this is a fascinating 21 minute talk on body language. the speaker is Amy Cuddy and she studies the nonverbal expressions of power and dominance at the harvard business school. power and dominance is expressed the same throughout all human cultures and across all species. powerful individuals expand out, ie they take up greater space while those who are not powerful tend to collapse in on themselves, ie they take up less space.
Cuddy's research has found that not only does our nonverbal communication influence others' judgements of ourselves but our nonverbal communication influences how we think and feeling about ourselves. our nonverbals even affect our physiology at the hormonal level.
Cuddy enlisted volunteers and conducted an experiment where she measured the testosterone and cortisol in their saliva, then had them hold either a high power or a low power pose for two minutes. afterwards she asked them how powerful they felt. they were given the opportunity to gamble and then a second saliva sample was taken.
Cuddy found that after just a two minute pose, the test subjects were affected at the hormonal level. the test subjects in the high power pose had a significant decrease in cortisol and a significant increase in testosterone and the volunteers who held the low power pose had a significant decrease in testosterone and a significant increase in cortisol. the test subjects who held the two minute high power poses also took significantly more risks during the gambling portion of the experiment.
Cuddy notes that people who feel powerful are more assertive, confident, optimistic, and take more risks.
i immediately saw how this could be a major perk of dog ownership, especially pit bulls whose presence has the power to clear side walks. and i wondered about the hormonal change in someone who spends much of their day in a power pose.
but the increased risk taking behavior is what grabbed my attention. let's face it, the problem with pit bulls is the risk they pose to the rest of us. and us non pit bull owning people just can not fathom WHY these pit nutters continue to take these risks. many of the maladaptive personality types that we are accustomed to encountering in the pit bull subculture are known for their thrill seeking and risk taking traits. but there could be other explanations for their reckless behavior.
according to Cuddy's research...
our bodies change our minds
our minds change our behavior
our behavior changes our outcomes.
maybe this surge in testosterone could explain the behavior of some pit bull owners.
the testosterone high leads pit nutters to assert themselves and their dogs on the rest of us. they are confident that their dog will never hurt a fly and continue to deny its dangerousness even after the pit proves otherwise. they are optimistic that if we just meet their pibble, we too will become convinced of the magic of pibble. these testosterone driven feelings in turn gives them the confidence to take risks like walk them off leash, go to the dog park or trust them alone with your polite seated guests when you excuse yourself to to go the restroom.
as Cuddy wraps up this fascinating 21 minute video, she talks about how these tiny tweaks in our body language can bring about big changes and she advises people to keep at it and don't just fake it til they make it, fake it til they become it. sadly, some people really should not be faking it til they become it. no amount of "faking it" will give them mastery over the innate dog aggression in pit bulls.
that's all just rambling food for thought but it does remind me of another pit nutter in the news recently...
TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI demonstrating her confidence and mastery over dogs in the ultimate power pose at a children's playground.
TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI is the owner of dog training business that she arrogantly calls DAWGPHONICS. as you will see, she is not all that fluent in the language of dog.
in november 2012, an injured pit bull was found and the floriduh nutters turned him into another abused celebrity complete with facebook campaign. AXEL was nursed back to health and then sent to live in a foster home with local dog trainer TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI on january 9, 2013. (due to the fact that no one wanted him, ANTONELLI later ended up adopting him.)
four days after taking possession of AXEL, on january 13th, MR ANTONELLI uploaded this photo of AXEL with the caption "Axel's first visit to the sage biscuit cafe". click on the photo and look at this photo closely.
yep. that's right. FOUR DAYS into his new foster home and TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI slapped a service dog vest on this thing. note that is not an "in-training" vest.
fifteen days later, the "service" dog graduated from obedience school.
on march 6th and then again on april 16th, ANTONELLI uploaded this photo. again, click on the photo to view larger.
notice anything unusal?
less than two months after graduating from obedience school, the "service" dog has also graduated to wearing an e-collar. me thinks as AXEL gets stronger and his fur mommy tries to build his confidence up to match hers, he is transforming into a little tyrant.
fast forward one year, AXEL'S confident, assertive, optimistic fur mommy takes a risk and lets him off leash in her apartment complex and when he spots another pit bull living in the complex, a properly leashed pit bull i might add, AXEL attacks her. (kinda makes you wonder why someone laid an ax down on his head)
"He's had no altercations at all and he was on an electronic collar when this happened," Antonelli added Friday. "I don't know what happened."
ANTONELLI received a $500 citation but still goes on to blame the owner of the other pit bull, Kona, stating Kona got loose and "spooked" AXEL which prompted the attack. Kona's owner denies ANTONELLI'S accusation. i tend believe Kona's owner. if you doubt her version, please revisit the "service" dog above.
i don't know. is it just be me or should "service" dogs be so easily spooked? shouldn't they be bomb proof, especially if you take them into cafes and onto children's playgrounds?
when AXEL came to live with TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI and wear a "service" dog vest, she determined that he should only be adopted into a home with no other dogs but after the attack claims to have "completely retrained him." i'd say that TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI is another ego maniacal lion tamer who believes she can train dog aggression out but i think it more likely that she is back peddling and trying to cover her guilty ass.
i found plenty of photos of what appears to be TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI violating the apartment complex's leash law. clearly this was not the first offense.
the day after the attack :-)
but i think this was by far, the funniest thing i came across. i just had to share this oldie but goodie. it was just like swagger in, slither out all over again. good times.
bwahahahaha!
axel's angels
bay news 9
bradenton herald
antonelli dawgphonics
Power Pose - Amy Cuddy
THE STATE OF FLORIDA NEEDS TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST TRISHA ROBINSON-ANTONELLI OF DAWGPHONICS FOR FRAUD.
pdfs & screenshots of the evidence are available on demand.
56 comments:
"i don't know. is it just be me or should "service" dogs be so easily spooked? shouldn't they be bomb proof, especially if you take them into cafes and onto children's playgrounds?"
Here is my thought on "service dogs." They should perform some service for a person who requires that service. Trisha Robinson-Antonelli appears to have no disability requiring a service dog but has no problem hiding her irresponsibility behind the ADA.
Fraud charges please!
For someone to threaten taking away Lost Kangaroo, and then turning around and blaming a responsible owner walking their dog on a leash, when her's wasn't, takes a special kind of nutter.
Pit bulls without leashes strikes terror in my heart like nothing else.
A few thoughts.....
It is 110% true that a large number of pit bull owners are thrill seekers and high risk takers. Some were born that way, some have untreated mental illness, others act this way to make up for a serious lack of confidence and esteem. Just about every pit owner I knew was like this, and I have known a countless number, in every region. (I was like this too, until I got older and had kids.) You can usually spot them, as they often belong to an outsider subculture, whether it's punks, thugs, rockabillies, stunt bikers, etc.
Even when you look into the pasts of the "normal, innocent" suburban parents that adopt grippers, you will often find a history of recklessness or "alternative", even criminal, deviant behavior. People like this were wild once, but became more responsible with age. Pit bulls are their one tie to their past, a signal to others in their subculture they still belong, its proof that they are "unique", not "normal" (the very worst thing!).They may not realize it, but they also have their need for power and risk filled through their dog.
Unlike the outsiders, which know the breed is dangerous, and publicly celebrate and enjoy this, the suburban types won't ever admit the danger.The suburban parents really think their dog is safe, and defend the breed daily, blaming the outsiders for the killings, even though they are more often responsible for them (seems this way anyway). They are the most irritating of the nutters, rescuers, and doggy saviors.
The first group may think their particular dog is *mostly* safe, with them, but at least accept that they should not be around kids or other dogs. This doesn't guarantee they will be responsible, but they do know better. You won't hear them preaching that these are sweet family pets you take to the playground with you. In fact, if the belief that pits equal goldens gets too widespread, they may disassociate with the breed.
(It's really a continuum, so there are people in between those groups. I know there are outliers, this is just in general, and my own experience.)
That ought to have been a blog post, sorry for the TLDR....
That pic of her on the slide made me SEETHE. I was JUST ranting about people taking their pit bulls to playgrounds and BMX tracks where kids ride. How DARE she, put kids at risk. Just another example of the nutter that think her dogs have more rights than everyone else, and that we need to accept the same risks she takes. Willingly or not.
In nicer areas, where there are enforcable rules (unlike blighted ones) it seems only the white, suburban, gripper owners seem to think gripper in kiddie parks is OK. They are in denial so deep, they play Russian roulette with kids lives, even their own.
---------
I think all of this abuse of the ADA will result in a crack down, and new rules. This will hurt people that need them, but will be necessary to deal with the massive fraud.
Maybe a new blog could post all the pics of abusers, their dogs, and the screen caps of them sharing how to get the vest.
Most parks, if not all in my area do not allow dogs. Pit bulls get a pass because? Beats me.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=247960452001265
Well that could have ended badly.
I read the links, LOL.
There is a great commentor on the Bradenton article. IDK if Kathryn reads this blog, but she sure is awesome. There was another guy quoting dogs bite and related blogs too! There was a lot of common sense in those comments for once.
Also, her training website is SO unprofessional. Every other sentence there are major grammatical, spelling, or other errors. It's hard to even read it. You would have to be illiterate to hire her. she makes guarantees that would make a snake oil salesman blush!
Then there's a pic of a kid on top of a GSD, gripping it's face, the dog none to happy. YES, that's the pic to run front page.....
She parodies herself. Too bad she is serious.
"Pit bulls without leashes strikes terror in my heart like nothing else. "
i think that's all part of the plan. either that or wow you with their lion tamer skills.
"That pic of her on the slide made me SEETHE."
there are a lot more photos of her dogs loose on playgrounds.
"Maybe a new blog could post all the pics of abusers, their dogs, and the screen caps of them sharing how to get the vest."
part of the problem with that is it is difficult to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are breaking the law. i've encountered some nutters who look very suspicious but this is the first nutter that i have seen that completely incriminated herself. this is a slam dunk for a prosecutor. she has no defense here. service dogs don't wear e-collars. and without magic fairy dust, it's not possible to turn a dog into a service dog in 4 days. i take that back. there could be a one in a ten million dog that could be turned into a service dog in a few days. but it won't be a stupid ugly pit bull. it will be a border collie.
thanks for posting that video. i saw that too. i bet she wouldn't try that with the mutant.
she calls her black tongued a malinois mix and i think she calls this black one is a catahoula mix.
Yes, she refers to the black dog as a catahoula/pit mix.
"IDK if Kathryn reads this blog, but she sure is awesome."-Thanks, I'm glad there's ONE person on earth who thinks so. :)
@garnet "hang a shingle" I love this!!! I'm stealing that one... Perfect descriptive of the issue :D
As always, fantastic write up!!!
I have a question.
Approximately three months ago, I adopted a puppy from a rescue that I was told was a hound/lab mix. She is close to 5 months old now, and I suspect she may be a bully breed of some sort. I should note that a I specifically asked for a non-pit mix, though I am assuming at this point that the error was in good-faith. My dog has to this point exhibited no aggressive behaviors and is quite sociable, though these behaviors are not fully set until a dog reaches about three years of age.
Obviously, I love this dog and would never get rid of her if I discovered she was a pit (I only suspect at this point, as visual identification of dog breeds is notoriously unreliable-- but she looks like a pit)
My question is what would the rest of you do in this sort of situation?
On one hand, pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs. On the other, I am well-equipped to handle such a dog, since I have a large, fenced yard, and I have always kept my dogs inside the house hwen not acticely playing with them. I have owned other medium/large breed dogs in the past. I have no other pets, nor do I have children.
While I am well-equipped to handle such a dog, it is of concern that she was adopted out as a lab mix. Many people looking for a lab mix would not be equipped to handle a pit mix.
I'd start asking other people what kind of dog they think she is.
If you're willing to risk everything owning a pit bull, then go ahead and keep her. I suggest you call your insurance company and make sure you'll be covered.
Thinking you're well equipped could spell disaster for you. Pit bulls have killed their owners.
Personally, I wouldn't keep her, but I'm not the one that got duped, and attached; so it's very easy for me to say that.
Years ago, I took in a pit bull. It belonged to my sister. Long story short, I stayed in my fenced yard with the pit bull on a leash. I did not want to be responsible for anything that might occur between the pit bull and any other living thing. Everything was going fine, until the day the pit bull looked at me, in the eye. That's when I realized, I was so worried about protecting everyone else, that I didn't think about myself. How was I going to keep this pit bull off of me if it decided to start "playing?" I realized I had absolutely no defense. I took the pit bull back to my sister and told her to make other arrangements. Now, I don't take any chances with pit bulls. I was stupid once.
"My question is what would the rest of you do in this sort of situation?"
I would take it back to the shelter and make them take it back. I would explain to them why exactly I don't want to live with a pit bull or a mix. Your story is exactly why I will never adopt a "mix" from a shelter again. At least not a puppy that's so young you can't tell what mix it is. I don't trust the shelters to get that right and knowing what I know about pit bulls AND their mixes I would never have one in my house. Sorry if that sounds harsh, that's how I feel about it.
@anonymous 5:28 said
"(I only suspect at this point, as visual identification of dog breeds is notoriously unreliable-- but she looks like a pit)"
As a matter of fact, visual identification of breeds is by far the most reliable method. DNA tests can't accurately or reliably determine what breed of dog you have, regardless of what the marketing materials claim.
On the other hand, dog shows are held all over the world, based on the premise that dogs have specific characteristics that can confirm their breed or mix of breeds with remarkable accuracy.
If a dog looks like a Chihuahua, it's not a German Shepherd that just happened to look like what we call a chihuahua. It looks like a chihuahua because of the genetic blueprint that determined its form.temperament and behavior patterns. In other words, it looks like a chihuahua precisely because it is a chihuahua.
If a dog is descended from the livestock torturers and pit fighting breeds, the large head, compact body, and reptilian stare will provide a visual indication of that heritage.
As for what you should do, your responsibility is not rocket science: it is to prevent that thing from harming innocent animals, or other vulnerable creatures.
save all of the adoption paperwork so you can sue their ass if it hurts anyone.
I am sorry to have to say this, but do not return the dog. Put it to sleep. I know that sounds cruel, but if you return it, they will simply fool someone else that might be less equipped and responsible.
Please read my story, it starts out exactly like yours. PLEASE read it: http://17barks.blogspot.com/2014/01/getting-to-know-pit-bulls-continued.html
The best thing is to love him, take him to the vet, and have him PTS. You may need to tell them he was agressive. It sucks, but I personally think it's better than being attached to a dog that is likely to kill another pet. Once you know this, you will worry.
Owning a pit bull means never having other dogs or cats around, let alone ferrets or small animals, and this includes visitors and neighbors. You cannot in good conscious take him to the dog park, have him unleashed on the beach, or any other fun stuff you can do with a lab or golden. You must be very alert on walks, preferably armed in order to stop an attack.
This breed is not forgiving, one wrong move can mean tragedy. Even perfect owners can get mauled.
You sound like you want to do the right thing, so at least consider that others shouldn't suffer for your desire to own a dangerous type of dog. I am sure you will
IF you keep him, please call the local news and try to make an issue out of it. Get this out. Even if it was an honest mistake, it can be a deadly one. Especially when you asked NOT to be given such a dog.
Also, do NOT let the dog in your bed, and do not treat him like a furry baby. Be very firm, and alpha at all times. He ought to sleep in the basement or garage, and you will need hardcore containment as they are houdinis.
Looking at who is attacked, the nicer you are, the more you consider him family, the likelier he is to maul. Anyone he considers lesser is at risk, even more than othera. IDK why, but I have never heard of a fighting dog attacking it's owner. I am sure it happens, but it seems rare.
And have insurance.
Most people don't have issues with their pits. I thin the stat is 1 in 106 kill other pets, and fewer attack people. The issue is the severity, and that there will be no warning.
Good luck!!!
Visual identification is NOT unreliable, the pit nuts want people to think that though. "...discoveries suggest that the interface of physical and behavioral conformation mean it is not possible to breed out the impulsive aggressive behavior of fighting dogs while retaining their shape and appearance.
Form follows function: one cannot have a dog whose entire body and brain are adapted to executing the killing bite, without having a dog who will execute the killing bite." http://www.thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/search/label/alexandra%20semyonova Also see: http://www.thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2011/04/find-pit-bull.html
I read your story and I agree with your advice, Mom in Eugene. Pit bulls are no more PET animals than lions or tigers. Put it down. The FIRST sign of aggression could be a fatality. YOUR fatality. And yes, fighting dogs have bitten and killed people. http://blog.dogsbite.org/2010/05/1909-fatality-john-p-colbys-fighting.html?showComment=1273767073383
Is this the article that Ka D was posting on?
http://www.bradenton.com/2014/01/11/4929962/axel-manatees-most-famous-pit.html
I can't see comments on it for some reason.
"Form follows function: one cannot have a dog whose entire body and brain are adapted to executing the killing bite, without having a dog who will execute the killing bite."
This reminds me of something a former mentor said to me regarding a science question:
"If all the conditions exist for a phenomena to occur, then that thing will occur at times. If it can occur, then it virtually must at times."
He was speaking about evolution by natural selection and how only 3 things are needed for it to occur, and because all 3 do exist then it is necessary that living organisms must evolve to some degree.
I'm surprised that Antonelli isn't on here defending her honor.
She probably has a bunch of news articles and facebook threads she is trying to play whack-a-mole with right now.
Moments of clarity are few among nutters, so I'm sure she is spinning her wheel to rationalize all this away right now and try to save her business.
How funny for me to run across this today. I was watching ted talks on Netflix with this exact same speech not 48 hours ago and thought about the power pose thing making people great risk takers. Cesar power poses a lot and that short little ass dude owns more pitbulls than I thought existed.
yay. another ted talks junkie.
http://pittiechicks.com/product/pit-bull-advocate-jr-fit-crewneck-large#!prettyPhoto
"It's a lifestyle."
I wonder how pit bull advocates feel when they wear things like this out in public.
“I own a Pit Bull. It’s a lifestyle. I’m on a mission. I fight bad reputations and stereotypes. I am an advocate. I stand up for their breed. It’s a privilege.”
a privilege? what are these idiots smoking?
Just remember what the professional dogmen of old knew and taught : a dog in keep is much more likely to bite. They're well fed, exercised, strong and confident. They get to spend time in the house, they get far more attention than sitting on a chain. They are much more likely to bite you.
I read the article, two pit dogs fought each other. Why do they all sound surprised? Pit bulls are blood sport dogs!
"It's a pit bull it's gonna fight."
I put the above statement in quotes because a long time ago, I have heard those exact words spoken by a pit bull owner. HAHA!
Just creepy.
Bedrest+Netflix= ted talks time. I will be watching another today. Pretty good. I actually tried a few power poses and now I am going to adopt a few pitbulls like Cesar
Hahah yeah right. I still have my brain intact
http://www.wfsb.com/story/24634296/torrington-firefighter-demoted-after-pit-bull-facebook-posts
I want a t-shirt. It will read "I will shoot your loose pitbull on sight"
Can you imagine leaving your apartment and seeing a pit bull on every fire hydrant?
I know this chick thinks she really taught those maulers something, but pibbles like to perch. It's one of their things.
They like to perch and wait. (shiver)
I think if you look around the web you'll find several pics of dog yards with bulldogs sitting/standing on top of their houses or barrels. I always thought it was rather like a cheetah sitting on a termite mound, it improves long range vision.
Sadly I am only now seeing this blog.
The comment, "due to the fact that no one wanted him, ANTONELLI later ended up adopting him", is not entirely true. I applied to adopt Axel when I was told that nobody applied to adopt him. At that time he was the property of Animal Network and I was told that the person who would place him was his foster/trainer-Trisha Antonelli. After several weeks of many last minute appointment cancellations and a few "meet and greets" with my dog, I became frustrated and emailed the president and vice president of Animal Network. I must have struck a nerve when I suggested that Animal Network and Dawg Phonics wanted to keep Axel for advertising for their businesses, because I received a response that his foster was adopting him and he was no longer available.
Previously I had been the president of a breed specific large dog rescue group and had a 183 lb reactive Great Dane who had lived with me for 6 years.
I still see Axel at public events occasionally, still promoting the training techniques of Ms Antonelli, and I cannot tell you how painful it is to see this nervous dog with a shock collar around his neck and the remote control ALWAYS in his trainer's hand.
bumped up for renewed interest.
All pit bulls should have shock collars, and IEDs built into the collars as well.
BAM
Mutual Mauling! If the maulomatics only mauled other pits or their dumb owners I wouldn't have a problem with them.
Anytime I see someone with a pit bull I don't think of them as a 'power person'. I think of them as an idiot, dupe, moron, or someone with a small dick, daddy issues or some other psychological malfunction.
" pibbles like to perch " i never knew that .
Scroll down her personal FB page for more recent posts. KLASSY!
dude , i see your pibble off leash .
"i tend believe Kona's owner."
Encourage people to tell you their story but be careful about what you believe. This story concerned me so I looked into the case. It turns out Kona's owner, Tommi Jo Mitchell, is an exotic dancer with a drug problem. The story about being attacked was a ruse to extort money from the Antonelli's. The Judge threw Tommi Jo Mitchell out of the courtroom for her erratic behavior then dismissed the charges against the Antonellis. I am going to go ahead and believe the Judge on this one, not the drug addict who lost custody of her child due to her inability to live a normal life and currently has a warrant out for her arrest due to theft.
i freely admit that there is a very real possibility that Tommi Jo Mitchell is exactly as you described above. i mean, she is a pit bull owner afterall.
I'm looking at Trisha's record in Bradenton, FL and holy cow does she have a lot run-ins with the law.
BAM
please share.
Well, there are 17 separate charges. The most recent was for careless driving a year ago. She caused $5,500 in damages.
All of the charges are for traffic infractions, except for one, it is for domestic violence in which Trisha was the petitioner.
Here are some random tickets that I checked. Trisha was speeding in a school zone. No proof of insurance. Red light camera, failed to stop at steady red light. 5 days later, she ran a stop sign. Seat belt law - driver.
There's one I don't understand at all. Steady red light, vehicle facing, failed.
I've been trying to find the case anon was talking about for Tommi Mitchell. Even if the case was thrown out, there still should be a record of it. Unless it was expunged, which I doubt.
BAM
I thought I did share, but maybe it got lost in cyberspace?
Insert sad face here
BAM
Thank you sock puppet!
BAM
you are welcome.
sometimes comments land in spam. sometimes i am asleep at the switch. but usually i am just cowering in my basement. lol.
"It's OK for MY pitbull to be off leash but not for yours".
I wonder if she realizes how hypocritical she is and just doesn't care or she's so stupid she doesn't realise these laws apply to everyone (even "dawg" trainers).
Border collies certainly have the smarts and self control (when trained) to be service dogs but many are too hyperactive or fearful to be good in crowds or places with lots of movement - there are exceptions of course. The border collies with calmer temperaments have the potential to be excellent service dogs with capabilities far beyond most dog breeds (they are the smartest, most handler sensitive breed around and can pick up on tiny cues and make good decisions without being told what to do).
I think excellent service dogs could be bred by mixing border collies (for the brains, obedience, desire to work and ability to anticipate) with labradors or golden retrievers (for the docility, people & dog friendliness, obedience and desire to please). I wonder why no one does this?
Pattison is worse than Milan by miles - have you seen those videos of him abusing dogs right in front of their owners in the name of "training" ? Its disgusting and I don't understand why he hasn't been hauled up on animal cruelty charges yet.
I think fighting dogs DO attack their owners - they just aren't stupid enough to report it to anyone.
There are countess accounts of "maneaters" in dogfighting history where the dogs would attack not just strangers (spectators, opponent's handlers etc) but their own handlers and handler's family too (one famous dog man's young nephew was a casualty I believe).
That the man eaters were culled is a myth. The only pits that were culled were the curs that didn't want to fight.
http://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2012/01/culling-manbiters-and-desecrating-truth.html
I have always thought the ass crack in the middle of their skull was nature showing where to place the axe.
Someone had the right idea but messed up the execution.
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