Traveling with a breed restricted dog

Once we sell our house and buy an RV, our dog, Kimbo, will live with us on the road. Breed restrictions have never been a problem, but it's been on my mind. Kimbo's a pit bull mix, probably an American Bulldog and American Staffordshire Terrier cross. To us, he's just Kimbo.

Kimbo and I stop for a photo near the entrance of Palmetto State Park near Luling, Texas. The park is the convergence of several geographic features, including swampy terrain, palmetto groves, and interesting rock formations.

While doing research on traveling with a restricted breed dog, I found a list of breed-specific legislation by state that I hope will help me avoid places that ban pit bulls; unfortunately, that particular website does support breed-specific legislation. I also learned about Amy and Rod Burkert, who drove the country in an RV with two dogs, one of which is commonly listed as a restricted breed -- a German shepherd. They launched a website called GoPetFriendly.com to help people like me easily travel with pets.

Kimbo seems to enjoy trips, staring intently at the landscape.

Kimbo travels well. He's never gotten car sick and doesn't whine. He either sleeps or stares out the window. He's been all over Texas to visit family, joined our camping trips, and has even gone with us on cross-country protests.

This dog loves to fetch. It's his primary means of exercise -- daily walks are simply not enough. I no longer take Kimbo to dog parks because not every dog is socialized and many owners simply will not correct their dog, preferring to zone out on their mobile phones instead. Kimbo's been bitten by loose dogs on dog walks, but he's been bitten the most at dog parks and, since he's a pit bull, is more likely to be blamed.

Denise, her dad Cande, and Kimbo at Occupy Washington DC.

While traveling, we often stop in a grassy field somewhere along the way so Kimbo can get his fix. We've stopped in easements, visited office parks after hours, run in empty church fields, and played in water catchment areas behind shopping malls. 

Mostly, no one seems to notice. Many times, security guards or area workers wave. Once, while exercising Kimbo off leash in a grassy strip somewhere between the White House and Freedom Plaza in Washington DC, a bus load of Russian tourists gathered around while Kimbo played. He rolled over, did high fives, and turned circles so I could reward him with a toss of the rope. When Kimbo did a rolling back flip to catch the rope, the growing crowd applauded. I wish I had a tip jar!

We rarely draw unwanted attention and have never been asked to leave. That's partly because I'm usually discreet, but also, I sense that people recognize the bond we have. Whatever I ask Kimbo to do, he usually does it without hesitation.

Kimbo finishes Advanced Obedience class at Mud Puppies in 2011.

I learned how to work with Kimbo with the help of Love-A-Bull, an Austin-based pit bull type dog advocacy organization that offers obedience classes, in addition to other support for people who share their lives with bully breeds. The trainings emphasize obedience drills and help owners overcome common stereotypes, suggesting ways to avoid or handle those situations.

The most important thing I learned was how to offer Kimbo positive reinforcement, respect his attention span, and stay consistent.

Kimbo's simply a dog, but I'm aware that many people stereotype pit bull type dogs. Keeping Kimbo well-trained, and exercised will help me be an ambassador for responsible dog ownership. After all, a tired dog is a good dog!