We Could Have a Third Dog, Right?

There was a pit bull roaming the neighborhood this last week, and he almost became my third dog.

In this case, we had never seen him before (and trust me, I know by sight the dogs that live in our neighborhood), but had a good idea of where he belonged. A new family just moved in to a rental at the end of the street. The previous tenants had two lovely pits, so I know the landlord has nothing against the breed. This pit (a lovely honey colored boy with classic giant head and itty bitty waist) seemed content to stay near that yard (and on that front porch) after his roaming was done. Considering this is what Moree would do if he got out and we didn’t know, it seemed a good indication that this boy belonged there.

He was an incredibly sweet and well trained dog. He came up to meet our dogs while we were walking them by and displayed no aggressiveness, even when Smokey started to get cranky. Once I asserted myself as the boss, giving him commands, he accepted them without question, doing exactly as told.

We knocked on the door of the house multiple times, but received no answer, despite there being lights on and numerous cars in the driveway. They had a beware of dog sign in the window, but no dog barked at us as we knocked.

We talked to the next door neighbors who were able to tell us the new tenants both worked nights, meaning it was possible they had already left for work.

In the end, we were 90% sure the dog belonged at that house and put him in their back yard. But it wasn’t an easy decision. We certainly pondered taking him home with us and leaving a note on the front door, but in the end, decided it would be the least stressful for all (dogs and humans) to leave him where we believed he belonged.

I hope to go by the house sometime when I can tell people are up and talk to them. This was one of the sweetest and best behaved dogs I have ever met (true pretty much of all pits I have met, which might explain my soft spot for them), and I would hate to see him get run over or called in as a menace by less dog (or pit) friendly neighbors. Sadly, in the current environment of defining any pit as a dangerous dog, simply being a loose pit bull could get the baby destroyed.