This is a honest question, but what is your opinion on the class of "Pitbull" dogs? In my experience they often seem to be like Malinois with being a "loaded gun intense dog" with how some owners talk about them, yet also aren't seen as able to do anything but fight.

Do you think they'd be good with sports? Like pulling, or sledding, or agility? Also on the Malinois, what do you think of the videos of them scaling walls, or put through such intense workouts?

I like American Pit Bull Terriers and other pit bull type dogs. I think they have a pleasing shape and I love their fat heads and how easily they seem to build muscle. If you're active, and don't need a dog that can be off leash or with other dogs necessarily, not into socializing with weird dogs yourself, they can be great companions. They are successful in weight pulling and generally love pull sports (all the weight pull clubs 'near' me are run by pit bull people). Overall I think many people have worked hard to maintain the dog as an active breed while finding other ways to satisfy the dog's need to work without falling into dog fighting. Weight pull, back packing, joring, wall climb and other individual sports are great options for these dogs. Hell I also know a ton that do hog work. In this way they are a lot like malamutes (besides the hog work, but one could argue this is very similar to the way indigenous sled dogs are used for hunting/polar bear security).

Where I feel the breed falls short is when people try to "de-intensify" the way they are talked about to combat breed bans and negative stigma (think 'velvet hippo' and 'it's all how you raise them' mentality). I think white rescue people get a big high over taking pit bulls out of what they deem as negative environments when in reality this dog is owned in majority by people of color in urban places. I think that LESS people need to own pit bulls because they are NOT velvet hippos or nanny dogs, they are instead an active, dog aggressive breed. There's nothing bad about that fact, it's just the truth. Like literally think of the nastiest Jack Russel Terrier you've ever met (and i think many people have met at least one REALLY ornery small terrier dog in their lifetime) and then make it 40-60 pounds. That's what a pit bull is at its core. A big ass terrier. I think the people that talk about these dogs in a way that is HONEST about the actual nature of these dogs (intense, strong, active and dog aggressive) are doing the breed a kindness. I think shelters and rescues trying to down play these very real, very breed standard in well bred pit bull types traits in these dogs to get them adopted are putting people in real danger. I think a lot of random bred pit bull type dogs have human aggression and I think we need to be more liberal with behavioral euthanasia for those individuals.

I like pit bull people that are in the breed for what the breed ACTUALLY is and respect that while not continuing the dog fighting horrors of their past and finding other, more positive ways to honor the dogs abilities. I HATE pit bull people that see them as capable of doing nothing wrong ever ever ever. The breed has, at its core, two very different types of camps that own them and unfortunately the later is more prominent.

And regarding Malinois I don't think that there's anything wrong with putting a dog through an intense workout. Malinois are truly incredible dogs and capable of so many things. The problem comes in for me when handlers expect and desire the dog to be overly stimulated and engaged 100% of the time. That's not healthy mentally for the dog and I also don't believe a dog can perform those tasks safely when they are quivering from stimulation. From a big dog owner perspective, I do wonder about the joint health of these dogs though honestly.

And to finish off, I do think there is a difference between talking honestly about a dog breed and the "loaded gun language" I so frequently complain about. Talking honestly about a breed is about acknowledging the differences and challenges a specific breed or type of dogs may have. Not every breed is suited for every person or situation and it is important to recognize this. "Loaded Gun" language, as often used with Malinois and Pit Bull types, is bragging about a dog's lack of manageability as if that is a good thing, as if the dog needs some super human or some sort of ridiculous schedule to act composed. In reality it feels like these people are overwhelmed by the dog they have created, a dog that has never been taught to settle, and are ignorantly talking pridefully about this to convince themselves that THEY are correct and there's nothing wrong. It's not bad to do intense dog sports, or to have a dog that loves and is driven to do said sports, but a good sport dog and/or working dog should be able to compose themselves. Without this ability they are not able to truly be a dog, existing simply as dog kind, and are just a tool with which people stoke their egos. If you're in it for the dog you will allow them to relax and settle, even if that has to be taught.