October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month and in honor of it, we want to share our favorite Instagram Pitties. These dogs are not only entertaining, but also work their tails off as advocates for the Pit Bull community - showing the world that you can't judge a book by its cover (or a dog by it's breed):
1. @piratethepitbull Pirate and his mom, Asha, are known across Instagram (and beyond) as major Pit Bull advocates - working to break the stigma against the breed and busting myths left and right.
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We’ve all read them, “pit bull bites” headlines. Unfortunately, these are inaccurate and misleading statistics, that are often circulated by anti pit bull groups and main stream media. When dog bites are reported, victims and witnesses frequently misidentify the breed of dog. On record, people who visit emergency rooms say that either a “dog” bit them, or “a pit bull” bit them. This is based purely on their perception of the what a pit bull looks like. When you have 25+ breeds being reported under one umbrella term of “pit bull” then the statistics are highly flawed, unreliable, and over inflated. The problem doesn’t stop there though. These incorrect numbers can then be used by local or national authorities to impose unfair bans on pit bulls such as Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). Pit Bulls are not inherently dangerous, but they are highly trainable, athletic dogs, making them prime candidates to be exploited by maligned humans. The ONLY dog that should be called a PIT BULL is the American Pit Bull Terrier. Educating people about these breed differences is a powerful way to help advocate for bully breeds. Did you pick the only pit bull in the quiz? Y or N? 🏴☠️ 🐾 Love Pirate? Follow @piratepitbull
A post shared by ᑭIᖇᗩTE TᕼE “ᑭIT ᗷᑌᒪᒪ” (@piratepitbull) on Oct 11, 2020 at 5:25pm PDT
2. @bully.baloo Thought pitties were scary? Think again - Everyday, Baloo breaks the Pit Bull stereotype by showing the world that really, they're just big softies.
3. @akirablackpit The queen of all the pitties - Akira!
4. @tankthebluenosepit Handsome Tank wants you to join him in the fight against Breed Specific Legislation! Breed Specific Legislation (or BSL) bans or restricts certain breeds of dogs and presumes that these dogs are dangerous - why would you want to ban such an amazing dog like Tank?!
5. @bear.the.blind.pit Bear not only spreads awareness about Pit Bulls, but about special needs dogs as well!
6. @knight_thepit Knight and Aston are by far the happiest and goofiest dogs on Instagram - their smiles alone make us want to adopt a pittie right now!
7. @pigpenthepittie Pigpen does her part for the dog community by fostering rescue dogs! 94 to be exact...
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An ode to my best girl. The one who never left. The one who shows and tells everyone else what to do. Who came from less than nothing and now shares her beds and her home and her parents with every dog who comes through the doors. Pig is the ultimate teacher for these dogs. She shows them that people aren’t scary. She shows them how to use the magnetic screen door, how to play with a toy, how to knock aside a gate, how to sit nicely, how to drag a person on a leash, how to bark at hallway noises, how to potty outside, how to love freely but also treat other dogs with respect. She has the best body language when she’s playing and she has taught me so much about dogs and how they communicate. I know by the way she holds her head or moves her lip if she’s feeling playful or threatened. She is my hippogriff- I watch her carefully until she play bows, then I know she is ready and I back away and just let her do her thing. She has cuddled and mothered more dogs than any other dog I know. Though probably never a mama herself, she instinctively drools on and grooms puppies, cuddles and puts her head on shy or nervous dogs, and teaches them all how to romp and play. She’s not perfect by any means, but she is the best dog in the world. We truly could not have done this without her. This is a dog who needs slow introductions due to fear reactivity who has successfully had 94 foster siblings. What kind of strength does she have in her heart to be so accepting, to share everything she has, when she came from absolutely nothing? I aspire every day to be more like her. I am beyond blessed to be her caretaker, her guardian, her protector, her loyal royal servant, her mom. To the next 94 and many more Pig. Love you like crazy.
A post shared by Penelope Pig (@pigpenthepittie) on Aug 8, 2020 at 8:08am PDT
8. @blue_the_mush_pit Blue came from a life of neglect and malnourishment which left him with a few scars, but now this boy is as happy and sweet as they come!
9. @handsome.zeus Zeus might just be our favorite little adventure pittie! Zeus is always embarking on new adventures, whether it's to the beach, camping, or hiking.
10. @boris_the_pibble The best thing you can do today is follow adorable Boris.
11. @noah_and_lincoln As their bio states, Noah and Lincoln are changing hearts and changing minds about Pit Bulls through their hilarious videos!
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Can you guess which of these two hippos gave me two heart attacks b/c he decided to run after a 🦌 and a 🐈? (Read ⤵️) .. .. If you guessed Lincoln, you’re wrong. NOAH! Yep, old man perfect Noah bolted on me back in 2015 after a deer while walking off leash and again in 2017 when a cat took off and gave chase. Up until that point I failed as an owner b/c I had never trained him on controlling his prey drive. Thank God both times a fence stopped him but he was out of my sight and I thought I had lost him for good. It hasn’t happened since. .. .. Lincoln on the other hand hasn’t done that b/c we have worked on his prey drive and recall. But, he is a big spaz! Garbage trucks, fireworks, thunder and anything too loud for his comfort level will cause him to freak out. His first reaction is to run off and hide somewhere safe. On top of that, he’s an anxious dog. Fireworks are still really bad for him but we keep it under control. Here are some tips to keep your pets safe during fireworks: .. 1. Exercise your dog before fireworks starts. 2. Try to avoid potty breaks during fireworks. 3. If potty breaks can’t be avoided, keep a leash on your dog and have a firm grip. 4. Create a safe haven for your dog like in the tub or his crate. 5. Use a collar like the @fi.dogs that will track your dog should it escape. 6. Lastly, as an advanced form of training, desensitize your dogs to fireworks. .. .. This is by no means an exhaustive list but are good to start with. The most important recommendation I can give is use a tracking collar like @fi.dogs b/c no matter where, you will be able to find your dog. We’re not perfect and things happen so it’s better to be prepared. Take it from me. You don’t want to lose your dog and then hate yourself for not getting something that could save and relocate your dog. The technology is here and available to use. .. .. If you choose to get @fi.dogs, you can always use code NOAH25 for $25 off! .. .. Have you ever lost your dog? .. .. Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July! ❤️🤍💙 🇺🇸
A post shared by Noah & Lincoln-American Bully (@noah_and_lincoln) on Jul 3, 2020 at 9:56am PDT
12. @ulyssesthesissypitty Don't bully this bully! Despite what his sweatshirt says, there's nothing scary or bad about Ulysses!
13. @big.head.bubby Bub and Simon are not only death row survivors, they are also National Park explorers!
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Guess what...today is officially #nationalpitbullawarenessday !! I’m joining the #pitbullappreciationgratitudechallenge2020 and writing a love letter to my boys 🥺 Simey, thank you for being the perfect addition to our family and convincing us to keep you even though that definitely wasn’t our intention. Thank you for being such a sweet, simple, happy soul despite what people put you through; I love knowing that every time I approach you, you’ll give me the sweetest kisses and roll over for a belly rub and make my day instantly better ❤️❤️ Bub, thank you for being my soulmate in dog form. You changed my world and will forever be my heart dog, even when you’re pouting and being a huge brat. I can tell you understand things in a way that Simon doesn’t, and while this sometimes makes you more of a challenge, I love your intelligence and mischievous behavior. I cry regularly looking at your scars and knowing the hell your life used to be, and yet seeing how gentle and forgiving you are despite it all. . I love both of my boys equally in different ways, and I can’t imagine life without them. It will always pain me knowing they were both so close to death just because of misconceptions about their breed. These boys will continue to be ambassadors to show the world just how cuddly, goofy, happy, and perfect these velvet hippos can be! . . #pitbullawarenessmonth #pitbullappreciationday #adoptapit #rescuepit #bullybreed #pitbullmom #pitbullpuppy #pitbull #dontbullymybreed #pitbullsofig #dogsofinstagram #love #instadog #dog #pitbullsofinstagram #dogoftheday #rescued #pitbulllove #cute #dogstagram #doglover #adoptdontshop #pitbulladvocate #puppylove #pitbulllife #americanbully
A post shared by The National Park Pitties 🐷 (@big.head.bubby) on Oct 26, 2020 at 11:11am PDT
14. @ms_fancypants_ Nothing can stop this little trailblazer - if Fancy doesn't give you the push you need to get out and explore with your pup, we don't know what will.
15. @turbothepitbull Last, but certainly not least, is Turbo. Our favorite thing about Pit Bulls are their big, wide smiles, and Turbo's smile is just downright contagious.