Knowing as many greyhounds that can’t run, bully chocolate labs, neurotic purse dogs, and killer six pound kittens I too find that generalizations–about people or animals–are on the opposite side of helpful.
Yeah - but animals bred for generations keeps certain traits out of instinct or what ever process. Herding dogs know how to herd with no one teaching them. Hunting dog go on point even if they have never actually gone hunting, etc.
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I’m working from direct observation here, I used to live there. It’s not racialized, in that I’ve seen the same attitudes with blacks, Latinos, and Irish and Italians, Inner city families tend to be chaotic, looking and acting tough is better than being smart or successful, and having a pit is something that just goes with the ‘decorative’ weapon collection. If you ask why they’re not getting any other kind of dog, they look as if you’re suddenly speaking Chinese. While I’ve met good number of my neighbors who had well-behaved “friendly” dogs, mostly of a small breed, Pit people tend not to be them.
I heartily endorse this message! Good luck with your dog!
I have a rescued exotic kitten, and she’s more than a handful!
Warmest wishes!
While I grok where you are coming from re: responsible owners, the negative connotations pit bull variants have is lethal to them. If a shelter has a dog labeled as ‘lab/chow’ as opposed to ‘pit/chow’, every shelter in the western US I have been to has told me the pit won’t be adopted. Even if it the same dog.
So yes, you may be correct that bad dog owners buy and abuse pits. But this narrative is literally killing then in shelters, whether they are aggressive/huge/abused.
And that is the reason I am passionate about pits. People that promote the violence narrative are killing dogs.
As an aside, as I have mentioned before any large animal is a threat. Savannah cats are kinda terrifying :). Horses kill more people than any other in Australia (http://www.medindia.net/news/Horses-Cause-More-Human-Deaths-Than-Any-Other-Animals-in-Australia-38951-1.htm).
I don’t argue against responsible ownership, but us humans pick on pits way more than they do on us.
I agree! Mine is the best friend I could ask for. I wish he and my cat got along like yours do, but the cat is just dead set on killing him. 
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Ha! My cats have always been the biggest instigators as well 
It’s not abuse. It’s ignorance. There is a difference. I don’t blame them, they don’t mean to have vicious dogs, they just don’t understand the difference between “having a loyal dog that’s been well-cared for” and “having a hurt abused animal who can’t tell an intruder from someone who cares for them”. Watch “Animal Cops” and watch their hurt expressions: it’s a real surprise to them that they’re getting cited for animal abuse for allowing their dog to starve, when their dog is “just a little skinny”. They really did think that their dog would keep them safe, when they found the pooch attacking their houseguest. People can be that stupid.
Thank you for citing a well known instance of the dog owner being responsible, via neglect or abuse, of the act is the dog. Not genetics or a virtually non-sensiscal breed.
Abusive owners getting aggressive, deadly animals does not convict Pits as a breed.
Out of interest - and note I’m a dog-lover - why are you considering only a pitbull?
I’ve had spaniels, labs, german shepherd mixes, a beagle, lurchers … they’re all incredibly great dogs.
I appreciate the question. I have had malamutes, labs, mutts, and all my close family has had dogs. I have only adopted from shelters, and I constantly hear from other ‘shelter adopters’ that they will take a canine if it doesn’t ‘have pit’.
This kind of attitude has led to something lime 30+% of dogs at shelters not being adopted because of their ‘marketing’. The several breeds that define pits are varied, extremely common, and not genetically adapted to a single task–such as animal aggression, human aggression, biting strength, or other misconceptions.
full disclosure I simply hate a canine to be kept long term in a shelter, euthanized, or abused by an ignorant owner because if a label. Most dogs want high energy, close relationships with their human pack, so it gets under my skin when breeds are effectively culled for it.
Before i retire from annoying and alienating everyone, I believe picks of Pitts with flower hats is an excellent way of diffusing the ‘pitt makes me tough’ image.
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Thanks; already planning on getting the DNA test. Service animal certification is, as you say, not easy, but I’ll keep it in mind in case CGC’s not enough.
I suspect the “tough guy” owners are the ones giving the rest of us a bad name.
Other breeds have suffered the same stereotypes in the past – others in the comments have already mentioned German shepherds and Dobermans.
There’s always a breed that is, disproportionately, the choice of the “tough guy” owners who choose to raise vicious dogs. Right now, it’s the pit bull breeds. Maybe ten years from now it’ll be something else.
Pit bulls used to be called “the nanny breed” – they’re wonderful with children.
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