One of my all time favorite breeds and one of the loving and loyal dogs ever!!!

A breed a bit too aggressive to keep as pets IMO

My favorite breed

My red nosed pit bull has to be the best breed of dog that I've ever known. He's protective, loving, not aggressive. I'm so sick of people giving them a bad name. He has just fathered seven pups with my female Staffordshire Bull Terrier or "Staffy".

You have to be pretty unintellegent or naive to have blind faith in what you read, see or hear from the media. Everyone in the media has an agenda. Pits=ratings. Ratings are all they care about. If you really think they are reporting the whole story, you are in for a rude awakening.

good protectors

GREAT DOGS!!! BAD OWNERS!!!!!!

i dont own a pit ,but i have friends who have them they are great dogs smart freindly and playful if i could get one thats the brred i would get

Not going to get into it because it is a never ending merry-go-round but, simply put; as a whole, the American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the gems of the K9 world. Truely! Did you guys not grow up or your parents grow up watching "The Little Rascals"? Petey The Pup was a Pit Bull. He was the first AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier. The first RCA dog was a Pit Bull before they turned it into a Jack Russell. There are people who are now breeding Pits to be huge and wide and sloppy and many people are now thinking that is what a Pit Bull should look like. A Pit Bull looks nothing like a huge, blue english Bulldog monster. They should be lean muscled and not larger than 65 lbs. Nothing scary looking at all. You ever seen a Shi-tzu? Now that's scary! Anyway. Most people who own Pit Bull's are not trash or thugs but the trash and thugs are the ones that do not try and go anything to help to breed. Pit Bulls, Am-Staffs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are all Jack Of All Trades and can do anything asked of them and enjoy doing it. Weight pull, agility, obidience trials, Search & Rescue, Therapy, Drug Dogs, flyball, Disk Dogs, etc. Anybody watch Disk Dog? One of the best dogs in the past few years is a Pit Bull named Wallace. Check out his website: www.wallacethepitbull.com. Also, check out www.lawdogsusa.org to see Pit's that are getting training as police search dogs. Geez, I could go on and go with resources about positive Pit Bulls. People think that fighting is what makes a Pit Bull so bad; that is a myth. A dog wanting to take out another dog or animal (prey) is NOT the same as a person. Pit Bulls are not guard dogs as they normally will allow stranders to come in. Why is it that you think so many Pit Bull's are stolen? They are just that friendly. Now, are all Pit Bulls or Pit Bull Types dogs friendly? Of course not! It is the same with any breed. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been known in English (where it was developed) as the nanny dog. As far as never seeing a lab or a golden ret bite. Think again! That face transplant that they did a few years ago was due to a Lab and I have been bitten by a Golden. Anything with a mouth can bite. Do some research; there is a baby that was killed by a Yorky. Why wasn't that on the news? Or the little boy that are knocked down and attacked by his families Great Dane? It happens! There is a new dog aggression study out now that lists Dashounds as the #1 dog for aggressive and boy do I ever believe it. Chi's were 2nd and JRT was 3rd. I could go on and on but other people have said valid things on the side of the Pitties so I'll leave my message at this.

heard bad things about pit bulls.

there is no nicer dogs then pits....it's how you train them and waste their energy.....don't think you are getting a guard dog you are getting a lover. my schoon's da best

pit bulls are awesome! not only are they vicious, but their good family dogs and beautiful too.

And don't give me that line of crap about how the owners are the problem. If one of these gets hold of someone, the dog doesn't let go until the person stops moving. THAT is the problem.

Pitt Bulls are a very grotective breed they are rambontious as puppies but do everything they can to please their owner.Everyone thinks they are aggressive but they really aren't it is all how u train them as puppies and what area they grow up in

These aren't dogs they are monsters bred with dogs

my heidi is the best

i love my pitbull justice =]

Should be illegal... sorry

THEY ARENT MY FAVORITE BUT I DO FEEL BAD FOR PEOPLE USING THEM LIKE THAT

Bulldogs get a really bad rep just because morons breed them for fighting. I do not believe all Pits should be punished for what their owners do!

So adorable!!!

theyre scary..:(

I am a 24 year old mother of 2 children and I own three pit bulls. They are all inside dogs and are THE best dogs I've ever owned. My mother had her retriever mix at my house and he tried on more than one occasion to hurt my oldest one, she never even gave him a second look. They "look" mean is how my mother puts it but her shitzus are constantly biting my dogs have never bit anyone or anything. There are idiots out there who abuse their strong will and power and train them to do horrible things but please don't judge these animals on the inhumane acts of humans.

I'm sorry but they tend to snap. I would only have one of these if I was single or knew I would never have it around children or other animals...I don't want them hurt, but I don't want them around me

the best dog!!!

Never really known one.

never.Evil dogs

Not to be messed with.

Ok here we go....my pet peeves first...every macho male with insecurity problems seems to think having a pit bull will make him a real man...I see it every day. Now my reason for the four stars....this is a very nice breed of dogs. Properly bred and raised they are great family dogs and yes...trustworthy! The dope heads and the creeps who fight them gave them the bad rep...

Now...some truths about this breed: They are very very stoic...one of the reasons they are used for fighting...pain means nothing to them...the other problem is that they are powerful with powerful jaws...when they are enticed into aggression...they have jaws of steel and do not let go. ANY DOG CAN BE BRED OR HANDLED TO BE AGGRESSIVE. I have met more aggressive Lhasa Apsos than pits...they just don't have the size and power to be considered dangerous.

I don't like pitbulls. They are too prone to attack and kill people. I'm not sure if it is because of the people that own them, or innate qualities of the animal, but I don't care which.

The dog isn't so much the problem as the morons that tend to own them and breed them. That being said, their bad rap is not entirely undeserved.

I'm down on pit bulls. My friend's dog was attacked by one, and I had my arm grabbed by another while walking down the street the other day. At this point, I don't really care if it's an owner or a breed issue - based on my personal experience, I would not trust these dogs around kids.

I like them- people just mis-understand them. They aren't a bad dog it is just the owner makes them into one.

I do not own one, but a know a lot of people who do. They are GREAT family dogs. Unfortunately, without training, their "loyalty" may be to the extreme. But, they are easily trainable ~ if you have the time. As for not trusting the dog, as Rocktrain said, you should never trust ANY dog! A Poodle will bite you before a Pit Bull does. It takes A LOT to get them to that point. All in all, a WONDERFUL dog. Kinda leery about the "rescue ones", unless you can get them under 2 years old.

Pit Bulls or otherwise known as a Stanford Terrier, are actually extremely gently and affectionate dogs. They get their bad name because they are popular dogs for use in illegal dog fights and once you fight a dog, they are aggresive forever. However if you get a Stanford Terrier from a reputable breeder and give it good training and plenty of love and they're just big babies and couch potatoes. My mom is a vet tech with lots of experience in vet clinics and kennels, and some of the best dogs she's met were properly bred and raised pit bulls. Just make sure to research the family lines and history of the pit your going to get to make sure it doesnt have a violent or fight history, or else you'll have problems.

It's hard to make generalizations about a breed since every breed has bad and good individuals in each. However, the general personality traits of APBTs are very high intelligence, courage, tenacity when in pursuit of a goal, high prey drive, some level of dog aggression, bite-inhibition toward humans, and stoicism in regards to pain. That is, APBTs have precisely the traits a dogfighter would want in his dogs: an instinctive urge to hurt other animals, a reluctance to hurt humans, and a willingness to persist even in painful work until it is finished. You don't have to be in the nasty business of dogfighting to admire a fearless dog who is gentle with humans and willing to suffer pain or even death to please them or save them from harm.

The nastiest APBT trait is the aggression directed toward other dogs and animals. Even this can be managed, although not every dog can be "trained" to play nicely with other dogs. Management involves separating the APBT from other animals when it can't be supervised, keeping the dog on-leash when out for exercise, and training the dog to IGNORE other animals if he tends to be aggressive toward them.

I just love these dogs' personalities. Most are very people friendly and completely adore everyone they meet. I've been researching these dogs for some time and have been considering adopting a shelter or rescue pit bull because of all the wonderful examples I've seen of the breed as well as testimony from APBT owners.

I don't want one and I don't like them. I don't trust them mutts.

UPDATE: After nearly getting bit by one rcently, I had to change my views. Its not always the owners fault, these pit bulls are violent due to their nature. I saw a story on the news about a pit bull that killed a little girl. The moms said that the dog never did anything violent before, nor was it provoked but it just...happened.

Ya see back in the old days these dogs were bred to fight, as attack dogs ya know. Here is an interestin' study from the American and Canadian dog bite related fatalities from September 1982 to November 2006 reporting that Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 65% fatal dog attacks.

I know peeps are crazy over their dogs but when are peeps gonna realize its not always because of bad owners....but bad doggies.



Pitbulls are breed to fight. They've been on the news, pitbull dog owners make their dogs fight and when they cant fight anymore, they're let loose on the streets, putting innocent peeps in danger.

It's ridiculous to debate the issue of the whether or not a pit bull is a good breed. First, there is barely a clear definition of what a pit bull IS. I work in a store that supplies, among other things, dog food and supplies, and I live in an ethnically diverse area. Our store supplies for many local kennels, as well as an extrememly large percentage of people breeding irresponsibly from home. Our store also welcomes dogs as long as they are leashed or held. That being said, probably 85% of the dogs that our customers are breeding and bringing in the store are "pit bulls". First, the dogs are incredibly diverse both in looks at temperments, except in the rare occasion that the person handling them is a true, responsible breeder who is breeding their dogs with a goal of improving their animals. Second, I can tell you within five minutes of meeting the owner (without ever meeting the dog!), both by their attitude toward their dogs and, ESPECIALLY, by the items that they are buying, whether or not the pit bull will be a good dog or not. Unfortunately, the problem with this breed is that it is popular with a crowd of people looking for a tough, intimidating-looking dog, and frequently the person owning this dog is exactly the wrong kind of person to be handling and training a dominant breed! This is true of many other breeds as well. When the movies 101 Dalmations and Babe came out, dalmations and border collies saw a huge surge in popularity. Many people went out and got themselves one of these dogs without actually researching the breeds and determining that they were a good match. BCs in particular, my breed of choice, are extremely difficult dogs for a lot of people, and are most certainly not a good match for the average dog owner. Many of them ended up in shelters and rescue groups because of destructive tendencies and, frequently, biting. These dogs are notorious for biting, especially children, due to their herding instincts. These aren't love bites either, but they are rarely fatal. The problem with pit bulls is human ignorance. To say that an attack came out of no where is preposterous and extemely ignorant. It tells me that the person does not understand dogs, or canine body language, or that they were too lazy and irresponsible to remain vigilant of their dog. Dogs give plenty of warning before they attack. Disregarding the criminals who fight these dogs and destroy them that way, there are even more idiots out there buy these dogs or, worse, breed them simply to have them as a status symbol. They forget that they are dogs. Forget the breed, any dominant dog that is kept chained, penned, and frustrated is going to snap at some point. I have met a smaller percentage of people who have raised their dogs properly. These dogs were as friendly and outgoing as any other breed of dog. In fact, the first friend that my rather timid BC met was a pit bull. I refuse to condemn any breed of dog for statistics. The biggest problem pit bulls face is their popularity.

I just want to point out in spite of all the negative press this breed has earned, as well as the controversy over breed specific legislation, that this really is a wonderful breed. There are really no 'bad breeds', just bad owners. Pit Bulls, as with many other 'problem' breeds, have dominant personalities, and require assertive, strong-willed owners who will be firm and consistant with training.

ur damn right, dogs arent to blame its the irresponsible owners.

LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF LABS OR MIXES THERE ARE IN SHELTERS, WHY? LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT HAVE ATTACKED, LOOK AT THE WHY? THE WHY PART IS IMPORTANT...IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE IDIOT DOG DID SOMETHING, IT IS THE STUPID PEOPLE. YOU TRAIN YOUR DOG TO BE MEAN IT WILL BE MEAN. WHY DO YOU HEAR ABOUT PITS, CAUSE THEY ARE THE RAVE RIGHT NOW, BREED BANS ARE RUNNING WILD WITH IT THE BLAME, WHO DO YOU BLAME, WELL PEOPLE OF COURSE, BUT NO WE CAN'T BLAME PEOPLE FOR ANYTHING, MUST BE THE DOG RIGHT? HELL NO, PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING, THE BAD TEMPERMENTS THAT ARE SEEN, THOSE ARE THE FAULT OF PEOPLE. THE BACKYARD FIGHTS, WELL HELL, I HAVE SEEN LABS, GSD, AND MANY OTHER BREEDS IN THEM, THEY AREN'T EXCLUDED PEOPLE, JUST CAUSE YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT DON'T HAPPEN! THEY ARE GREAT DOGS, DEPICTED IN MOVIES, THEY ARE BIG BABIES IF RAISED RIGHT. THAT COLLIE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU KEEP THEM CHAINED UP W/ LITTLE TO NO ATTENTION, NO FOOD, NO WATER, THEY ESCAPE ONE DAY, YOUR NEIGHBOR HAS A 3 YEAR OLD OUTSIDE UNATTENTED (ANOTHER STUPID PERSON!!!!) THE DOGS ARE HUNGRY, GUESS WHERE THE DOGS ROOTS COME FROM, OOPS THAT IS RIGHT, THEY ARE PREY ANIMALS, THAT KID LOOKS LIKE FOOD FAR AS THEY CAN TELL. THEY WILL ATTACK AND KILL AND ATTEMPT TO EAT, WHY....WHY? YOU THAT IS WHY, YOU DIDN'T FEED OR CARE FOR YOUR DOGS, BECAUSE WHY? YOUR STUPID!!!! IF ANYONE WOULD TAKE THE TIME AND CONSIDER FOR A MINUTE, IF YOU WERE LEFT WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER FOR DAYS UPON DAYS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GET FOOD? YOU ARE A CARNIVORE, YOU NEED MEAT TO SURVIVE, EVEN IF ITS JUST IN YOUR KIBBLE (SOUNDS APPETIZING DOESN'T IT), YOU CAN'T ESCAPE YOU ARE CHAINED WHAT WOULD YOU DO? YOUR CHAIN BREAKS ONE DAY CAUSE IT RUSTED AND NO ONE HAS CHECKED ON IT SO THEY WOULDN'T KNOW...WHAT IS YOUR FIRST GOAL, TO GO SAY HI TO THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE, OR TO EAT THAT CAT YOU JUST SAW? STUPID PEOPLE ARE THE CAUSE FOR MEAN ANIMALS, PERIOD!

i've never owned a pit but all the pits i've ever met are really sweet and friendly. They look really cool too. The thing about them is if they aren't raised well as puppies they can be aggressive towards other animals and people. There are alot of people that treat them really cruel, and it's very sad that so many of them hurt people because of that. I think they are abused more than any other breed, and once they are abused they really need to be put down because they are dangerous. It's so sad how many of these dogs have to be put down because of evil owners. These dogs are like any other they have to be loved loved loved, and then they are sweet and loyal. i always am careful around pits i don't know because there are alot of damaged ones out there.

They are historically based upon a fighting dog and have those tendencies. The places I see most of the bad ones comes from trailer trash and ghetto trash owners.

I have said it before and I'll say it again: I have been around both types of pits (the good and the bad). The "bad" pits were trained to be fighting dogs, while the good pits were raised in happy homes and turned into great family watch dogs. These dogs are not naturally aggressive to the point of having to fear them, but they are naturally protective which quickly leads to outright aggression if raised in a poor environment.

I don't hate the dog, and I'd consider owning one under one condition: I would buy it as a PUPPY, so that I guarantee it's raised in a good home and brought up to be less agressive towards people and other animals. I would NEVER buy one as an adult because you cannot guarantee that it has not been abused at some point in it's lifetime, or that those past abuses haven't changed it's personality.

Why is it that there is always someone to say "my pit bull is so sweet" or "they have a bad rap." This blows my mind - let's think... have you ever heard of a couple of golden retrievers or collies killing the baby or some old guy walking home or the neighbor's dog or cat or kid... or the neighbor? This breed clearly is a gladiator breed and should be eliminated. I despise them.

This is a cutie movie!! One of my feel good movies!

I have to say that hearing your comments about pit bulls is disturbing. If you read the real statistics more people get bitten by german shephards than pit bulls. No one reports those dog bites on the news. The worst thing about a pit bull bite is the fact that they lock their jaws. They have an enormous amount of pressure in their jaws. German shephards bite and release but they strike at the neck. Yes pit bulls are animal aggressive, but that is only if they arent associated with other animals at an earlier age. If you read the history of them, they arent bred to be aggressive to people. They typically will not bite a person unless provoked. They are sporting dogs. they are bred for their agility and strength. They are very loyal animals. They arent even good guard dogs. They will let an intruder come into your home but will not attack unless the intruder attempts to harm the animals owner. Pretty impressive to me. The owner does play a huge part in how the animal behaves by how you raise them but genetics is they key to the nature of the pet. You never want to buy a puppy that you know has a family history of aggressiveness. Always research the the parents and owners before you purchase. We now own two of them and they are wonderful. Very affectionate. Very intelligent as well. I would recommend these dogs for children companions as well as adults.

An outstanding dog with a bad rap. Anytime a Pit Bull does anything vicious blame it on the idiot human owner. This goes for any dog rasied by an Idiot Human! If raised and given some training these are loyal and affectionate dogs. Never blame the dog! Blame the owner of the dog!

Again, I probably shouldn't blame the dog. But there it is.

They are vicious only if pit bulls are trained to guard or bite or if you disturb them on their personal times. I did visit my cousin and he had one- and though he barked, the dog never physically attacked me in the three days I went to his house. If they are treated fairly, they can be quite affectionate. This dog I met gave me a lot of affection, and do I mean a lot- I've heard that the dog missed me so much that when I left, he whined frequently- he even howled! Yep, my cousin did do a good job.

i own 2 of them and neither one of them are mean. we didnt raise them to be mean and i detest any one that does. its inhumane and cruelty to animals is against the law

I just love this. Really. Reading all these comments from people about how vicious and mean these dogs are, how they are allways killing people, Labs never kill anybody, blah blah blah. And these pathetic so-called facts. Have any of you even seen a real Pit Bull terrier? Have you ever been with one? I have. I own two American Pit Bull terriers. Both were rescued by the SPCA from a dog-fighting ring, where they were found starving to death. Luckily, neither had been subject to one of the cruel, bloody fights, unlike some of the others. One dog had his ear torn off and his eye ripped open. Many dogs had missing body parts, like eyes, ears, tails, and noses--all that had been torn of in fights. A few of them had bones showing were the skin was missing. Some dogs were found dead from starvation and dehydration. Most of the living dogs found had to be put down. Maddie and Jess were two of the lucky ones. When we first brought them home, they were terrified of everything, including me. Earning their trust wasn't easy, but I finally did. It took nearly a year for them to fully trust our family. Six years later, they are now a pair of beautiful, cheerful dogs that we all love. And they love us back. My little nieces love them so much, they are always playing with them and when they fall asleep at night Jess and Maddie are very protective. I know our family is safe from intruders. They are still wary of other dogs, but that doesn't matter to me because they have come such a long way. They are both survivors, and I would take them over a lab puppy any day. For those who have listened only to the media and other people and have ignored the experts, as people often do, these dogs are not vicious on their own. Instead of the hating the dogs, consider hating the people--the monsters who beat, starve and force dogs to fight. The people who make the dogs mean. THEY are the real hellbeasts.

It was a pit bull terrier who saved my life. Therefore, She is a great dog and I will forever be in debt to Maggie.

All bad raps aside, Pitbull terriers, or Staffordshire Terriers as they are less commonly called, were responsible for about 27% (66 of 238 total) of all fatal dog bites from 1979 to 1997. And that's EXCLUDING deaths caused by dogs that were on the job gaurding a buisness or a home from an intruder. AND that's just purebread. There were 10 more deaths from pitbull crossbreeds.

I am sorry but their is always a story about Pit Bulls attacking kids. They have the reputation because owners abuse these dog and help preserve the rep. Obviously these dogs are prone to attacking or they would not be so popular for dog fights. There needs to be a tighter restriction on the breed to protect the dogs from ignorant owners. They are just not the kind of dogs you generally want to keep in area with a lot of people around.