After working with boatloads of shelter dogs over the years, we’ve dropped the belief that pit bulls are an inherently dog aggressive breed. We certainly consider them to be one of the most poorly socialized breeds in our crowded cities, however. We don’t always do right by dogs in the big busy world of ours: Rushing them into dicey nose-to-nose greets with strange dogs, setting them up for failure in chaotic, poorly run dog parks, leaving them to their own devices at home with other dogs and no playground monitor to enforce the rules, or just plain isolating them from other dogs altogether. Then, when they get into trouble or come to the shelter and show bad manners with other dogs, we blame them – or especially – their breed. “Damn pit bulls! Can’t trust them with other dogs!”

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