First off I would just like to say that I love every retaliation here.
I did not choose Jamaica or her breed for that matter. She fell into our laps (and our hearts) and hasn’t left. Yes, my response is emotional, and I will be the first to admit that. Jamaica’s mother and 5 of her brothers and sisters were brought to us by an irresponsible owner who was going to put them down extremely inhumanely if we did not take them.
Originally, I told my boyfriend that we would only keep them until we found responsible owners who knew what they were getting themselves into. Little did I know that one of these rascals would work her way under my skin. Her mother had the most wonderful temperament of ANY dog I had ever seen. I was nervous at first because we didn’t know anything about how she had been raised, and we had an 18 month old toddling around the house but she quickly put my fears at ease by eating a handful of dog food from my daughter’s hand as gently as if there hadn’t been a tooth in her head. Unfortunately we soon lost her to health complications that were set in motion by her previous owner whom only saw her as a breeding tool.
Gradually we found trusted friends and family members who wanted the puppies, but I decided Jamaica was our dog, she was already home. I immediately went to work researching the breed and dog training in general. I was already educated in training methods but I like to stay up to date and fresh on my knowledge. The breed was new to me, and even I was astonished at how loving and friendly they are. I am however also intelligent enough to know that there is great responsibility in owning a “vicious breed”. Responsibility not only to my family and my dog, but also to my community and the breed as a whole.
Though it is true that I am not personally responsible for the behavior of another’s pet, I know that this breed is in the public eye enough that owners need to understand that their dogs are ambassadors, good or bad.
(Notice, I did not gratify this post with my profession or annual income, and my wager is that no one would EVER guess. That’s the point.)
