I saw Logan last week and it was just as good as all the critics say. It was ridiculously violent as we’ve come to expect from those movies but more than that the performances were heartbreaking, particularly from leads Hugh Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart. Newcomer Dafne Keen was also surprisingly good. Patrick Stewart had some scenes which struck me as Oscar-worthy, and there’s been talk of whether the film will be remembered long enough to be nominated. Fingers crossed.
You probably saw these tweets at the end of last week because they were all over social media, but I just want to take a moment to talk about Patrick Stewart fostering a pit bull, Ginger. He posted several videos to Twitter where he’s meeting Ginger, petting her while she’s sleeping on the couch, and taking a swim and encouraging the sweet dog to jump in the pool with him. (Spoiler she didn’t and just licked his head) Stewart did a Facebook Q&A with Variety about a day after he welcomed Ginger, and he just gushed about her. I really hope he adopts her although whatever happens you know Ginger is going to be in a loving home. He said he had to tear himself away from Ginger to do the interview and that he would only have her a few more days! He let her sleep in bed with him and his wife too, which he said was “never on the agenda.”
The Variety interviewer showed Stewart the viral pic of the dog that looks like him and he said “I can see a slight resemblance. I think it’s in the whimsical intelligence in the look.” They also talked about the Oscar buzz around his Logan performance and the fact that the film is doing gangbusters at the box office. He called it “a very different kind of superhero action movie.” YES. More of these please. He praised director James Mangold and the risks he took with the characters and also how the studio supported his vision. Stewart said that in his 50 years he’s never worked with a young actress as talented as Dafne Keen, but that he knows her father, actor William Keen, and that she has an incredible pedigree. He dishes about Hugh Jackman too, whom he calls “extraordinary,” it’s well worth watching the full interview.
Here are Stewart’s tweets about Ginger! I know I’ll be following him closely to see what happens to Ginger. She is the sweetest.
Thanks to @ASPCA and @WagsandWalks Sunny and I are finally fostering our 1st pitbull! Meet Ginger. I'm in LOVE. #AdoptDontShop pic.twitter.com/VQUBDvZhi9
— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 8, 2017
The swimming lesson that wasn't. Our foster pibble Ginger is perfect afternoon company. @ASPCA @WagsandWalks #AdoptDontShop pic.twitter.com/yDWiXbCSXS
— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 9, 2017
From what I understand rules and consistency are everything as a foster dog parent. #GingerGurl @ASPCA @WagsandWalks #AdoptDontShop #pitbull pic.twitter.com/aCvKtwlxSA
— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 10, 2017
Photos credit: WENN
The dog is cute.
I love dogs especially Pitbulls. OMG I love Patrick Stewart for adopting a pitbull, they always have a bad rap and I hope people realize that pitbulls are kind loving animals just like all dogs.
But wasnt the breed created specifically to create an aggressive dog? Obviously the aggression can be limited with socialisation and training but there is a difference between this breed and the breeds that were created for companionship. From what I have read, you do need to be more conscious of pitbulls, GS and Dobermans personal space and body language than almost all other breeds. I do believe that Patrick has educated himself on the subject, so he wont just be suddenly sticking her alone in a room with a curious two year old child.
I don’t know what they were bred for originally, although there is no question they’ve been used for dog fighting. However, one look at some of Michael Vicks’ dogs tells you that they might be bred that way, but of the dogs who were rescued only one had to be euthanized because he was too aggressive. The rest went to dog rescue organizations and a lot of them were adopted and several became therapy dogs.
Terriers are relentless, and that can be channeled for good and bad.
“From what I have read, you do need to be more conscious of pitbulls, GS and Dobermans personal space and body language than almost all other breeds.”
read more. this is patently untrue. any dog can be aggressive, even labs and goldens which are notoriously silly, nice dogs. please do not perpetuate these myths.
You’re absolutely right, Craven. Here in Australia, pit bulls have a bad reputation. There have been many dog attacks, resulting in serious injury and death, and overwhelmingly, the culprits have been pit bulls. There are already local laws governing the keeping of these dogs.Some states are considering banning the breed altogether.
I’m on my third doberman. I love the breed and none of my dobies has ever shown the slightest aggression to anyone. My current dobie is gentle, playful and loving, but still incredible clumsy. We had a Jack Russell, which my son took to live with him. He was a rescue dog, and is now almost 15 years old. He always been a cantankerous old git, and very territorial, snapping at other animals who dared come near him. Comparing the dobie and JR, the JR sometimes showed viciousness, something I’ve never seen in my dobies. Having said that, I’ve always had my dobies from 10-week-old puppies. The JR was 4 when we rescued him. I’d say he wasn’t treated very well, and it took a long time to undo some bad habits he came with. He’s old and grey now, but still a lovely boy.
Guys, I have no problem destigmatising the breed but stigma must be replaced with facts to enable people to make safe choices for their families and understand that these breeds handle differently. The problem with this discussion is that people are too prone to anthromophising dogs, so that when you hear about a breeds traits your mind rushes to discrimination.
As the poster above me says, a lot of countries and US States impose restrictions on pitbull owners for good reason. Heres just one academic article discussing dog inflicted ocular injuries on children. Pitbulls account for one third of those attacks http://www.amjoto.com/article/S0196-0709(14)00205-1/abstract. Incidentally, the reason I started reading up is because I heard about an acquintance who was fined for walking his dog without a muzzle. It had attacked him when he tried to stop it fighting a smaller dog in the park. They were both on leashes and no he wasnt an abusive owner. But he was just very poorly educated about his pitbulls inbred traits and how to deal with them. He was walking around with a potential cannon and acting like its just a little watergun.
I just done some quick research on the origins of the breed. It appears to be an umbrella term for a handful of breeds with very developed facial muscularity and aggressive instincts. They were originally developed as fighting dogs. When you cross a line, these dogs dont nip at for your arm, they tear your face off. So you need to understand the lines very clearly. Your KIDS need to understand those lines very clearly. Your have to vigillantly monitor the socialisation progress, so that for example, if your Pomeranian gets a little worked up on your walks, you can slowly work on it together. If your Pit bull has the same problem you should get a behaviorist in asap.
Here’s another fact: many small dogs (including JRs) have been bred to be vicious as well. They’ve been bred to fight badgers, or go ratting, or to destroy vermin in general.
The most common breed to bite veterinarians is a Chihuahua.
Lhaso Apso’s give one of the most severe bites.
The five top breeds involved in bite incidents in the study, which aims to challenge breed bans for dogs like Pit Bulls, were:
-Labrador Retrievers (13 percent),
– Pit Bulls (8.4 percent),
– German Shepherds (7.8 percent)
-Rottweilers (3.9 percent) and
– Chow-Chows (3.5 percent).
Bites involving children brought similar results, with
-Labrador Retrievers responsible for 15.6 percent,
-Pit Bulls for 7.5 percent,
-German Shepherds for 6.8 percent,
-Smooth-Coated Chihuahuas for 4.2 percent and
-Rottweilers for 4.1 percent.
The severity of injuries by breed differs greatly, however, with American Bulldogs, Dalmatians, Standard Dachshunds, English Bulldogs and Lhasa Apsos delivering the most severe injuries.
At the end of the day- people are going to report a bite from a large dog way more often than a small dog. But when it comes down to it – it’s the smaller dogs that are often doing the most severe damage when they do bite.
I believe way back in the day (late 1800s) pitbulls were used as “nannies” for children. It’s only in recent years they have been bred to fight.
Every dog has the potential to attack, especially one that has been abused or neglected. I have to be careful with my rescue pug (seriously). He’s the sweetest, most affectionate dog with people he knows but I would not leave him alone with a child he had just met.
@Louisa, you are correct. Pit bulls were never meant to be human aggressive. In fact, owners would reach into a fighting pit to pull their dog off the dog they were fighting. If the dog attempted to bite its owner, it was destroyed. So human aggression was specifically bred out of the breed. We can thank the gang bangers who have worked vigilantly to destroy this breed.
Pit bulls were The family dog in the 40’s – see Little Rascalls’ Petie. I wish people would put the amount of time they spend on learning every minute detail of a celebrity’s life, doing a little research before spreading false and damaging info on a dog breed they know little about.
Smaller dogs might also be vicious as well but they do a lot less damage. My chorkie goes mental everytime he sees the postman, but if he ever manages to get hold of him (which we wouldn’t let happen) he’s likely to leave a scratch on the guys shinbone. He doesn’t have the facial muscles to do serious damage.
@ Erin “But when it comes down to it – it’s the smaller dogs that are often doing the most severe damage when they do bite.”
No, most people killed & maimed by dogs are NOT killed and maimed by smaller dogs, not sure why you would say that.
Pit bulls should be illegal to keep; an animal that grown men can’t stop while in mid attack should not be a pet.
Pitbulls are banned in the UK, but there’s very little enforcement, and it’s easy for owners just to claim that the dog is a boxer x staffie or similar. Most problem dogs are the result of problem owners, but I would not have a pitbull, an American Bulldog and a number of other breeds. While all sorts of breeds bite, these dogs breeding preconditions them to bite and hold on. It’s not worth the risk.
In the video where he’s tenderly stroking her as she sleeps on the couch and then goes in for a good night kiss I just want to weep. It’s adorable. Dogs need love.
Kiki- He didn’t adot the paddy, he is fostering. We also foster and our last, Olive was a Pit mix. She was sweet as can be but stubborn like most terriers. It’s hard to give them up but you are preparing them to be good family members. PS seems like such a funny, genuine guy.
Spellcheck altered half my words there. lol. adopt…pitty…
Kiki—A little girl in my neighborhood was attacked in her own front yard by an off-leash pitt and was taken away in an ambulance, my vet was attacked in the face by a pitt and is permanently severely disfigured after multiple surgeries and a lady with her small dog in the neighborhood down the road was attacked by pitts that got out of their fence. She was hospitalized and her dog was killed. I swear to a God this is the truth. These three attacks happened in Austin, TX last summer. Pitts have EARNED their bad rap around here.
In my years working with dogs of all breeds, I’ve only ever been bitten by a Jack Russel terrier, and a Borzoi. And my own dog was attacked once by an Australian cattle dog and once by a black Labrador. All dogs have the potential to be violent. Poor pit bulls tend to be bought and bred by people looking to exploit their muscle. I knew a guy who rescued and fostered two pit bulls who had been former fight dogs, and they were both as sweet as pie.
@LadyT, I wish they had some way to test those statistics that incorporated information about the owners. I am of the belief that these attacks are more a result of the fact that often the people who are adopt Pitts are the worst owners around. They do it to seem “tough” because it comes with a social status in some groups and abuse and neglect their dogs (and encourage aggressive behavior), in LA it was. I bet if they took ownership into the equation it would paint a very different picture.
I think the owners have earned their rep as bad pet parents. First the dogs shouldn’t be allowed to roam off leash. They should be fenced in securely so they can’t jump a fence/gate or dig their way out under it. And some people don’t properly train their dogs or they teach them to be mean.
I adore pit bulls and used to have one. Yes, some can be aggressive but every breed of dog can. Remember the story of the little girl being attacked by a Lab and her pit bull ran to her rescue.
Of course the dog owner influences the dog’s temperament good or bad with training. Regardless this breed has a distinct ability in it’s physicality to maim and kill as in the above three factual scenarios. These were not cases of being “bitten.” I know people love their sweet-as-pie pitts. The public just can’t tell one type from the other by looking and thus the “bad rap.”
I volunteered at a sanctuary, and remember one pit bull in particular. She was a puppy and was taken from an 18 year old kid who was working to make her mean. He threw her against a wall and broke both of her front legs. His parents turned him and her in. The day I met her, this 10 month old puppy with casts on both front legs came careening up to me wanting attention. Her name used to be Triple X Felon. Her new name was Spunky. And she was.
I’m not saying all pits are lovely. Some aren’t. But the same is true of other dogs. Some may be born bad, some may be turned bad, but people who love their dogs very rarely get rotten dogs. The last stats I read said that children were much more likely to be bitten by a cocker spaniel than a pit bull. Training children to recognize dog warning signs is also mandatory. Too many people don’t, and then the dog pays the price.
When you adopt a dog, you should be careful, as you don’t know what the dog is like. We are, and we’ve found it takes six months for a dog’s true personality to come out, especially if they were abused. We had one we could not trust with small children. She didn’t attack, but she’d nip, so we kept her away, or on leash, when small kids were around. It’s called being smart and knowing what you’re dealing with.
Again Bluhare. Let me make this clear. In no way are the above stories about being bitten by a Cocker Spaniel. This is where I check out when people start defending pitts as a breed, and their claims of pitts getting an unfounded bad reputation. These dogs are capable of horror in the wrong hands or incapable hands and everyone just wants to tell their sweet, sad pitt stories. And mandatory dog warning signs are a suberb idea but would not have helped in the above attacks at all.
I never said they were, LadyT. I said every dog is different and if you’re smart you’ll work with your children and exercise caution. If you want to check out, then feel free, but I didn’t say anything other that statistically children are more likely to be bitten by a cocker spaniel. I did not say anything else.
Lady T perhaps you should watch Pitt Bulls and Parolees.
Yes, pits can be vicious but I can point to other breeds that have done those same acts you keep referring to upthread. I even know of two huskies (the breed I currently have) that have put people in the hospital. One young lady needed plastic surgery after her attack. A Lab from my dog park was euthanized because she attacked a kid.
I’m just going to have my own take on it I guess. Not one nod of acknowledgement in all these posts for the little girl, the vet or the lady who was mauled and her little dog killed, all by pitt bulls.
I wasn’t addressing the attacks. I was saying that you need to be aware of your animal. I don’t think anyone here has anything but sympathy for the people who were attacked by those dogs and for you to assume otherwise is on you.
Not on me. Just check it out. Maulings never acknowledged. Straight to the pitt’s defense every time- owner is the problem, all dogs can “bite”, etc etc. etc.
I think the point is anecdotes =/= data. It is terrible that those people were hurt, but everybody has personal experiences. That doesn’t amount to data. I’ve only ever been bitten by one dog, and it was a chihuahua. My mom has been bitten by one dog, and it was a schnauzer. I don’t take these stories and make them into my entire world view. It’s better to look at stats, but even the stats can be quite misleading. My mother and I didn’t report our bites, so they don’t get added into the statistics. It’s tricky.
A friend of mine summed up his view on “aggressive breeds” by saying that he doesn’t want to own a dog that would win in a fight. He has a very submissive golden doodle. If she was aggressive she might do some damage, but as far as “winning” I have no idea. I’ve had great experiences with very gentle pitbulls, but I treat them the same way I treat all dogs–with lots of care and caution. I wouldn’t leave a small child alone with any dog, and I don’t leave my own dog alone with other dogs unless she’s in her crate. That’s for her protection and theirs. I don’t want to get sued because my dog bit someone else’s child or dog, even if it was in self-defense.
LadyT, Apparently you missed the part where I said I doubt anyone feels anything but sympathy for the people bitten by those dogs. You’re the one getting an attitude as I never said anything about owners being the problem or that all dogs bite. You took the attacks and started in on the dogs and seem to be surprised that’s what people are talking about.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Bluhare- I only addressed you specifically one time and did not mean to offend. My other comments were general posts to others who keep making irrelevant arguments about chihuahuas that bite and vicious Lhasa Apsos. When one of those “attacks” make the front page of the paper I’ll be concerned. Pitts are #1 breed when it comes to mauling/killing. (2014 statistic)
Unfortunately, the statistics would disagree with this sentiment.
As if I needed yet another reason to LOVE Sir Patrick Stewart!
I fostered over 30 rescue dogs in Canada and now in China, I have fostered three dogs (and found homes for two so far!). As always, SPS, you rock!
#AdoptNotShop
I didn’t realise that Staffies were considered pit bulls. They’re gorgeous dogs.
I can’t let the dog sleep on the bed. I love her, and she’s allowed up for naps or whatever – but I can’t go a night with her on the bed. She’s about 75% legs and she sprawls out way too much. And I have chronic pain issues -so I’m not sacrificing my comfort for a whole night because I KNOW I will let her get away with it. She loves her crate though, so it’s not so bad.
I love my dog dearly, and he was always allowed on the bed with me until I met my now husband, who did not like dogs on the bed, so we set him up on a dog bed right beside our bed. And my sleep improved exponentially.
We have two cats as well – who sometimes like to sleep on the bed. I definitely couldn’t handle all three of them up there. The elderly cat has now taken to sleeping on my back pillow out of the way, and only bothers me when she thinks I’m waking up at the hopes of getting more food. The younger cat will only come to bed if she’s cold or sooky for whatever reason. But she ‘needs’ to be under the blankets – she won’t just sleep on top, which I’ve always found strange. Now that the cats have been sleeping more on the back pillows or not at all – sleep quality has DEFINITELY improved.
My boy sleeps on the bed with me. He won’t stay the entire night , he’s in and out. If I’m on the couch he’s right there next to me on the floor or he will sleep next to me on the chaise. Sometimes I wake up to find my dog and cat both on the bed with me. It makes me smile having both my kids with me. But most of the time the bf ends up on the couch. If he tries to get next to me my husky intervenes. He’s very protective of me. It’s killing my sex life but I find it quite funny. If my bf goes to give me a hug my boy will grab onto him and pull him off.
Our dogs have always been allowed on the bed if they want to. I’d say of all of them, it’s about half and half. Some really want to be up there, and others are happy on their dog beds.
Juno looooves coming up for nap-time. That dog LOVES naps/bedtime. If we stay up later than she thinks is appropriate she’ll go sit in the hall by the bedroom and just sigh at us. Sometimes I’ll go to take a nap and she chooses the crate over the option of coming up on the bed – she’s flip floppy about it.
When I’m sick though – I love having her up on the bed during the day. She’s warm and she just sprawls out so relaxed – it’s comforting. I know my husband would cave and let her up on the bed all the time if it wasn’t for me being in pain haha.
I have twelve dogs and eight of them sleep with me. Coco likes to get on the pillow at the top of my head. When I’m on my side, one is at my back, one at my chest, another at my stomach, then one behind my knees and one at my ankles. I love it.
I’ve never allowed my dogs on the furniture. They have their own very comfortable, very expensive doogy beds. They get so much attention they are not suffering and it sets boundaries.
The same could be said about children. Haha.
@ Erinn : I understand your position. I have bad sleep but no pain thankfully.
So many of us dog owners started out as “no dogs on the bed” and “no dogs on the furniture”. It’s a familiar refrain from new dog owners at the dog park. But we all know that they will break in time – we all did 🙂
I love him and live in fear of a public scandal that reveals that Patrick Stewart is actually a horrible monster and we were all wrong about him.
Never, never, never. No way!!
Me too. I believe in Surpat. It would crush me to discover otherwise. If you can find his episode of Who Do You Think You Are online, it’s a lovely watch.
I love this man!!! His wife must be awesome too!
He’s marvellous and I’ve been addicted to his Ginger videos.
Logan was terrific!! It hit me hard as a film, not just a superhero film.
I’ve never seen an X-Men film. Is it necessary to see them first?
no, don´t miss Logan.
There’s a great YouTube video to catch you up on Wolverine’s history before seeing Logan. That’s all you need.
@Maria @Layla. Thanks, Guys!
And he has said in an interview that his Brit actors friends told him not to go to America to star in Star Trek : Next Generation because it was too commercial and he was a SERIOUS actor. They were worried it would ruin his career as an actor.
Fast forward to STNG, X-Men and everything else. Hahahahahahah!
Good on him for fostering but not sure he’s doing the next family any favours letting her in the bed lol.
From the looks of those videos, there may not be a next family. #fosterfail
It’s going to be really difficult for him to part with Ginger. I think he adopts, too.
Yes, a future #fosterfail, I think. It is hard to let them go! But as I tell them when they leave, “Little dog, big adventure!”. And another foster rescue dog needs their spot in the house.
I have a pit and she is the love of my life. She hugs people. She’s scared of water, rain and thunder. She eats anything and everything. She plays with the cat but is a bit hesitant around the french poodle.
Shes doesn’t sleep on the bed because she hogs the blankets and one time she stole my pillow.
I saw Logan last night, and it was excellent. Maybe not the best X-Men movie, but up there. The tone and R rating allowed for a range you don’t usually get.
I don’t want to spoil it, but I want to talk about it so bad. Patrick Stewart gave a heart breaking performance, and Jackman matched him. Keen is someone to watch as well, reminds me of the strong performance by Portman in the Professional.
This movie hits on some of the existential dread we all feel at some point, the fear and reality of physical and mental decay.
This movie hits on some of the existential dread we all feel at some point, the fear and reality of physical and mental decay.
Agree!
I think the film could have delved a bit deeper into that, and it would have been a stronger film, too.
It was deeply painful at times though, maybe it struck me more deeply because of personal history?
Seeing a once vital and powerful hero brought low by time… ouch. It’s one thing seeing the remains of Ozymandias, another to see the ruination happen.
What did you think the weakest/strongest point was?
Oh this is going to be a foster fail (meaning that I think he and his wife are going to end up adopting Ginger).
agreed
sharing your bed with foster = foster failure
AW I had seen the first video but the rest were new to me… so so freaking adorable… One of my babies sleeps with us most days (sometimes my side under covers, sometimes his on top) or hops in around 5-6 am, the other is our newer rescue and he likes to lay on his bed and blankies
R elatedly Jesus Xavier Christ Logan was so good SO GOOD, I speak as someone with Zero interest but who went “for my boyfriend” I was SO SO SO Into the Bad Guy ( so fine) the whole relationship of Charles and Logan MOVED THE F*ck out of me in a Looking into the abyss type way .. OMG I told my Bf I was terrified of my mom’s later years to come…25 sequels for the babies IDC IDC!
Oooh! Me too that guy was so fine, I want to see more of him 😉 But yeah Logan was great
It kind of shocked me cause it’s just the Haircut, I Mean he did Nothing for me in Narcos but here I was BOTHERED THE WHOLE TIME, Honey! V V Scumbag Hot
I about lost it in THAT scene where he’s trying to say a few words of farewell and then he just broke down. The bad guy didn’t come off as much of an effective villain to me. Although I’ll agree he’s a fine looking dude. To me the real bad guy/enemy was time (and disease). Nothing tangible that you can fight. I also think the movie suffered from pacing in the last half. But yeah it was a great movie with amazing, stirring performances by both Stewart and Jackman and I definitely hope to see Dafne in more movies as she certainly has onscreen presence.
I have been loving the Adventures of SPS and Ginger. LOVING THEM
My pup sleeps with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He burrows up under the covers, and plops down right next to my bum or my legs. He’s a Chihuahua, so I guess it’s a little different than a really big dog. lol
he is so tender with her. And that voice…no wonder she falls asleep blissfully. I would love him to lull me to sleep.
True, his voice is magic,
Wonderful!!! Says so much about him and his family. 💖🐶
My dog not only loves sleeping on the bed, but she also likes to get under the covers.
My money says that Ginger isn’t going anywhere. There’s a foster fail brewing.
Sleeping on the bed? Curled up on the couch? Yeah. That’s a foster fail waiting to happen. That sweet pibble girl is going to grow old and grey with Sir Stewart and the lovely Sunny.
And now my (also red) sweet pibble/hound former-shelter-girl is demanding a walk.
I love my pibble. Yes he sleeps with me every nigh, under the covers, head on he pillow. He’s my little spoon.
He is a national treasure.
I would love to see Logan, but I can’t handle violence like that. 🙁
I LOVE our pibble, Axel. He is the most affectionate dog we’ve ever had. He sleeps in bed with me every night, just scrunches up next to my back and snuggles in. This am, I woke up, and there he was, head on the second pillow, bedcovers up to his chin, just like a person. Put me in the BEST mood to start my day! He is the sweetest thing with our old dog, our little dog, and our kitten. Pibbles are AMAZING…just sweet hearts…it is the nuture and the nature, I think.