I give you two great sources. First, check out thetruthaboutpitbulls.com. Then, check out pitbulllovers.com. They have great and accurate info.Okay, now, I'll say what I wanted to say:
First of all, the news is very very biased and will usually only report the stories about Pit Bull attacks and often lies about the breed or claims that it is a Pit Bull before they actually know what the dog is. Why? Scary stories sell, and Pit Bulls LOOK scary. Hardly ever does the news report a feel-good story. Not only that, but there are 25 different and distinct breeds that are easily mistaken for Pit Bulls.
Second of all, you have obviously never met a Pit Bull or read the breed's standard.
I've seen Pit Bulls serve as therapy dogs and service dog and pass Canine Good Citizen tests. So much for only attacking strangers. Pit Bulls actually pass temperament tests more than other breeds.
And, Pit Bulls were originally bred to work on the farm, not fight. They were used for fighting later, and it is a terrible practice. However, many Pit Bulls were rescued from the michael vick case only one of I believe 87 of them showed aggression though they were bred to/used for fighting. And another one of those dogs became a therapy dog.
Pit Bulls were considered the #1 family dog in the early 19th century. A Pit Bull mix named Captain Stubby was the first and most decorated war dog in history.
Pit Bulls, like all breeds, are not for everyone. They are extremely high energy (like a Jack Russel Terrier) and not all people can handle that. I have friends with Pit Bulls, and they are definitely not a breed for the couch potato. Pit Bulls have a tendency to be dog-aggressive, so socializing them at a young age is a must. By the way, I have met about 5 Pit Bulls in the past year, and not of them growled at me or anybody and not one tried to bite me or attack me. And guess what? Every time I was a stranger to them. I have never met an aggressive Pit Bull. I have however, met aggressive Labs and Chihuahuas and little breeds. It is the lack of rai=sing the dog right on the owner's part when any dog is aggressive. For example, most dog owners have no idea how important socialization is. Dogs who aren't socialized are more likely to become afraid. And a fearful dog is a dog that may bite. Dogs need to be socialized after they have had all their shots, ASAP. With well-behaved people and other dogs. Another example, some think that a puppy's growling is cute and unknowingly encourage it. Instead they should show the puppy that they will protect them if they need to and that there is nothing to be afraid of. As I said before, a fearful dog is a dog that may bite. Or someone having the wrong ideas about how a guard dog is supposed to act. They think that a guard dog should hate everyone to scare people away. Uh-uh. A good guard dogs ALERTS you to someone's presence on your property, watches the person closely, but does not try to attack the person without good reason. I could give other examples, but you get the idea.
I read that temperament in dogs is 35% genetic and 65% learned (molded by the way the dog is raised as a puppy).
"Pit Bull" is a general term, used to describe several different breeds. Including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers (which are descended from the APBT), etc. (By the woof, the dog in the photos with Treader is an American Staffordshire Terrier, according to the dog's owner.) Some people think that all dogs with muscular necks and bulky heads are Pit Bulls. This wrong notion has caused many stockier-type Labs to be mistaken as Pit Bulls!
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