Meet Emmett!

Okay, okay. I know. You already know Emmett! He inspired me to start this Positively Pit Bull section, and I planned on kicking it off with his story. But since I got so many wonderful submissions right away, I bumped his story back a bit. My goal is to post at least two stories of breed ambassadors every month. Have you submitted your dog yet? Please do! We can’t wait to meet your pup!

Name: Emmett

Age: 7ish

Location: Bloomington, IN

Favorite things: peanut butter, napping, cheese, squeaky toys, playing “find it” or hide-n-seek, treats, dinner, napping some more

Emmett’s story:

We adopted Emmett in July 2006. After we purchased our condo in downtown DC, we knew we wanted a dog. So we went to the Friends of Homeless Animals, where Emmett picked us. The second he came out of the kennels, he jumped on my lap as if to say, “Okay, people, take me home!”

With the exception of his separation anxiety, Emmett made himself at home immediately and endeared himself to our friends, family, and all the other dogs in the park next to our building. He was even invited to a dog birthday party!

Emmett is practically unshakable. He can go anywhere and meet anyone. He has a remarkable ability for connecting with people. He gazes into the eyes of a perfect stranger, leans against their legs, or rests his head in their lap. He wags nonstop at friends new and old. As my friend Ashely famously said, “He is tenderhearted.”

That’s not to say he’s perfect. He’s pushy with new dogs – he wants to be the man in charge right away. He’s food crazy; having gone through starvation followed by overfeeding, he still wants to eat every single thing he can. We have to be really careful not to leave anything on the counters or else he’ll get it when we’re not looking.

But he’s perfect as a therapy dog. He works with kids who really need some extra love, and he works as a library dog. His exuberance and his unbridled joy with people make him perfect for these “jobs.” And he loves it. He has so much fun snuggling up to kids, learning new tricks with them, and just being there for them to rub him. I sort of think that in his mind, I ferry him about town to greet his adoring fans because everywhere we go, kids just flock to him. They hang off of his big, thick neck, plant kisses on his nose, and shower him with belly rubs.

And I love having the opportunity to talk about his breed. A lot of the kids ask me if he’s a pit bull. I get to take that opportunity to answer every question they have about dogs and pit bulls – and to dispel the myths and misconceptions that they have.

Everywhere Emmett goes, he makes people smile. We’ve worked really had to train him both for manners and for tricks so that he leaves a positive impression anytime he meets someone new. I’m proud of Emmett because, regardless all of the training, he’s everything that embodies a positive pit bull: gentle, loyal, exuberant, friendly, and happy, happy, happy!