[Amail]

It's true that you can't paint them all with the same broad brush. Just how broad a brush you can use is the question.

We've got a Australian shepherd/? mutt mix. We've had her since she was about 7 weeks old, so I know exactly how she's been treated. Although she's a very sweet dog, she's scared $hitless of men, scared of the cat, nervous around anyone she doesn't know. I haven't the foggiest idea how she got that way, and assume it's just luck of the draw.

Whenever anyone comes to the house, we start her out in the back yard and gradually introduce her to them, on terms she's "comfortable" with.

One of the best things you can do before deciding on a dog is to spend some real quality time with them alone, with other animals, with other people, in high-activity environments, to get a good sense of what their disposition is. I've heard both good and bad about pits, so I know there are good ones out there. If you're lucky/tenacious enough to search out one that's confident but not overbearing, with a really sweet disposition, and you spend the time and energy to train and socialize them, you'll probably be way ahead of the curve.