It started with Lassie, the Collie. Or maybe it was Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd. Or that dog Petey from The Little Rascals, an American Staffordshire Terrier. Asta, the Jack Russell Terrier, from The Thin Man series. Fala, the Scottish Terrier, FDR’s companion. Beethoven, the St. Bernard. 101 Dalmations. Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Bo, the Portugese Water Dog. Dogs made famous by movies and their celebrity owners have inspired many people to get that particular breed. Once

No one would ever mess with Joe, a 2-year-old American Bulldog. Not just because he is 90 pounds of intimidating muscle, or because he roars instead of barks. He lives in a walk-up third floor apartment in a marginal neighborhood, and you can hear his heavy tread above you as you enter the foyer of the building. No, to me, none of those factors is particularly off-putting. I’ve worked with larger dogs, in worse communities. To me, the most daunting aspect of Joe is that the d