Many years ago, I was given a pit bull (all the way back when there was no difference between a bit bull and an American Staffordshire Terrier). She was the most intelligent dog I've ever had, or known about, and the most careful around smaller, weaker people and dogs. Years after that, I fostered a badly abused pit bull--beaten every day of her life by a guy who had a meth lab. Over time, she, too, grew into a dog as loving and responsible as my first dog of this breed. That said, I do recognize that the difference in bite strength between a pit bull and almost any other dog is significant and must be taken into account.