This pit bull with permanent smile was saved from dog fighting ring

[catbyte]

[Deuxcents]

1. I agree..it's not the dog/breed..it's the humans

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I knew a guy in a veteran's facility who had a pit bull as...

a service dog. Sweetest, friendliest dog you've ever met.

[txwhitedove]

3. Great story, thanks.

[Redleg]

4. I have an American Stafforshire Terrier

a breed that is classified with pit bull terriers and often restricted from dog parks and other public places. My staffie is the sweetest dog you would ever meet and a true ambassador for the breed. My hound, on the other hand, was a true menace. We got him from the local "dog pound" and they said he had a temperament appropriate for a family with young children. He turned out to be a high-strung, nippy bastard who tormented my staffie and messed with the kids. We hired a dog behavioral expert who really helped us with training and we made very good progress but then he died suddenly at the vet's office. He never did like going to the vet's office.

I believe that nurture makes a huge difference with dogs and may be a more important determinant of aggression than their breeding. I don't rule out that dogs can inherent a neurological defect.