The reputation of the “Pit Bull” breed, I am sorry to say influenced my earlier feelings about them. The fact that I was a die hard Rottweiler owner should have sensitized me to the fact that the APBT has been overly sensationalized. After my male Rot died, I was not ready for another dog. Then I found my female AmStaff, and she changed everything. She is a "baby pit" to keep it simple. What differentiates the breeds (American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier) are some facial differences and their size in height and weight. She has similar build and jaw, and her temperament is also similar. Now do not confuse the word temperament with aggression. She is loving almost to a fault and yet fiercely loyal to our family, even with a 52 pound frame. My two children, a boy and a girl, love her and the feelings are mutual.

When she first came home, she walked straight toward my wife, whom was seated on the couch, and as she reached my wife’s feet, she rolled over on to her back exposing her belly. For anyone that knows dogs, the belly is their most vulnerable part, and dogs do not expose that area if they are threatened or want to show aggression, as it is a detriment to their survival. The next day she went to the vet to get checked and to have her fixed, also to determine the breed as she looks like a young APBT. They indicated that after the round of examinations with all of the poking and prodding, not to mention the needles, that she would most probably let them know.

I was anxious to know how she behaved when I arrived to collect her. The vet told me that she showed no signs of aggression throughout any of the exams and even though she was new to him and all of the assistants, she was almost forgiving and because of her overall nature; they all fell for her immediately. Today, nearly three years after rescuing her, we would not know what our house would be like without her. So much so we have added another member to our family, a beautiful fawn colored male  APBT with green eyes. We chose not crop his ears. He is about a year old now and has been groomed by my female on how to behave in and out of the house, and was also partially crate trained by her; there were a few mishaps on the tiles I will admit. They are like brother and sister and are almost inseparable. He does like to chew my teak patio furniture, something that has been a great challenge with my patience.

You must however understand the breed, and by doing so understand how to assimilate them with the members of your family, how to discipline and exercise them. There are important lessons to be learned with these dogs and once they are treated with respect and love, it is reciprocated unconditionally. To back track slightly, they love and protect with every fiber of their body. It is something that needs to be understood and respected. For example, if they don’t know you and you jump my wall, and they sense that you are posing a threat to my family, well let’s just say that you should have obeyed the posted signs and thought twice about jumping the wall. That said, if you come to my house and are with us and provide the dogs with a chance to assimilate to you, then as my friends will tell you, there is nothing to worry about.

Many of those same friends initial trepidation and harbored ill feelings have been converted, some naturally took longer than others, but have come to recognize that the dogs are not the evil baby killers that they have been typecast to be. It all boils down to your knowledge of the dogs, your understanding of their behavior, how important it is to assimilate them with the people that are close to you, and to exercise them regularly to allow them to release their energy.

Too many people buy them for the stigma or for the security, but do not invest the time to educate themselves and or familiarize the dogs with the family that they have been purchased to protect. They are abused physically or are locked in the backyard in a kennel or are tied to a tree or post with the expectation that the dogs will be all right with that.

Common sense would indicate that if I were to tie you to a tree or to a post or to lock you in a kennel on a daily basis and not provide you with the nurturing and love that were necessary for you to function in society, that the outcome would probably be the same. You would be pissed off, angry and not all that socially inept. So understanding that “Pits” or any dog for that matter, need love and attention and a way to release their energy, will go a long way to reversing the media frenzy surrounding these animals. I won’t even bother to discuss my displeasure with the undesirables that purchase and or breed “Pits” for illegal use. Fighting dogs and drug dealer “trained to bite” pits are victims of their owner’s manipulation.

So in conclusion, if you are not going to invest the time to train and love these types of dogs, educate yourself and assimilate your friends and family, then don’t get one. “Pits” are a commitment that most people are not prepared to make, so when pointing the finger at a troubled dog, make sure it is pointed in the right direction. Take a look at the following sites, the articles and statistics may surprise you.

1. http://www.atts.org/index.html.

2. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002810189_pitbull19.html

3. http://www.la-spca.org/dedication/talk/t_judge.htm

4. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002810196_pitbullside19.html

I don't know where you get your information but your sources sound questionable.

People For The Ethical Treatment Of Pit Bulls

www.petopitbulls.org

I came by my AmStaff through a shelter program that had advertised Lab puppies. Funny, but they were all gone when we got there...

Mocha is the smartest dog I've ever had (stands on her hind feet and uses both paws to turn doorknobs when she wants to be near us. She's seven now, and has never shown the slightest aggression toward dogs or humans, unless she thinks my youngest is being treated too harshly by his brothers. Then she inserts herself between them and barks. No growls, no teeth bared, no aggression at all. Ever.

She only gets unhappy when she can't spend enough time with me. Loves going for rides, and wags her tail at every car she sees because there are people in them, and she loves people.