I’m getting to know a pit bull

It wasn’t on my to-do list, but there it is, anyway. New neighbors in the basement apartment have one. Her name is Secret, and she appears to be a puppy still. She’s very friendly—I’ve seen her several times, and tonight she insisted on greeting me, jumping up on me and licking my hands (even as I hoped she wouldn’t decide to have a bite). Well-trained dogs aren’t supposed to jump up on people, even if they wish to be friendly.

Animals can sense fear, so maybe I’m better at hiding it than I thought. I do know a thing or two about posture around animals and how to send positive signals, but I’m also hoping that a) her owners aren’t interested in stoking a pit bull’s aggressive tendencies and b) she might come from a lineage that is sufficiently removed from fighting.

Around Chicago, there have been rather unforgettable stories of maulings, most often by pit bulls. In one haunting case, the dog even attacked its owner. After every such attack, the hue and cry arises to ban the breed. Responsible owners, breeders and trainers leap to the breed’s defense. An attacking dog’s behavior, so the argument goes, usually reflects its owners’ disposition, and if people would quit exploiting the violent traits, the breed wouldn’t have such a bad name. But in this set of circumstances, the dog had displayed behavioral red flags that its owners apparently ignored.

In my case, while I will lend some benefit of the doubt, a huge measure of caution is in order. Can I trust my neighbors to recognize and take appropriate action should there be warning signs? For me, right now, all I can do is program myself—if the dog is growling, get the hell away!

A strategy my dad often promoted, should one be faced with a rabid dog (a fairly common concern back in my childhood), was to grab the dog’s jaws and hold its head back, thus disabling it. I’m pretty sure he never had to test this theory. Given the strength of a pit bull’s jaws, I rather doubt my ability to sustain this maneuver, even if it initially should work.

I’ve been planning to move when my lease is up in May, if not sooner. This certainly provides additional motivation.