When I finally made the steps to adopt my beautiful one year-old puppy, I thought I knew it all. My mom had been through this process and walked me through it, I read all the articles I could find about training and teaching your puppy. I was ready. So I thought. I quickly realized that there was so many things I didn't know about this animal, things that I really wish I would have known, not that they would have changed my mind anyways.

I wish someone could have shown me how emotional these animals are. I knew going into my adoption that dogs were special, that they had feelings unlike any other animal, but I didn't know to what extent. Had I know this before I went into my adoption I would have known how to handle the night we brought my baby home and gave him a stuffed owl to play with and, instead of taking it into his mouth, he held it in his arms, laid on it and cried. This was an obvious sign that this dog had never been shown real love before, not even in the extent of a toy being given.

I wish they would have warned me of the complete outrage I felt the first time someone crossed the street to get away from my puppy, scared of him because of an undeserved reputation rather than seeing him for his goofy, loving self.

I wish I would have known the appreciation I would have felt the first time my dog stepped in front of me, taking a protective stance. He felt me growing uncomfortable by two intoxicated men who had stopped near me and were obviously gesturing to and talking about me. He stepped forward, shoulders back and ears forward, giving one deep bark to scare the men off. To have an animal so hopelessly devoted to you, I wish I would have know how quickly that would happen.

I had to learn quickly to smile at the fear in people's eyes when they see my dog's cropped ears and muscular build. I learned that he will never not look intimidating; these are things I have to accept and hope that people can look past eventually.

I wish I would have known how quickly he would become a part of my everyday routine. My late night Netflix binges now involve him right beside me, and my sick day naps are not complete without him cuddled up with me. I can no longer imagine how I would do these things without him.

I never would have imagined the comebacks my significant other and I would come up with to respond to people's obvious fear of our clumsy fur son. Does he bite? "Always, that's why we let him around people so much." Is that a pitbull? "Yup. Don't worry, though, we only let him eat one child a day." You see my point. All this is said while our dog pulls anxiously to what he assumes is a new friend, desperately needing to lick the newcomer's shoes.

I wish I would have known that this would bring out yet another activist side in me, the one determined to show the world my dog's breed is not dangerous. Their actions reflect their owners. I wish I would have known how quickly I would stand for these animals and defend them with all my might.

I wish I would have known how many new people I would meet solely from adopting my dog. I meet a new person on every walk now. With all the people in this world that despise my dog's breed, there is an equal amount that love it. He is a loving spirit that makes friends with anyone as long as they have a good belly rub for him. I never realized how many animal activists that I truly lived around until I owned an animal that needed our voices to fight for him. Nor did I realize how many college girls loved pitbulls until I owned him and was stopped by every sorority group we passed. Had it not been for my dog, I never would have struck up a conversation with our local garbage man, who thanked me for taking time out of my day to talk to him, all while my dog continuously tried shaking his hand, eager to show off his new trick. I never would have met the man who walked across several states with a pitbull of his own. I never would have realized how many interesting people I live around.

I wish I would have known just how much this little guy would change my life. How much love I would have for my four-legged son. I wish I would have known how much my life would change the day he became apart of my family. I wish I'd have known that, while we definitely saved him, there is a part of us that he saved as well.

My goal now is to help others see this side of these beautiful animals. To see the side of dogs, especially the misunderstood breeds, that loves with all they have. In doing this, maybe I can influence another person to adopt one and save a dogs life. Maybe, just maybe, their life can be changed as much as mine has.