[Steve Carlton]

My favorite dog to have would be a German Shepherd, which is considered a troublesome breed. My uncle had a great one when I was about 8-17 years old. We even got to keep Bash for a few years while my uncle when on his walkabout. My brother seriously considered getting one decades ago and we went to a dog show to check them out. In the back, looking at them it was like looking at Golden Retrievers. So sweet and approachable. When well bred, clear of the horrific back yard breeding GSDs suffered, they're remarkable. The well bred ones that will defend you with their life wouldn't hurt a kitten- it's the cowards that bite and hurt the breed with a sketchy reputation. They require a lot of exercise and shed a lot, so it's very unlikely I'll get one.

I guess the ones that are known as pit bulls are bred to fight and that's where the problem is. I believe they have a really strong prey drive, which can motivate them to go after people or children that are running, or running away. I'd like to think that a lot of the dogs that fall under that "pit bull" umbrella don't have those traits. It's a baby and the bathwater situation.