Yes, Cleopatra is an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy, but do not let that scare you away. She is a gem of a dog. No signs of aggression or fear at all. She is simply a perfect little doll. She is outgoing, affectionate, submissive, and a pleasure to be around. She is a real Pit Bull, not one of these 100+ lb. so called Pit Bulls you see in the news all the time. She is small, the size that a real Pittie should be, and she has that sweet loving temperament that real Pitties should have. Cleo was so exceptional that the shelter that had her just could not bring themselves to let her slip through the cracks. They were committed to doing whatever it took to save this sweet girl. And we agreed, and offered to take her if they could not find her a home soon. None of us wanted her to spend her whole puppyhood in a  kennel. After holding on to her for over a month, they felt it was time to get her out of the kennel environment and they took us up on our offer to take her into our rescue. So here she is, the smallest dog in the pack, and friends with all of them. Our honorary Great Dane, Cleo. Someone will be very lucky to be able to make her part of their family.

Characteristics

The pit bull is a medium-sized dog: males weigh 35–60 lb. and females generally weigh 30–50 lb. Their short coat accentuates their muscular bodies, giving them the appearance of a “doggy bodybuilder.” They are known for confidence, intelligence, and loyal temperament.

The American Pit Bull was originally intended to be both the family dog and for dog fighting. Breeding them correctly in the 1920's included emphasizing not only animal aggressiveness, dominance and a high degree of gameness but also the loyalty and obedience this breed is so famous for. These along with other traits made the dog unique in the ways that handlers could pull the dogs off each other without risking being harmed themselves and still make great family pets. Although intended to be animal aggressive they were never trained to be aggressive toward humans.

Pit bulls today, still retain the predisposition towards dog aggression. However, a properly trained and socialized Pit Bull can be taught to manage this aggression.

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) breed statistics as of December 2005 show an 83.5% passing rate for the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier and an 84.7% passing rate for the Staffordshire bull terrier, as compared to an 81.2% average pass rate for all dog breeds.

Pit bulls as pets

There are often more dogs (many are mixed breeds which are lumped into the category of "pitbull") than there are owners. Pit bulls or dogs that appear to be pit bulls may be destroyed in dog pounds due to the stigma associated with the breed. Few, if any, statistics exist for these issues. Pit bulls and pit mixed dogs are a common sight in animal shelters. According to Nathan Winograd, president of the No Kill Advocacy Group, shelters today have failed to educate people about pit bull ownership and have not focused on finding them responsible homes, but rather are engaging in a "witch hunt".

Urban myths

One of the most popular and baseless urban myths about pit bulls is that pit bulls often ‘turn’ on their owners without provocation. However, no sane dog performs behaviors for no reason. When aggression becomes a problem the reasons can often be traced to such things as improper handling, lack of socialization or training, a misreading of dog behavior by the owner, lack of discipline, or even disease. When an owner is startled by a sudden, aggressive outburst, it is generally because they have been unaware of problems that were brewing.

Research performed by GoodPooch.com director, Marjorie Darby, finds that dogs involved in attacks overwhelmingly have a known history of aggression, even though many dog owners deny or minimize this fact. The neighbors are usually a better source for documenting negative aspects of a dog's history, than its owner(s). As such, it is further evidence that dogs, including 'pit bulls', don't just "turn" on their owners. A follow-up to a CDC report on dog bite fatalities came to a similar conclusion.

Famous People with Pit Bulls

• Actress Jessica Alba has a pit bull.
• Actress Jessica Biel has a pit bull named Tina.
• Actors Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson have a pit bull named Penny Lane.
• Actor Jamie Foxx has two pit bulls.
• Radio host Ira Glass has a pit bull.
• Activist Helen Keller had a pet pit bull.
• TV cook Rachael Ray has two pit bulls.
• Comedian Jon Stewart has pit bulls.
• Actress Alicia Silverstone has a rescued pit bull.
• Author Andrew Vachss, who has written numerous books and short stories featuring dogs of banned breeds, had a pit bull named Honey.
• Actor David James Elliot, of Jag and Closer To Home fame, adopted pit bull terrier named, Jade
• Actor Michael J. Fox owns a pit bull named, Burnaby

A case of mistaken Identity...

Quite often dogs that attack are identified as pit bulls when they are not.  It seems that that any dog of medium build with short hair is thought to be a pit bull.  There are 20+ breeds that are commonly incorrectly identified as pit bulls.  

<> The worst part of this identity problem is that the initial attack has frontpage coverage with PIT BULL all over it.  Then several day's later when they properly identify the dog as a mix breed or another breed that story is a line or two on page 30 buried.  Some examples

Want to know more about "Pit Bulls" Click here. Think you know a "Pit Bull" when you see one? Try to find the "Pit Bull" in this game. Don't feel bad if you can't find it on the first 3-4 tries, most people can't.

The fact is Pit Bulls have a lot more to fear from humans, than humans have to fear from Pit Bulls. Here are some graphic examples of how humanity treats Pitties. Sadly, even those who are supposed to be helping and protecting dogs, such as Dog Wardens and Animal Control officers, are involved in the wholesale slaughter of Pit Bulls. BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) across the country is responsible for hundreds of dogs having been taken from their homes and put to sleep, for no reason at all, other than that they were "pit bull type" dogs in someone's opinion. Most Pit Bulls "rescued" by Animal Control agencies are put to sleep.

And that's what makes Cleo's story so very special. Her amazing personality and sweet disposition, both typical traits of real American Pit Bull Terriers, and the good judgment of the folks at the Marion County Dog Shelter have saved her from the fate suffered by so many Pitties. Now all that is left for us to do is find her that perfect forever home. And despite all the bad press that "pit bulls" have been getting lately, we think finding Cleo a good home should be fairly easy. All you have to do is meet this little girl, and you'll understand why.