My Dog Has Cancer... here's why Pit bulls are the best

I don't like posting personal photos so here's a cute  pit bull that looks almost exactly like my Rocco.

Photo from Reddit

He'd been diagnosed with chondrosarcoma almost two years ago and had surgery to remove his leg and part of his pelvis and that was followed by chemo. He was fine for a little over a year till we took him to the vet last week and they discovered a few small tumors in his lungs. 

Now he's starting a second round of chemo to help slow the growths in his lungs. I didn't take the news well, as you can imagine, but I want this post to be a short but sweet ode to this beautiful breed. 

1. They're playful and loving. 

I've raised four pit bulls and they all  have different personalities but one thing is certain- they love to play and they adore you. I think this is part of the reason why pit bull owners are such vocal advocates of the breed. Once you've had a pit bull you can never not have one because their love is like no other. To this day Rocco- who is about to turn 10- likes to run around with his rubber ball or his squeaky giraffe. It's absolutely precious. He and Dante (my oldest. He's 13) love to gently gnaw on my arm when they're really excited to see me. This gesture is reserved for family and it's super sweet that they intentionally do that. 

2. They're loyal and sensitive to other people's vibes. 

Yes, I know, ALL dogs are loyal but their loyalty is visceral. When Rocco was a pup he once slid up next to me and sniffed  my hair and then fell asleep with his nose covered in my hair. It was weird but Rocky is weird. To this day he likes to sniff me before bed, it's just the way he is but I think it's also his way of making sure that it's really me. He's the gentlest dog and kind to everyone but he's a mama's boy and fiercely loyal to the family. The reason I say they're sensitive to other people's vibes is because they have different reactions to people depending on how that person feels about them. My dog-lovin' friends always get that love right back but the ones who are scared of my dogs end up actually scaring my dogs so they bark and steer clear of that person. It reminds me of the quote, "my personality is who i am my attitude depends on who you are." 

3. They have a spark. 

When we found Bella on the street by our house we already had three dogs at home and couldn't imagine adding a fourth let alone another pit bull. We posted her photo on Petfinder.com and a woman contacted me saying she was interested in Bella because she hadn't had a pit bull since her own died and that she missed that "spark" they have. That conversation solidified my own feelings and I was happy to know I wasn't the only one who felt that way about them. I've only ever had pits but I've known other dogs for almost my entire life and I can tell you (and others can attest to this) there's no dog like a pit baby. Oh and we ended up adopting Bella anyway.