My pit bull is not the problem, you are.

Pit bulls are stereotyped as "aggressive" or "vicious" and I am going to start off by reminding you that those adjectives are not only in a pit bull. Pit bulls (pits) got the bad reputation because pits were a huge variety of the type of dog that would be involved in dogfights for money, and that is definitely not the dog's fault.

There is so much controversy on these sweet babies and it breaks my heart.

Let me just explain to you that hating my dog because he is a pit is discrimination and treating him differently is a disgrace.

I have a German Shepherd who is also half pit and you can tell he is both by looking at him. We have had him since he was a puppy. My dog is the sweetest, loving and most obedient lap dog I have ever had. Yes, he gets excited, and yes, he wants to play so he will show you attention.

The attention you will get will not be vicious, instead, it will be tail wags and face licking.

I often take my now one-year-old pit on walks in downtown Pensacola, Florida, and everyone wants to pet him and tell him he is a good boy until they ask me what breed he is. I of course then say "pit bull and german shepherd mix" and as soon as anyone hears that he is a pit, they immediately back away from my dog with such a scared, distasteful look. That look hurts my dog's feelings and that look hurts mine also.

He is a good boy and he shouldn't be rejected just because he is pit.

If you train a dog to be aggressive and vicious then that is what they will be. Pits are strong, muscular, smart, easily trained dogs and because of that, they are chosen to be guard dogs or fighting dogs. A dog cannot pick their owners or how they are raised; they are a product of their environment. My pit does well with other dogs, adults, and children. He has such a huge place in my heart and I am so tired of my fur baby getting the shorthand of the stick.

Stop hating my dog and understand that pits are not bad dogs.

They are fun, goofy and irresistibly sweet. Do not blame the dog, blame the owner!