How is she?

The other day Lola and I were on our evening walk and our neighbor was out with his puppy Bailey.  Lola was beyond excited.  She loves the Bailey's dad, (he pets and plays with her so she can't resist him) and she is starting to like  Bailey more as she continues to grow.  (Bailey is only 4 or 5 months old and is about the size of a cat).  Another neighbor was sitting on some cement steps playing with Bailey when Lola came running up.  This neighbor got this look of horror and just stared at us.  I did not really think much of it because Lola was playing with Bailey and her dad.

All of a sudden the other neighbor (not Bailey's dad) asked with a bit of an attitude, "What kind of dog is she?  Is she a pitt bull?"  I replied back "No, she is an American Bulldog".  The woman seemed a little relieved but then asked with more of an attitude "How is she?"  I think she was asking about her temperament, but I am not really sure. I was about ready to respond, when Bailey's dad stepped in and said "Lola is great!"  and then continued on about how much he loves her and how great she is with Bailey.

It just bothers me the way people judge a dog by their looks.  Bad tempered dogs can be any size and look anyway, not just like pit bulls, american bull dogs, rottweilers, etc.  And good dogs can be any size and look any way, they are not just goldens, labs, pugs, etc.  I wish people would just step back and meet the dog before they judge them.

For every negative comment I get about Lola I seem to get twice as many about how great she is.  Last weekend we were on a morning walk.  And we were walking to a corner and somebody else with their dog was walking towards the same corner.  So I stepped aside and made Lola sit so the people could keep walking. (I usually feel more comfortable stopping and making Lola sit.  It helps calm her down when she sees other dogs.)  Lola started wagging her tail, and the woman asked if she was friendly and if she could say hi.  I said sure and she and her dog came up and said hi.  Immediately Lola laid down and was loving the woman who was petting her. She asked what kind of dog Lola was.  I told her and she started telling me about her friend who has an American bulldog and how he is one of the nicest dogs she has ever met.  This woman was one of those people that was just interested in Lola because she was a sweet and happy dog.  Those are the people that are great.

I wish there could be more people out their that see the dogs for their souls and hearts and not for their looks.  

Lola, Otis, Bear and the Squirrel

 Here is a little video that I thought was perfect for a Monday.  Lola was visiting Otis and Bear, and the three of them trapped a squirrel in the tree. Sorry I am not sure how to rotate the video, but I think you still get the idea.