ON TOPIC AS HELL: Pitbull - The definitive thread for Brian

Humans are often illogical about things they love (and hate). 

As a teacher, I once had a mother get angry at me because I told her that her sons swears.  She insisted that her son has never sworn in his life and accused me of lying when I made it clear that I've heard him swear on numerous ocassions...  Mind you, this is still to this day after nearly 20 years in the classroom the most foul mouthed kid that I have ever come across to the point where a female teacher said that she is physically afraid of the kid due to his aggressive foul mouth that comes off as threats.... But, the mom sees her lovely baby and thinks he can do no wrong.

People love their dogs and want to see the best in them. 

Shepherd Dogs are bred to be good at shepherding - it is born within them, whether or not they are trained by their owner!  How wonderful are those dogs!  Pit Bulls have been bred to be aggressive, but only bad owners can bring it out.  How wonderful are those dogs!

Pit bulls were bred to fight one another and as bait dogs. They were primarily bred for their physical characteristics, not their aggressiveness. “Shepherds,” which include any dog bred to herd sheep, were bred for a behavior. This is why there are all sorts of herding dogs that have all sorts of physical characteristics but if you let one loose in a backyard full of children it will herd them.

Pit bulls, by nature, are one of the most docile breeds of dog when it comes to their interactions with humans (small animals, not so much, as they come from terriers which were bred to hunt vermin). Maybe it’s a cliché, but most pit bulls are only made bad by bad owners. They are extremely gentle and protective of children and generally friendly dogs.

One caveat that applies to both of our posts: our goals when breeding dogs and the results are not always aligned. Genetics aren’t simple. The myth of the evil pit bull, however, is silly.