Dogs are often referred to and thought of as man’s best friend. They are also considered the most popular pet with 66% of U.S. households owning at least one dog. In a recent Forbes article, it was found that 78% of pet owners brought their furry friend home during the pandemic. These animals are commonly known as Pandemic Puppies and have a unique bond with their owners since most people were confined to their homes. 

The AKC has found that the most popular dog breeds of recent history include French Bulldogs, Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Poodles. Further down the top 10 include Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Beagles, Dachshunds, and German Shorthaired Pointers. The breed of dog dictates your pet’s activity levels, the certain health conditions they may be predisposed to, and how friendly or standoffish their personality naturally is. 

A dog’s furriness, weight, and overall stature has to be taken into account when bringing a new four-legged family member home to ensure it fits into your family dynamic and lifestyle. There’s plenty of instances when a new dog owner bites off a little more than they can chew by picking a particularly athletic or energetic dog breed that requires more work than anticipated. Matching a dog’s energy level with yours is a delicate balance that can potentially make or break a burgeoning relationship. 

There are also some dog breeds that stereotypically have bad raps. Breeds like Dobermans, German Shepherds, Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, and even Chow Chows are seen as threats due to their strength and power. Oftentimes owners of these breeds are penalized by being denied property insurance without others taking factors such as environment or training into consideration. The dogs are all viewed as bad instead of getting the benefit of the doubt that each dog is a product of the humans that raised it. 

Nala and Sasha are American Staffordshire Terrier/Lab mixes and they are two of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met before. It’s a shame that they are stereotyped solely because of their breed and the way they look. Many Pitbull and bully breeds are misunderstood. While they are definitely strong, they aren’t inherently vicious or mean. In the almost three years of having them, they have never attacked us or outright tried to harm us intentionally. 

They are willing to protect their humans and house if necessary, so we definitely have to think ahead of them in certain situations. Keeping them secured in the house and in the yard is one of our top priorities. We work hard to keep them from running loose and unattended so they don’t get themselves (and us) into a world of trouble. 

A big part of owning a dog is being responsible to protect them from themselves, other dogs, and anything in their environment that could cause them harm. One of the scariest situations is a dog fight breaking out, which is why Kris and I never take Nala or Sasha to any dog parks or communal areas. We aren’t worried about what they would do since we know how they are, we are more so worried about the variables that are out of our control such as other dogs. It’s not worth the risk of someone getting injured or taken away from us. 

I can’t stress enough how misunderstood the majority of dogs with bad reputations are. They are often judged to a harsher degree than stereotypically “friendly” breeds like Labs and Golden Retrievers, but end up being the biggest babies and nicest sweethearts in the world. As with everything else in society, we have to be careful with the agendas and narratives being pushed on us, and use our own judgment to assess the validity of certain situations. 

Nala and Sasha are definitely a handful, but because they bring Kris and I so much joy in our daily lives, they are well worth all the effort. They make us laugh and smile just from the immense love they have to share on a daily basis. While we can’t save and protect every dog out there, we try to give our two fur babies the best life that we possibly can each and every day. 

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Signed, 

Jessica Marie