Picking Miso

There's a pattern with a lot of major decisions in my life. It goes something like this:

#1 - I have the right answer/choice/idea come to me almost immediately.
#2 - I am overly cautious, and spend a lot of time analyzing it and investigating other options.
# 3 - After much headache-inducing deliberation and long conversations exhausting friends and family, I finally go with my first inclination.

I picked Miso in pretty much the same way. After talking with Marthina McClay of PACK, who has spent years training and evaluating Pit Bulls, I had decided to look for a female Pit Bull, preferably around 2 years of age or older. I wanted to avoid personality and temperament changes as much as I could, and adopting an older dog is the best way to avoid surprises. I needed a dog that would get along with my little guys and hopefully my boyfriend's male, Capone, so a spayed older female was a close as I could get to a guarantee. (This holds true for every breed, not just Pit Bulls. And there are never any guarantees).

True to my generation, the internet is my preferred research tool, and I began scouring the pages of local animal shelters. I also decided to check BadRap's website, knowing I could find a reliable list of temperament-tested dogs.

At the time, BadRap had several dogs that fit the bill. But it wasn't until I scrolled down to their "Pit Bull Hall" section and saw Miso's big, goofy grin, that I thought I'd found my dog. With her cropped ears, she looked more intimidating than the other dogs, but there was no denying her friendly, wrinkly face. She also had the one thing I'd hoped I would find in my future Pit Bull - spots! The entirety of her little white body was covered with sienna-colored patches. She had a patch covering each eye that stretched behind her ears, and several large ones peppering her back. She looked like a little cow. I had to meet her.

She was located at the SPCA in Oakland. It was a bit of a drive, and I still had to check the other local shelters. I spent the next couple days going to shelters close by, but none of the dogs fit. Finally, while I was up visiting the Peninsula Humane Society, I made the jaunt across the Bay to Oakland.

I really like the Oakland SPCA. They have a large, grassy, outdoor play area where every dog gets to romp at least once a day. Their interior is decorated by Laurel Birch, an artist I enjoy very much. Pit Bull Hall is a separate room with a few kennels, and those kennels are devoted solely to BadRap's Pit Bull Ambassadogs. These dogs are handpicked by BadRap: temperament tested, thoroughly evaluated, and trained by volunteers to be ambassadors for the Pit Bull breed.

Miso's kennel was in the middle. As soon as I saw her, laying on her Kuranda bed looking cozy, I started "Ooooh"ing and "Aaaah"ing. I approached her kennel and she immediately jumped up to greet me, her whole body wiggling. She seemed thrilled to make my acquaintance, and I hers. I reached my fingers through the kennel to pet her. In response, she threw her left side against the gate, pushing as much of her fur through the holes as possible. She wanted me to pet ALL of her. From what I'd read about evaluating shelter dogs, this offering of her side to me was a good sign.

Because there were no BadRap volunteers at the SPCA at that time, and only a BadRap volunteer could bring Miso out of her kennel, I decided to take a quick look around the rest of the shelter. Miso was fabulous, but as I said, I have to investigate everything before I allow myself to be sure!

Of course, no other dog seemed as promising as her. There were a few other Pit Bulls available, but they either weren't okay with cats (I have a 5 year old Siamese) or weren't old enough for my liking. Although Miso wasn't quite 2 years old, she was (in my opinion and in Marthina's) old enough. Marthina had also told me she had met Miso at a BadRap conference, where Miso had been the demo dog for their event. "Wow!" I thought. "This dog has GOT to be something special if the rescue is using her as a face for their organization."

I went back to Miso's kennel to say goodbye. I would have to come back another time when someone was available to let her out. But wait! Nicki, a BadRap volunteer, had just arrived and was about to spend some time with the dogs! I hastily asked her if she would let me see Miso, and she agreed. I would get to meet Miso!


I could not have been more impressed. Not only was she sociable, she was collected and confident. She performed a Sit-Look - where dogs must sit and look up at their handler - before leaving her kennel and going through the doors to the outside. She didn't pull on her leash, and when Nicki asked her to Leave It, she did. Out on the grass, she did a Down and proceeded to let me rub her belly. I rarely get possessive about things, but this was definitely MY dog. Not only was she a total sweetheart, she was also very stable - a remarkable fact given that she had been in a kennel for 22 hours a day, 7 days a week for the past 4 months, and she was a cuddler! My Pit Bull absolutely had to enjoy affection....