Ask Lemmy

I don't own a pitbull, but I have friends that own them, and they're the silliest, goofiest, most loving dogs. I have a Doberman though, and he's incredibly well behaved and polite. He will only get rowdy with me, and no one else. He obeys on command, and is very gentle and sweet. He's definitely higher energy than most people can handle, and strong as fuck, so training is important, as is being strong yourself. I did a year's worth of research on breeds before deciding a Doberman is the right breed for us. He's the perfect amount of independent, watchful, intelligent, inquisitive, energetic, and adventurous for my lifestyle. We go for a 3 mile hike in the mountains every day where he gets the exercise he needs, and we work on mental stimulation like nose work and obedience training often. He goes everywhere with me and is the perfect gentleman. But he's a powerful, high-energy, intelligent dog, so definitely not the right choice for most people.

Edit: pitbulls are prone towards dog aggression though, which is in their nature. That's why it's critical to socialize them extensively when they're young. It's very easy to cure them of that if you are intentional about introducing them to lots of other dogs, cats, kids, and people when they're still puppies. They're a lot harder to train into trustworthy dogs if they don't get early socialization, and most dog owners are not very good about ensuring their dog gets proper socialization at the proper age.