Australian Shepherds Are Not For Me, & a BSL Rant

It's Friday here at work, and it's caused me to stray once already from my work to look at some Aussie thing. It happens. Anyways, one Aussie thing led me to some other Aussie thing, and link by link, I ended up at this site about Australian Shepherds as a breed and how to decide if they are right for you.

As I read the long description about the breed charactaristics and all that, I decided that if I had read that prior to adopting my first Aussie, I might have changed my mind! I didn't like what they had to say about my breed at all.  Aussies are not for me I guess.

So either that means that the people who write those 'is this breed right for you' things are whack jobs or writing based of their experiences, or my dogs are exceptions to the rule.

Who knows?  I mean, I've only owned 2 Aussies. It's quite possible they aren't 'normal' for the breed standard.  I don't have much experience outside of Frankie and Kirby.  I didn't really care for this person telling me about my Aussies when he didn't know them. Maybe I should re-write the book, eh?  Or maybe not.

And on that note, I still have Annie. Now, I've never owned a Pitbull before, as I'd said.  And I guess while I've never supported BSL, it didn't mean as much to me as it does now.  I have never agreed that people should punish a breed as a whole for the actions of just a few and it angered me that it was happening. But it was just part of rescue and I didn't think much more about it.  Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL, started really making my blood boil once I'd joined the disc dog club.  Wallace and the other Pits I've met through the club have made me even more passionate about the breed than I ever was, and now that I have Annie, I can feel myself bristle everytime I'm walking her and someone gives us an accusing stare or crosses to the other side of the street. 

I'm becoming defensive and protective of her the longer I have her. I live with her. I feed her. I play with her and walk her and train her and I get to spend every spare minute I have with her. How dare anybody else judge her based on news reports and accusations and the actions of idiot owners. This 'menace to society' kisses me good morning every single day.  She wiggles her whole body when Josh or I walk in the door.  She's well mannered and sweet and just a dream to work with.  She has less problems than the majority of my foster dogs in the past.  This Pitbull has taught me a valuable lesson in the time I've had her.  If I didnt have a cat and Josh were a little more lienient, Annie would not leave me. I'm in love with her.  And I no longer feel like I can take this BSL fight laying down.  America is screwing up a brillient, hard-working dog.  It breaks my heart to think that someone might want to put Annie down based on the actions of a famous NFL player. Or a backyard dog fighter. Or an idiot business owner using her as a guard dog. 

Aussies & Pits.  Oh I just heart them!  (And Labs and Corgis too)  :o)