The American Pit Bull Terrier has been registered by the United Kennel Club since its existence (the UKC is the second oldest breed registry in the country, founded in 1898, and started to register working dogs). In fact, the UKC used to sanction pit fights. The American Pit Bull terrier IS a breed. Now, that said, the American Staffordshire Terrier is essentially the same thing as an American Pit Bull Terrier--AKC just changed the name to differentiate from the UKC-registered APBT, but the basic stock of dogs is the same--you can register, with limited privileges (meaning the dog has to be neutered and can only be shown in performance events), Pit Bulls as AmStaffs in AKC and AmStaffs as Pit Bulls in UKC and nobody will know the difference. And unfortunately the smaller and significantly gentler in my experience Staffordshire Bull Terrier gets lumped in with these dogs. There's also the Bull Terrier (the Target dog)--I've met a few of those, and have yet to meet one with a stable personality.

The problem I think is twofold. Genetics have a lot to do with personality (which is why you're always told to see the parents of a puppy you're considering and not take a puppy who parents are extremely shy or aggressive). So a dog bred to fight DOES have fighting bred in to him. Then there is the way the dog is trained and treated. Unfortunately, the people who should not be owning these dogs do own them, and do not CONTROL them (most of the bull breed attacks I read about--not all, but MOST--are the result of a dog either getting out by accident or being allowed to run loose.

And, of course, because these dogs are muscular and heavy they will do a lot more damage a lot faster. Which is what they were created to do.

Their is a collie that lives down the block inside a fenced in backyard. This dog goes apeshit every single time I walk past its yard with my 2 year old. Barking and running back and forth and generally acting like it would love nothing more than to kill us.

It is distinctly possible that the dog would do nothing more than greet you pleasantly, should he get out of the yard. When I was a kid, I often walked to school by a German Shepherd who did EXACTLY the same thing. I would stop, hold out my hand, greet the dog, he'd shut up, and that would be that.

My middle dog (a Sheltie) likes to lie on the bed during the day, scanning out the window for whatever, and barks his head off at anyone walking past, no matter who it is. Now, if he had the opportunity to MEET these people, he would be all wiggles and wags (all you have to do is make eye contact with this dog and he is your friend for LIFE). But you know what? He's kinda scary, this heavy coated black and white dog, barking at the window.

People KNOW there is a dog in my house. I am glad they know. People with bad motives don't have to know how friendly he is (my youngest Sheltie, who doesn't feel responsible for the house and therefore doesn't bark much, isn't anywhere near as friendly towards people, though he's not mean or fearful--he just doesn't care).

Here's a story. When I was in my senior year of college, my childhood dog (a tricolor sheltie) was living with me and my roommate in an off-campus apartment. We had the second floor of an old house. To answer the door, you had to go down a flight of stairs.

One night, a friend who lived across the street was over watching a movie. She went home when it ended, about 2:30 AM. A few minutes after she left, the doorbell rang and thinking it was her, I went downstairs to answer it. It was a large man who spun me a story about being abandoned by his friends and could he come in and use the phone?

My sheltie girl had a much bigger bark than her size, and she was standing at the top of the steps where he couldn't see her barking her head off. I pointed the guy to the Wendy's across the street where there was a pay phone and shut the door. I don't think he really wanted to use the phone--but he could have easily pushed his way in. The barking dog, I believe, kept him from doing so.

The "T" people can get married, if they're interested in the opposite sex. I'm just pointing this out. The problem really is "unmarried couples", (last company I worked for offered domestic partner benefits for unmarried straight OR gay couples, but the money did come out post-tax) subset "same-sex couples".

I always loved her in anything I saw her in, from "Maude" (which I was really too young to watch, can't remember why my parents ever let me see it) through "Golden Girls", lots of guest performances as well. I particularly remember her guest starring on "Malcolm in the Middle" as Dewey's extremely odd babysitter--when they end up dancing together to "Fernando"--the whole episode was just so unexpected, and touching as well as quite funny.

And then there's this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3VbSfQ3nAM

Which everyone should watch ALL THE TIME...

I appreciate the shout-out to ME.

I know you're a dog person, though, so I just want to mention that when you are thinking about doing stuff with the kid, AKC has a scholarship program for junior handlers--and they can do Agility or Obedience, not necessarily Conformation. It's a nice family sport, even though I told a local Junior that I fucked up a weave pole entrance today. Hey, at least she's relating to an adult on an adult level!

Just saying.