"mean dogs"

I think any dog if it is raised to be mean will be mean, I own a 4 yr old male Rottiweiler and  a 2 yr old female pit bulll, they both are very sweet ,friendly, obiedient dogs, I have small nieces and nephews that come to my house often they play outside with the dogs sometimes both dogs just lay around watch them play and other times they move off to the other side of the yard and pay absoulutely no attention to the kids, I believe that all the negative media about the breeds have gotten people afraid of them, I have personally witnessed smaller allegdedly non agressive dogs have more of a mean streak in them than both of my dogs have ever shown. by nature both the Rottie and pit bull breeds will protect their owners and the homes in which they live in but once they figure out that whomever the person is at the house is there and has interacted with the owners they are usually ok , My Rottie is like a big baby once you get to know him and he gets to know you.It like if the sees your in my house with me or my boyfriend then he will consider you like family, my neighbors for instance they both will let them come to the fence and pet them, they let them feed them and about 3 months ago they dug a hole and got out of the fence my neighbor saw them and she called them by name and told them to get back in and they both obeyed her and came back in the fence. So having own both of these breeds and seeing them interact with children and other people I can safely say that they are not mean dogs and I treat them like my babies,I talk to them,I play with them and I even give them birthday parties like you would a child and they actually like it.They are my gentle giants so to speak. 

JHM:  Your new dog is beautiful.  I definately wouldn't rule out PB Amstaff.  Do you have any pictures of her standing up?  Also how much does she weigh?  Her lips are a little loose for an Amstaff but I have a PB Amstaff and he is identical facial wise as your dog, loose lips and all.

I get it every single day just about.
Most days now I choose to stay inside, and even then I will get it online!!!!

I'm too lazy to read all the posts here, lol. I just wanted to add my little experience with this.
My neighbor has a chihuahua, who was outside on a runner to potty. The dog was left unattended and was attacked by another dog while outside. The attacker ran off before the chihuahua's owners could see who it was that left the poor little chihuahua mangled and bleeding.
My Delilah got the blame. She's a German Shepherd. All german shepherds are aggressive, so it must have been her. Now, let's not take into account that she's in a chain link, five foot fenced yard with a latch, and bungee cord holding the gate closed. I also have a lab and a poogle. The neighbors on the other side of them have a husky mix, across the street is a greyhound, and the upper side of me is two pomeranians and a beagle. Not to mention all the strays and dogs we're not sure where they belong that run around.
Luckily another neighbor actually witnessed the attack and set the chihuahua's owners straight. It was one of the pom's from above me. They had gotten out of their fence and one attacked the chihuahua.
I never did get an apology and they still act like Delilah is a killer attack dog when we're out walking.

I had my first experience with this the other day and I guess just have to vent. We have an 8 month old Miniature Bulldog (English Bulldog, Boston Terrier and Pug mix)- All of you who are about to rant and rave about "designer dogs" and x breeding, go pound sand, we fell in love with our little Presley from the instant we saw her and that's what counts. Sorry, I know I'm new here but I just got done reading some rather nasty posts in the "mix Breed" section and it has put me off a bit.

Anyway, the bulldog in Presley means she has an under bite and her bottom teeth stick out when her jowls get caught. When walking her the other day some lady came by and remarked on how cute and funny she looked with her teeth sticking out like that (she does look ridicules - we love it!). Once I told her it was the bulldog in her she practically ran away. For what ever reason people don't realize that Bulldogs are very, VERY lazy and docile and that it would be too much effort from them bite anyone. I can understand if she was growling and that even the exposed teeth might put some people off but she was walking up to and saying how cute it looked Presley just sat there and didn't move or make sound. Once she heard "bulldog" - forget it...

I love dobes and shepherds, and most of their owners are great. Pits are  a mixed bag- quite a few of them are really sweet, but we have a couple who are WAY too rough with other dogs to be at the dog park, honestly- if we get there and those dogs are there, we turn around and leave.
I don't think I've got too much in the way of breed stereotypes= I loves most breeds, really, even the ones I'd never own myself. I occasionally annoy people by suggesting they get involvd in agility or obedience or flyball with their (bored) pet aussies and BCs and labs, but hey, dogs need jobs!

Pook  

The most viscious dog I ever knew was the little doxie I bought when I got out of high school.  I responded to a *for sale* ad in the paper, paid $10 and took my new puppy (Pretzel) home.  The people selling him said he was a purebred (not that it mattered to me) and that they would mail his papers to me - of course the papers never came. The vet said that he believed he was a purebred dog, but that he had been inbred to the point of idiocy. He hated people and other dogs, he didn't respond at all to any efforts to housetrain him and would actually pee in his own bed. Five years after I got him, I got married and for the next 9 years, he was the bane of my mother's life. []

Joyce

Awww I thought California was good to pits...