Junior Sara Goodie believes pit bulls are misrepresented in popular culture. Goodie says that her dog, Thisbe, is gentle and loving. Goodie disapproves of any negative stereotypes about the breed. “In the two and a half years we’ve had her, she’s never hurt anyone,” Goodie said. “Except my grandpa, but that was just emotionally. She’s just scared of him.”
By SARA GOODIE Print Copy Editor
Junior Sara Goodie defends pit bulls, her favorite breed of dog, and explains why they do not deserve a bad rap.
Pit bulls, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, are a type of dog known for their strength and ability to fight.
I wish Merriam-Webster would come to my house and tell Thisbe that.
Thisbe, named after the Midsummer Night’s Dream character, is my family’s four-year-old pit bull and my parents’ favorite child. She’s a perpetual puppy, and we spoil her. She sleeps in my parents’ bed every night, snuggled under the covers with her head on the pillow.
But looking at this sweet dog, it’s hard to believe she was found on the side of College Station Road.
Thisbe was beaten, neglected and abandoned by her previous owner. When we brought her home from the pound, she sometimes forgot who we were and cowered away from us, crying out at the lightest touch.
After two years, she’s still scared of sudden noises and new people.
For the first year we had her, she had random panic attacks where she crouched down and stayed there, whimpering and shaking, sometimes for an hour or more.
But even though she’s timid and sweet, when I tell my friends that we have a pit bull, they are sometimes worried for me. They imagine a big, bulky fighting dog, which wouldn’t belong in a family.
The thing about pit bulls is, they aren’t inherently aggressive. They aren’t always dominant, blood-thirsty fight dogs.
Pit bulls don’t have locking jaws, their bites are weaker than those of German Shepherds and Rottweilers, and they consistently rank above average on temperament tests.
In fact, pit bulls were originally known as “America’s dog.”
It’s all about their training. If a dog is bred to be a fighting dog, it’ll be a fighting dog. But if it’s loved and cared for and disciplined, then any dog of any breed can be a wonderful addition to the family.
Thisbe is the pride and joy of the Goodie household. She shows what pit bulls can be when given a loving household: the best dogs anyone could ask for.
Because who can resist these faces?
