@barkless513:
These dogs were bred to dog fight,. . . . I'm told these dogs have been deprogrammed?? What? I don't believe you can take instinct out of a dog, nothing will make me believe that, ever. .. .. .. .. they will turn on their owners at the drop of a hat, . . . . aggresssive breed .
Actually pit bulls, as a breed, were NOT bred to fight. They were bred to hold angry cattle – originally for butchers, farmers, etc. but later for bull-baiting. That they are now used to fight now does not make that the purpose of the breed. Attacking or threatening the owner was NOT an acceptable quality and the dogs that did attack people or other dogs were not kept.
After bull-baiting was made illegal in the late 1800's {I believe}, the dogs were then used for fighting in pits. Because a human referee was in the pit with the dogs, the dogs were conditioned/trained/bred to NOT attack humans. A well-bred pit bull will NOT transfer aggression to humans, even in the midst of a fight.
That said, there ARE many, many, many poorly bred pit bulls and similar breeds in this country because there are many, many idiots in this country. These are the same people who ruined thousands of dobermans, rotties, german shepards, etc. in previous decades.
These poorly bred and badly trained dogs did not change the instinct or disposition of the recognized breed, any more than a rash of pit bulls trained to be aggressive makes the pit bull an "aggressive breed". What is does is give us the enormous problem of aggressive owners -- people who need to feel tough and live somehow vicariously through the dog they mistreat and mistrain to fulfill that pathetic desire in themselves.
Pit Bulls are not aggressive dogs. Pit bulls are not vicious dogs. But, as with any other breed of dog they can be made to be vicious and aggressive.
I feel like I'm maybe soap-box-y about pit bulls here, but I hate to see a good and solid breed of dog get a bad rap because of stupid people.
I went through a lot of hassle from other people when we had our first child in the home with our Doberman 20 yrs ago. How tired I got of hearing how dangerous that was, how one day I'd be sorry when that dog attacked my kid, that they were known to attack turn on their owners unprovoked... etc.
Same story, different breed. What I actually had in my dobie was the best dog to have around kids. She was bomb-proof, patient, loving, and loyal. As have all the dobies I've ever encountered. Sure there were vicious dobies that would sooner tear your head off than let you get near them, but that was not the "breed", and the lousy pits you see today are not the "breed", they are the "breeders" and "owners".
Check out this site for interesting info on the history of the breed, and the great things they can do: http://www.lawdogsusa.org/whypitbulls1.html
Okay, stepping off…... 
