American Pit Bull Terrier is a very brave dog and one should not confuse his courage with the bellicosity. On the contrary the real courage consists in self-possessed ability to evaluate right the menacing situation and to react adequately.
The independent fight conduct has formed a dog capable to make decisions regardless of a person. The dog can distinguish the genuine threat from the supposed one; he does not need a particular training in order to defend his owner.

Some consider that the result of the endurance is the nervous system degeneration that makes dogs insensible to a pain. However, the observations show that Pit Bulls possess the excitability. Their endurance to the pain can be explained by worked out capability to overcome the pain in the course of a fight. Or maybe the passion to fight excels the pain.

However his obstinacy makes the training not easy work, but it never means that he does not yield to it. Together with aggression regarding to his similar congeners the fighting ring favored the development of such dog that is well disposed towards a human up to the possibility to separate fighting dogs with bare hands.
Beside 2 fighting dogs there are 3 persons as a rule as well on the ring: a referee and 2 handlers that let dogs go. In the course of the fight they encourage dogs with a voice and at the end of the fight they separate them. Besides, there are hot-tempered spectators in immediate vicinity from the ring.
If the dogs represented any danger to people, the battles were not been conducted. Moreover, the dogs of this breed (that were correctly bred) never bite their owners, even if they cause them pain (e.g, during treatment), what cannot be said about the dogs of other breeds.

However in spite of that these dog breeds are not dangerous for people, nevertheless one must spend much attention. One needs to approach to this matter with a very seriousness, because in case of wrong treatment and encouragement to aggression the dog may become dangerous for the people around you.
Pitbull Terriers possess also other qualities: the power that is unusual for their relatively not great size, good health and strong nervous system.
Besides, pit bull terriers are reliable, energetic, active and industrious dogs. They are devoted to their owner and members of his family, love children. And Pit Bull Terriers treat children very carefully, understanding their force. The dogs are quickly trained and do with pleasure all exercises proposed to them.
 
Pitbull Terriers are very patient.

Pit Bull Terriers possess still one quality: they quickly become attached to their new owners. The reason for this is that in the past one often used to sell adult fighting dogs. This tradition has gone away to the past and the dogs adapt very easy in new surroundings today.
All these qualities allow using pit bulls as guards on farms and bodyguards. Time and again pit bulls were successfully applied at military service. Besides, not infrequently the dogs of this dog breed are used as therapeutic agent in hospitals and nursing homes. They showed great results at competitions in weight pulling, protection work, obedience competitions, agility etc. 
In spite of all the above many people without an idea about how the dog fights are conducted can think that pit bull terriers are aggressive, dangerous for people, for other dogs, for cats and do not able to become good family members. But in fact it is not so: dog fights are based not on the aggression and malice towards each other, but on craft, power and nervous system strength.
And the dogs do not fight, but more exactly, wrestle.

Pit Bull Terrier can easy get on with a cat in the same apartment, but anyway he will chase other cats.

In conclusion one should add that the character of even intelligent and pure-bred dog can turn into worse if he is bred wrongly, is not fed, and is treated badly and vice versa. Much depends on the very owner, on his treatment towards his pet. When good relations are formed from the first day, it will turn into faithful companion and in case of need it will be able to defend any family member.