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The Brightside on the Flipside: The more time you spend with your pit bull, the more you'll enjoy him. And isn't that why you wanted a dog in the first place? Jonny Sue was abandoned in a backyard in a former life. She's so happy about living indoors now that she's become a therapy dog for her owner's clients.
Pit Bulls are Agile, Athletic and FUN
The Flipside: Pit bulls can be Escape Artists!  Right: Linda Chwistek is BR's CGC-Prep Trainer and proud owner pit bull agility queen Ruby, who has become a Star in record time.
Ruby started doing agility when she was five and two years later, has already earned these titles: CGC, NAP, NJP, CL1, CL2-R,H and in the 2006 CPE Nationals High in Standard, Level 2, 20." ....GO RUBY!
Pit Bulls can be Butt Heads! While pit bulls are known to be gushy, affectionate and all-loving with people, they can certainly be pushy and willful. They'll happily run your household for you if you don't set up consistent guidelines and clear household rules. This means you'll need to be a fair, decisive leader for your enthusiastic pet. Obedience classes are still one of the best ways to bring out your inner-leader and build great manners in your dog.
Pit bulls Love to Swim, Run, Play Frisbee and Romp in the Great Outdoors The Brightside on the Flipside: Because many pit bulls tend to be happier around dogs that they know, you may be able to find or create 'play groups' where your dog can regularly visit with other dog 'friends' for fun and exercise. Both and you and your dog will benefit from the extra socialization. The Other Flipside: Pit bulls can be very active dogs that need a LOT of run around time and exercise. Don't get a young pit bull if you live your life in the slow lane. The Brightside on the Flipside: Your dog will nudge you into getting in shape, like it or not! We like to say "A tired pit bull is a happy pit bull". So your runaround time spent exercising your dog will reflect in your improved health and happy outdoor glow. Enjoy! Pit Bulls are Social Butterflies
The Flipside: Over the last 20 years or so, the pit bull has fallen victim to the careless deeds of unethical breeders, irresponsible and even shady owners. This bad combination, along with the handiwork of a sensationalistic media, has done a terrible thing to our beloved breed. As a result, myths, misdeeds, misunderstanding and hysteria abound!
When you walk around with your bulldog, you'll no doubt encounter people who'll be afraid of her or who give you trouble for having a pit bull. The Other Flipside: on the Social Butterfly of the Dog World - APBTs make lousy guard dogs! They may bark at a burglar looking in the window, but will lick his hand and show him to the stereo once he's in the house. The thief may even try to steal your pit bull! Do NOT get an APBT if you want a guard dog. Consider a burglar alarm instead. Pit Bulls Love Kids
 Many APBTs go out of their way to lick little faces and will wag, wag, wag their tails when they see a child. Many will let kids pull their ears, climb on their backs and, rough and tumble fans
that they are, will love every minute of rugged kid-style attention. Still not convinced about pit bulls and kids?
Then check this out: Pit Bulls & Kids The Flipside: These are strong, active dogs and can knock smaller sized kids down in their exhuberance. * As with ANY breed, no dog should ever be left alone with a young child -- But you already knew that!
The Flipside: APBTs don't like to be left out in the cold. Your pit bull will want to be where its warm: inside with you! She may even insist on sneaking under your covers with you. The Brightside on the Flipside: They'll keep you warm while trying to keep themselves warm. And, they look great in groovie little winter dog jackets and sweaters. (The pic shows BAD RAP alum 'Vinnie' snuggled in and lookin' fine.) Breed Info | Monster Myths | Pros and Cons | Found a Stray © All Text and Photos Copyrighted 1999-2007 BAD RAP Not for use on other websites or off-line publications without permission. All Rights Reserved. |
Pit Bulls Form Very Strong 
The Brightside on the Flipside: Pit bulls are impressive dogs to show off in agility work, flyball,
and other exciting dog sports. You can utilize a pit bull's athletic talents by having a great time with your
pooch in ways that may suprise you. Check out these dogs who have helped raise the sport of skateboarding to a whole new level:
And then there's Nikki, the American Staffordshire Terrier who is making herding dogs faint with her
impressive wins in agility trials.
As in many breeds, dog tolerance levels can range from very Dog Social to very Dog Aggressive. Most pit bulls fall somewhere in between. Even with the big help of socialization and obedience training, this confident breed can be pushed to fight if sufficiently challenged by another dog. This big bravado can cause you and your dog BIG trouble if not understood and not managed well, especially in today's anti-pit bull climate. To make things even more confusing, dog tolerance levels can shift: Late maturing puppies can lose their forgiving nature as they grow older, catching many pit bull owners by surprise. And in other cases, Dog Aggressive adults can become much more Dog Tolerant with training and socializing opportunities. A large part of a dog's success with other dogs depends on the individual bag of genetics he inherits and how well he is managed, not "How he was raised". No wonder so many are confused about the breed! 
The Brightside on this Trait: Pit bulls are highly intelligent and typically excel in obedience work. Because your dog loves you completely and wants to please you, he'll very likely end up being one of the most impressive, best trained dogs in the neighborhood. Enjoy your opportunity to be a Pit Bull Show Off!
The Flipside: Finding places where your dog can run offlead can be very difficult, if not impossible! Many areas don't allow pit bulls to be offlead and areas that do can be difficult places to visit. If your dog gets in a fight with another dog, things could go very badly very fast. You may be the one to get into trouble and your dog could end up in jail, even if he wasn't the one to start the fight. 
Because of the current prejudice against pit bulls, because your pit bull can cause a lot of damage to another dog, and because it's impossible to completely avoid poorly managed loose aggressive dogs in the parks (this incudes YOUR dog if you're not on top of his dog aggression potential!), smart owners of mature bull breeds choose to play it safe and steer clear of these places in
favor of safer options. Photos: Lola is taking a dip in a 'secret' place far from the maddening crowd and Roca Bean is enjoying her own private baby pool.
Your dog will LOVE to go places with you to see the sights and visit with your friends, family, and strangers on the street. The pic shows 'Sally' very excited about the idea of going out for a ride in the car. 
Its a well known fact - Well managed, responsibly owned pit bulls are some of the best family dogs. The American Canine Temperament Test Society lists this breed as having one of the most stable temperaments of any of the purebreds, right up there with golden retrievers. For the stats: 
Pit Bulls are Clean Animals with Short Coats