On occasion, you receive an email or phone call that just begs to be shared. It’s a nice reminder of why we do what we do — and sometimes we need that. I’m very happy that Love-A-Bull has one of those stories for you. We know it’ll make you smile, but grab a tissue just in case!

About a week ago, we received an email about a recent donation that had been made. This note was from a mother about her son’s gift to us. She explained that her son, Tarak, chose to raise money for Love-A-Bull instead of receiving presents at his 10th birthday party that past weekend. And he made a donation of over $100!

It seems we all might have something to learn from this act of kindness and passion for a good cause. So of course we asked if we could share this story. We received a letter AND pictures! Aren’t Tarak and Huxley just adorable?

Dear Love-A-Bull,

For my 10th birthday, I raised money for Love-A-Bull instead of getting presents, because I have a pit bull terrier named Huxley, and he is the sweetest dog in the world. My family trained him at Love-A-Bull.

People shouldn’t be so scared of pit bulls. They should be scared of the people who train pits to be aggressive. Really, pit bulls are naturally friendly and gentle. When I had my birthday party two weeks ago, over 20 friends came over, and Huxley was kind to everyone. In fact, every night before I go to sleep, my 60 pound pit bull climbs into my bed and sleeps beside me.

I think everyone who cares about pit bulls should try and raise money for Love-A-Bull, so that people who are afraid of pit bulls understand why they should love and take care of them instead!

Sincerely,
Tarak

Tagged: advocacy, dog, friendly, gift, love, pet owner, pit bull, present, training classFiled under: Uncategorized

Love-A-Bull is sponsoring a free practice session for the Canine Good Citizen test 9 a.m. Saturday at Shoal Creek Greenbelt and Dog Park.

The meeting will include coaching and advice from Love-A-Bull trainers. Read AKC’s detailed description of the CGC test. Teams will work on as many drills as time permits.

What to bring:

• 6-foot leash
• 20-foot lead
• collar (buckle or slip collar made of fabric, leather or chain) or a harness that does not restrict the dog’s movement
• brush or comb
• treats
• water

 

Schedule:

9 a.m. Meet and greet
Gather at the three benches to the west of the Shoal Creek Greenbelt & Dog Park parking lot. See map below.

9:15 a.m. Practice starts
Participants will go over as many exercises as time allows with special attention paid to those skills individual teams need help with the most.

10:30 a.m. Practice ends
Feel free to stay in the area for a walk.   Please keep in mind that neighborhing Pease Park requires dogs to be leashed.

To RSVP for CGC practice, visit Love-A-Bull’s Meetup.com page.

Tagged: Canine Good Citizen, dog training, event, free, pit bull, training classFiled under: Uncategorized

Aug. 1, 2011 update:

Kimbo didn’t pass the Canine Good Citizen test July 31, but he made some improvemements. He still needs practice greeting someone with a dog and although his attention improved during the walk portion, he’s still not where he needs to be. 

I’ll keep working with Kimbo for the next CGC test, which is scheduled for Aug. 28 at SouthPaws Playschool.

That will be our last shot at the CGC to be considered for the next Pit Crew training, which is scheduled to start Sept. 9. Read details about the Pit Crew: All Pittie Therapy Dog Program.

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When I took Kimbo to SouthPaws Playschool for his first Canine Good Citizen test in June, he didn’t pass. The next CGC test is Sunday, July 31 at SouthPaws.

He did well on seven of 10 parts, but this isn’t horseshoes. The CGC is the American Kennel Club’s program for dogs that recognizes good manners.

That matters a lot to me because some people judge Kimbo simply because he has a muscular body, a block head and that  permanent pit bull smile.

“I’ll show those people good manners, alright,” I think to myself.

During the test, I was nervous. I fumbled. In the end, I was more disappointed than I expected.

But Kimbo didn’t care. He was just along for the ride. I learned a few things from that dog.

1. Be yourself
No matter where we go, Kimbo is just Kimbo. He had no idea we walked into a test and probably wouldn’t care anyway. He’s a 55-pound goofy dog who loves to play.

Kimbo taught me to just do my thing and not worry about who’s watching.

2. Focus on the task at hand
When asked for a brush for the grooming portion, I couldn’t find it in Kimbo’s back pack. It only has two pockets large enough for the brush, but I checked back and forth several times. When I finally found it, I dropped it.

My mind was on the next five parts of the test and what I did wrong on the previous portions. Kimbo lives in the moment.

Kimbo knows to take it one step at a time.

3. There’s nothing wrong with retesting
When we were done, I politely thanked the evaluator, then got out of there as fast as I could. As I passed the other teams waiting to be evaluated, I forced a smile. I felt embarrassed that we didn’t pass, even though I doubt anyone could tell.

After the test, Kimbo curled up in the back of my hatchback and chomped on his squeaky toy as we drove back to Northeast Austin. Hearing the high-pitched “eep,” “eep,” “eeeeeep”  made me smile.

He often drops his toy behind the driver’s seat, just out of his reach. All he can do it sit and stare. The situation is out of his control.

I soon realized I was taking the wrong attitude.

The test showed me what areas we needed to improve on. I had an idea before the test, but now I had a tangible sequence of events I could practice.

Kimbo showed me to be patient and that it’s OK to keep trying.

We recently completed Love-A-Bull’s advanced training class and we’ve been practicing every day. It’s possible we won’t pass again, but Love-A-Bull offers the test every month. We’ll keep working.

What to expect
Southpaws has a friendly staff and convenient location, but it is easy to miss because it’s tucked behind a strip center. It’s right next door to The Golf Club and across the street from Kyle Chapman’s use car lot.

No reservation is required, the test costs $15 pass or fail and it’s first come, first served. There is limited parking so you might want to arrive early.

The test is divided into 10 parts and can be given in any order. Read AKC’s detailed description of the CGC test.

What to bring:

• 6-foot leash
• 20-foot lead
• collar (buckle or slip collar made of fabric, leather or chain) or a harness that does not restrict the dog’s movement
• brush or comb

Don’t bring any food, treats or toys; pinch collars, head halters, and electronic collars are prohibited. These tools are valuable during the learning process, but this test evaluates how well the dog has been trained.

An evaluator records progress on a whiteboard and a volunteer or two help perform some of the tasks, such as walking through a crowd.

It’s a little unnerving to see your progress charted out like that, but I think if I follow Kimbo’s three CGC lessons, we’ll be OK. If we do pass, we’ll be one step closer to joining Love-A-Bull’s therapy dog team, the Pit Crew.

Tagged: Canine Good Citizen, kimbo, pit bull, therapy dog, training classFiled under: Uncategorized

When a group of four pit bulls first gathered in the lobby of the self-service dog wash and day care that would be their training classroom for four weeks,  their excitement made it difficult for handlers to control their behavior. Some dogs barked while others would not stop pulling toward their neighbors.

By the final class on July 24, they could lie still while handlers placed treats, squeaky toys and balls within reach. When entering or exiting the classroom, the pit bulls could sit at the open door and wait for the signal to go through.

The pit bulls had learned obedience.

The group met once per week at Mud Puppies, 12233 N. FM 620, a self-serve dog wash and day care that partners with Love-A-Bull to provide a space for free training classes for members.

Trish Jones, a Certified Canine Behavior and Training Specialist, showed the group how to use positive reinforcement to achieve training success.

“The most rewarding part for me is having these wonderful dogs in my classes and seeing the difference between the first class and the last class, she said. “It is an amazing feeling to me to see these people really working hard and taking the time to make their dogs well behaved.”

Trainer offers skills

Jones, owner of The Confident Canine, has been training dogs professionally for more than 12 years and shares her home with 9 dogs rescued from shelters. She started offering her skills to Love-A-Bull in May.

“Love-A-Bull is such a great organization.  The amount of work this organization does to educate the public about pit bulls is remarkable,” she said. “I am proud to be a small part of that.”

In class, students learned a variety of commands, such as “watch me,” “stay,” “leave it” and “heel.”

Jones encourages her students to take the dogs as many places as possible on a regular basis to practice the commands.

She hopes the people who have attended her classes will continue to do more with their dogs, such as getting a Canine Good Citizen certificate, doing therapy work, learning search and rescue skills or participating dog sports, such as agility.

“The more visible  these well-trained dogs are, the  more their reputation will improve,” she said. “I hope they take my advice to heart so that everyone can see that these dogs are special.”

Kimbo learns

When the free class started July 3, a white pit bull mix with black spots called Kimbo was so excited by the new surroundings and other dogs, he slid across the polished cement floor as he entered Mud Puppies. When Jones gave instructions, he often got up to sniff nearby classmates.

As the weeks progressed, he learned to pay attention to his handler. Kimbo usually stayed when told and when his mind wandered, he responded more quickly to corrections.

He was beginning to master obedience.

“Kimbo is such an adorable boy — he draws you in with his doe eyes and he reminds me of a marshmallow! I can’t help but smile when I see him in class,” Jones said. “Kimbo has a wonderful temperament. He’s fun and loves to play, but he is also capable of being calm.”

On July 31, Kimbo is scheduled to take the Canine Good Citizen test at South Paws Playschool, 2324B South Lamar Blvd. It will be his second attempt. Two months ago, he passed seven of 10 sections of the test.

If he passes, Kimbo will be one step closer to joining the Pit Crew as a therapy dog.

Those interested in taking the next Canine Good Citizen test, noon July 31 at South Paws Playschool, can visit Love-A-Bull’s Meetup.com page for details.

Tagged: advocacy, Canine Good Citizen, dog training, free, kimbo, pit bull, training classFiled under: Uncategorized

About 20 elementary school children expressed their gratitude for Love-A-Bull’s Pit Crew with letters and drawings of a recent visit.

M’Lynn Para’s first grade class welcomed the all-pit bull therapy group at Gullett Elementary School, 6310 Treadwell Blvd.

The group of volunteers and their pit bulls spent Tuesdays during the school year from 11 a.m. to noon at the school.

The Pit Crew spent alternating weeks encouraging first graders to read as part of the Barking Book Buddies Program and lifting the spirits of children with disabilities.

Jo Jo and Roxie

Joseph “Jo Jo” Farris and pit bull Roxie  have been together for the past four years and started working as a therapy team when the inaugural Pit Crew class graduated in March. See graduation photos and watch a Pit Crew video.

“Roxie loves going to the park,” Farris said. “I usually take her to Walnut Creek Park and let her run loose.  Sometimes I hike with her other times I mountain bike and she runs with me.”

When the team visited with children with disabilities, they often started with a walk. Farris would attach two leashes to the 5-year-old pit bull so that he and a child could each walk Roxie at the same time.

“They love being able to help walk Roxie,” he said. “Then we go into two classrooms and just let the kids see and pet them.”

When the pair visited the first graders, Farris usually put a blanket in the shade of a tree and Para sent children out in groups of four to read to Roxie.

“They all bring different books and I have them each read a page or two,” he said. “Then I let them ask about Roxie or just brush her.”

Sometimes there is a shortage of volunteers because Pit Crew members must pencil in appearances between work schedules, errands, trips to the vet and unexpected events.

“The more dogs we have, the more reading each kid can do with the dog,” Farris said. “Also, the more of us, the more places we can go, which means the more people we can help.”

Love-A-Bull  leaders have scheduled Pit Crew’s second therapy dog training in September.

As more pit bulls join, Farris hopes to take Roxie to senior homes and military bases, where pit bulls are banned from on-base housing.

“I look forward to meeting anybody that loves the pitties like I do,” Farris said. “ I definitely think it’s making me a better person. Puts things in perspective.”

Class shows appreciation

Toward the end of the school year, Para’s class put pencil and crayon to paper to show Pit Crew members what their weekly visits mean.

 

 

Tagged: dog training, Gullett, pit bull, Pit Crew, therapy dog, training classFiled under: Uncategorized

Love-A-Bull
www.love-a-bull.org
love-a-bull@hotmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PLEASE CROSS-POST)
DATE: August 28, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Lydia Zaidman (718) 791-5493 or training@love-a-bull.org

PIT BULL NONPROFIT GROUP OFFERING FREE TRAINING TO MEMBERS

AUSTIN, Texas — Love-A-Bull, a local nonprofit education and advocacy organization, invites pit bull owners to join the group in order to register now for free, 4-week basic skills dog training. The next session runs from Saturday, September 26th through Saturday, October 17th, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm, at Southpaws Playschool.

Love-A-Bull promotes tools for responsible pit bull ownership, and is pleased to offer this opportunity in partnership with trainer, Jessica Wilson, and Southpaws Playschool. It is the only one if its kind for pit bull owners in the Austin area.

Love-A-Bull, composed of over 400 local owners, works to share information with the public on issues such as the importance of spay/neuter, rescue and training, active advocacy against breed-specific legislation, and promotion of a more positive public image of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. The free training program started in January of 2009, with the goal of helping members’ dogs gain Canine Good Citizen (CGC) status through a rigorous evaluation conducted by the American Kennel Club for all breeds. To date, more than 80 owners have taken advantage of this free program, with 10 Love-A-Bull members’ dogs having attained the CGC distinction, and 3 dogs working as certified therapy dogs in hospitals and schools.

Members of the group who have participated in the program have found consistent improvement in their dogs’ behavior and continue to highly recommend it to other pit bull owners. To join Love-A-Bull or to learn more about the free training program, please visit www.love-a-bull.org.

About the Participants:

Love-A-Bull was organized to educate and to advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “Pit Bulls”) and Pit Bull mixes. Love-A-Bull encourages its members to serve as role models of responsible ownership and engage in activism, including support of rescue, and promotion of spay/neuter programs, and to oppose breed-specific legislation.

Southpaws Playschool is located at 2324B South Lamar; Austin, TX 78704. The mission of Southpaws Playschool for Dogs and Puppies is to provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating environment in which clients can leave their dogs and puppies with confidence during working hours. They sponsor activities at the facility and in the community that promote enhanced human/canine relationships. Southpaws Playschool believes that giving back to the community is important and sponsors activities that will benefit service animals and animal rescue organizations.

Jessica Wilson is a Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist through Triple Crown Dog Trainer’s Academy. She has experience with a variety of canine behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, housebreaking problems, leash pulling, fence climbing, digging, barking, and many other problems that dog owners frequently encounter. She is also well-versed in all aspects of obedience and home manners training, including preparation at the competitive level. She also has experience with footstep tracking, search and rescue, dock dog training, agility, rally, scent discrimination, and more. She currently offers training at Bobbi Colorado’s Canine Camp in Oak Hill.

Love-A-Bull, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes education, advocacy and responsibility on behalf of pit bull owners, and seeks to improve the public image of pit bull-type dogs.

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Tagged: Canine Good Citizen, dog, dog training, education, event, free, nonprofit, participants, pet owner, pit bull, training classFiled under: Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PLEASE CROSS-POST)
DATE: May 4, 2009
CONTACT: Lydia Zaidman (718) 791-5493

PIT BULL NONPROFIT SEEKING PARTICIPANTS IN FREE TRAINING PROGRAM

AUSTIN, Texas — Love-A-Bull, a local nonprofit education and advocacy organization, invites pit bull owners to join the group in order to participate in free, 4-week basic skills dog training. The next session runs from Thursday, May 28 through June 18, from 7 – 8 pm, at Southpaws Playschool. Love-A-Bull promotes tools for responsible pit bull ownership, and is pleased to offer this opportunity in partnership with trainer, Jessica Wilson, and Southpaws Playschool. It is the only one if its kind for pit bull owners in the Austin area.

Love-A-Bull, composed of over 300 local owners, works to share information with the public on issues such as the importance of spay/neuter, rescue and training, active advocacy against breed-specific legislation, and promotion of a more positive public image of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. The free training program started in January of 2009, with the goal of helping members’ dogs gain Canine Good Citizen (CGC) status through a rigorous evaluation conducted by the American Kennel Club for all breeds. To date, more than 30 owners have taken advantage of this free program, with 10 Love-A-Bull members’ dogs having attained the CGC distinction, and 3 dogs working as certified therapy dogs in hospitals and schools.

Members of the group who have participated in the program have found consistent improvement in their dogs’ behavior and continue to highly recommend it to other pit bull owners. To join Love-A-Bull or to learn more about the free training program, please visit http://www.meetup.com/love-a-bull/pages/Love-A-Bull_Member_Programs/

About the Participants:

Love-A-Bull was organized to educate and to advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “Pit Bulls”) and Pit Bull mixes. Love-A-Bull encourages its members to serve as role models of responsible ownership and engage in activism, including support of rescue, and promotion of spay/neuter programs, and to oppose breed-specific legislation.

Southpaws Playschool is located at 2324B South Lamar; Austin, TX 78704. The mission of Southpaws Playschool for Dogs and Puppies is to provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating environment in which clients can leave their dogs and puppies with confidence during working hours. They sponsor activities at the facility and in the community that promote enhanced human/canine relationships. Southpaws Playschool believes that giving back to the community is important and sponsors activities that will benefit service animals and animal rescue organizations.

Jessica Wilson is a Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist through Triple Crown Dog Trainer’s Academy. She has experience with a variety of canine behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, housebreaking problems, leash pulling, fence climbing, digging, barking, and many other problems that dog owners frequently encounter. She is also well-versed in all aspects of obedience and home manners training, including preparation at the competitive level. She also has experience with footstep tracking, search and rescue, dock dog training, agility, rally, scent discrimination, and more. She currently offers training at Bobbi Colorado’s Canine Camp in Oak Hill.

Love-A-Bull, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes education, advocacy and responsibility on behalf of pit bull owners, and seeks to improve the public image of pit bull-type dogs.

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Tagged: behavior, dog, dog training, free, low-cost, nonprofit, participants, pit bull, training classFiled under: Press Releases