Fishing for Pit Bulls
April 20, 2011
Sizzle reaches new heights and flies into our hearts
By Cyndi Tadehara
When my friend Melissa suggested I foster a hyper pit bull named Sizzle, I must admit I had some reservations. Sizzle had been at the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter for about six months and was bouncing off the walls there. But there I was, looking at this ball of energy and about to introduce her to my pit bull Cedar.
Sizzle was so energetic; I had to walk her for an hour to calm down before I could introduce the two dogs. I was afraid she had too much energy for me, but Melissa, always seeing the positive, said that Sizzle would make an excellent disc dog because she loves to jump.
Shortly before I started fostering pit bulls, I had made a flirt pole for Cedar out of an old fishing pole my son had left when he moved out. Cedar loved it so much that I made a game out of it and called it fishing for the pit bull. Over about a two-year time period, I fostered 11 pit bulls and all of them loved the fishing for the pit bull game.
None of them could jump quit like the Sizzle Monster. The girl can get some air. Melissa was right. She would make a good disc dog.
After fostering Sizzle for the last six months, my husband and I have decided to adopt her. She has become the perfect best friend for Cedar and fits into our family better than I ever thought she would when I first met. We can’t imagine our home without her.
Here’s Sizzle in action: All photos courtesy of Melissa Lipani
Awww, yay! I just love Sizzle, she was so over looked while in the shelter, but she always had a dedicated following of fans. We knew she would blossom with Cyndi (if we could convince Cyndi to take her!). Cyndi is one of those amazing foster moms that can turn any challenging dog into a perfect companion, and though she may not be able to foster for a while because of her now permanent new addition, we couldn’t be happier that Sizzle is exactly where she was meant to be!
YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for loving Sizzle!! I have admired her from afar and hoped she would end up in a wonderful home like yours! I am so happy for you and for Sizzle!
@woofslc Thanks for your comments, Sizzle certainly is fantastic and you are definitely right, she is where she was meant to be.
I had a black staffy/pitbull for 10 years. He passed away a year and a half ago. Best dog ever. Sizzle reminds me of him. What a beautiful girl! Lucky dog, lucky owners!
@judes Thank you for your comments and we are sorry for your loss. I hope Sizzle was a happy reminder of your dog.
Awesome!!! Glad Sizzle found a great home!! Love to see pibbles find their perfect families!!
so how many poles have you gone through?I want to try this but not sure what kind of pole to get?? My guy is so destructive when it comes to toys and he is barely going on 9 months LOL
This is the only pole I’ve had. It breaks down into three seperate pieces so if it breaks in the middle I just throw the short broken piece away and reinsert it. DUCT tape works really well. Thats the silver on the pole. When the tip breaks off I just put it back in place and use a chop stick and even more DUCT tape to support it. When they do catch it if they are in full flight or running full blast I let go of the pole so my hands don’t get caught by the eye holes. I don’t use fishing wire just a strong long cotton cord and the lure is an old piece of some stuffed animal they tore apart. Its a blast! They LOVE it.
@judes I’ve always had a soft spot for the black staffy/pitbulls. My first muscular mutt was a black staffy. Your right they are they best.
@KristinBreslerCooper We do too! Thanks for your comments.
I have a black staffy/boxer mix. He looks just like Sizzle, right down to the spotted white patch on the chest and the high jumps. We play the fishing game too. It’s great fun and exercise for both of us. I think that if he had been rescued earlier in life he could have been a competing disc dog. I love your story and your pictures!
@judes So sorry for your loss! We always want the best ones to live forever. My childhood dog (lab/beagle mix) passed away this year and she was almost 19, it never seems to be long enough. I hope that reading about these positive pits brings back good memories for you.
I have a black boxer/staffy mix and he looks just like Sizzle too, right down to the markings on her chest and the high jumps. We play the fishing game too, it’s so much fun for both of us! I wish I had rescued my boy earlier in his life so he could be in disc competitions instead of just playing at home. Are you going to compete Sizzle?