frail and acts accordingly.

Skin Issues: At around age two Satie developed some skin issues, mainly redness around her eyes and paws. I’ve taken her to the vet countless times to get tests done, get her allergy shots, get topical creams, and special shampoos to rid her of her irritation. Apparently it’s quite common for this breed to have skin problems and at this point I’ve spend thousands of dollars trying to make my dog feel comfortable. Recently, I removed all poultry from her diet and that has vastly improved her skin’s health. But it’s a constant battle. She’s currently eating a vegan dog food that I supplement with organic farm raised salmon, peas and carrots, and brown rice. I make a batch once a week and it costs about $75. That may sound expensive but before I got a dog I told myself I would do my best to care for it correctly, which includes making sure she’s eating food that keeps her healthy. There have been times where I had to put vet visits on a credit card in order to afford them but I take my caregiver role seriously so I don’t really think twice about it - that’s what you sign up for when you decide to get a dog.

High Pain Threshold: The same trait that can make vet visits a little easier and less painful for your pit bull will also make them a huge pain in the ass to walk. Satie is a strong girl and she pulls HARD. And because she has a high pain threshold it doesn't bother her to yank on her own neck by pulling extremely hard. I’ve tried every kind of collar, harness, and gentle leader and none have really helped. All the ones that actually slow her down have injured her. The gentle leader (a leash that attaches around the snout so it pulls to the side if the dog pulls too hard) was by far the worst. She pulled on it so hard she got blisters around her mouth and I never used it again. She’s using a pinch collar right now and so far it hasn’t caused any skin irritation or injuries but it doesn’t always keep her from pulling too hard. When I can afford to, I will try to find a trainer for her because I’ve proven to be not the best at training her to walk respectfully.

They Might Kill You (But Not How You Think): I’m not sure if all pitties are like this, but Satie is very klutzy and has terrible spatial awareness. When we’re at home (especially Londo Lodge because it’s so big) her favorite place to walk is DIRECTLY UNDER YOUR FEET. This is especially problematic on the stairs and I’m convinced one day she’s going to trip me and I will fall down the stairs to my death. I have to be extra cautious walking around my house or I’d be falling down all the time because my dog wants to walk DIRECTLY UNDER MY FEET.

You Can’t Take Them On Planes: Most airlines have a size cut off for bringing your dog into the cabin of a commercial flight. Satie is sixty pounds and way over that weight limit. I believe you can bring larger dogs in carriers that go into the baggage area, but I’m pretty sure that would lead to a panic attack Satie would never recover from so I would never do that. Some people get fake service dog certificates for their dogs but I as someone with a family member who is allergic to dogs, I find that practice completely unethical and selfish. I’d love to bring my dog on a plane but the rest of the passengers have rights.

They Are Scared of Everything: Satie is very goofy and has a lot of fear ingrained in her personality. She’s scared of pretty much everything the first time she sees it. Notable things she’s been scared of before are: wine glasses, a small cardboard box, a hair dryer, and of course the classic dog terrorizer - the vacuum. It can be kind of annoying to have to slowly introduce literally every new thing to your dog but over time their fear does subside (you just have to brace yourself for a lot of barks while they’re acclimating).

There’s a lot more to say about pit bulls and dogs in general, but I can say confidently that getting a dog has been the best thing I’ve done for my physical and mental health in recent years.

I was never really a “dog person” given that I’d never spent much time around them. And I used to think the way dog parents talked about their pets was stupid and mostly made up. It seemed silly to me that people personified their dogs. Like you can never really know if your dog loves you or what they’re thinking. It’s unclear if dogs actually care about humans at all or if they’re just bonded to us for survival.

But having a dog I’ve come to peace with all that. Dogs are medicinal because they allow us to express things that can be difficult to express towards other humans. Dogs express unconditional affection, which we perceive as love, and that allows us to express love in return. The act of expressing love is good for your body. So even if your dog thinks of you as nothing but a food source (which I doubt), having something to express love towards is endlessly enriching.

I’d love to hear stories from other pet owners about their relationships with their pets, tips on care, and any pros/cons of their particular pet and breed. So please follow up in the comments with your notes and advice!

Spa Piggy.