I know lots of people have very strong opinions about pit bulls. Those of us who have one generally adore them. Those who don't, generally hate them. To be honest, I see both sides.

We got our pit-mix as a four month old puppy from the pound. I thought she was cute, but she had me sold when I took her into one of the private 'bonding rooms' and she immediately curled up in a ball on my lap. Done. Finished. I was in love.

We took her home to our other two dogs, and even though it was a little rough at first, it didn't take long before we were one big happy family.

From the get-go we spoiled Abby. She slept in our bed, we carried her around, she went everywhere with us. When I'd get home from work I'd immediately pick her up and carry her on my hip like a baby. She loved it! This was all well and good when she was 25 pounds, but then she grew. It wasn't quite as fun to have a 65 pound dog expect you to pick her up when you got home.

And then she started being weird about the leash. She knew the leash meant she would get to go for a walk, so she'd try to grab it from our hands. At first it was funny because she'd get a hold of it and run around the house like she was giving herself a walk. But then it wasn't so funny anymore because she couldn't control herself when she saw the leash.

Then she started getting weird about food. From the day we brought her home she acted as though she were a starving dog. If it was time to eat, man, she was front and center, hardly able to contain herself. But, after a little while, she started growling at the other dogs if they walked within a five foot radius of her bowl. Then she did it if we walked towards her, too.

We knew this was not a good thing. So we started training her. If she growled, we'd take her bowl away. If she tried to jump at the leash, we'd squirt her with water. If she behaved, man, we praised her like crazy. And she's learned. She knows that the food belongs to us. She knows she has to sit to have the leash put on her. She knows she's not to jump at me when I walk in the door. It's all a matter of steady-handed training.

When I look at my sweet pit, I worry. It's not because I'm worried she'll hurt someone. I'm not. She's the most docile dog you'll ever see around little kids. But, I worry because there's a fear out there surrounding pit bulls, and it's a very legitimate fear. The fact is, pits are STRONG. One freakish bite and they could seriously injure a person. And I take responsibility accordingly. She's always on a leash outside. She's never left outside for long periods of time in the backyard. I don't let her get around strange dogs. And I always make her sit before anyone pets her.

I worry because people don't understand all the wonderful traits pits have. My pit is the only one of my three dogs who comes up to me and very gently places her paws on either side of my head to give me a 'hug.' My pit is the only one who wants to curl up in my lap and cuddle. My pit will sit in my lap (while I'm in a chair) just like a little kid would. She loves to go for long runs, she loves to play with the other dogs, she loves kids, she loves people.

I love my dog, and I love her hugs. If I were ever forced to give her up, just because she was a pit bull, that would be a very sad day. I'm all for mandatory training, or mandatory veterinary analysis, or any other mandatory requirement for owners of pit bulls. Like I said, I want to be the most responsible pit owner out there. But, I'm not for breed restriction. There are way too many sweet pits, rottweilers, and chows out there to restrict a person's ownership of these breeds. I hope you'll fight against breed-restrictions in your community because its not about the breed, its about the dog and the owner.