[SkatrySkith]

You're right in that even a pit can be conditioned to dislike children. However, if this is a discussion about nature vs. nurture, I'm sure you'll agree -- all things equal -- pit bulls are naturally incredible with children.

But yes, if you allow your dog -- any breed -- to jump on children and be hyper and bite playfully, you're going to have a mess on your hands.

In reality though, it takes about 5 minutes to teach a dog that when children are around, he's to sit down, calm down and pay attention. Even a six month old pup can be taught quickly that when children are around jacking around is out of bounds.

Don't get me wrong though. I cringe at the behavior of some of my neighbors' dogs around children and it makes me twice as nervous when it's a pit bull bouncing around acting like an idiot.

Unrelated, but to illustrate the fact that my pits certainly aren't beyond reproach: at the mother's day party a while back, one of my dogs shoved his nose right up the back of my sister-in-law's skirt as she was walking away from the lunch buffet. She screamed, spilled half her plate down the front of her shirt and turned bright red as she glared at me.

Of course the dog had a satisfied look on his face, like he'd just swiped his card at the Golden Corral and proceeded to go to work on all the food on the floor. My sister-in-law wasn't calling the pits "nanny dogs" that day.