In a sense you are both correct.  You are correct because they are both decendent from the same set of dogs.  The AmStaf is a decendent of the same gene pool as a true APBT, the only difference is in the registration.  The AKC does not recognize “Pit Bulls” as being a specific breed.  The AmStaf is very similar, though more selectively bred and with SLIGHTLY different breed standads.  Howeve, AmStafs can, in fact, be double registered with other registries, such as the United Kennel Club, AS PITS, but Pits (even if they are pure bred and have papers from another registry,) can not be reistered with the AKC as AmStafs.  They are essentially the same genetically though.  The owners and breeders of AmStafs would argue that thier breed is different than an APBT because they have different breed standards, but, for anybody but those showing AmStafs, that’s just a formality.  I guess, in the long run, all dog breeds have worked the same though; they are selectively bred until they are genetically different from the breed from whence they orriginated.  So, who knows, maybe in the future AmStafs will be a very unique and separate breed from APBTs’.  But, leaning to your side, I do not believe that is currently the case.  Currently, both breeds are decendents from the same gene pool and there is not enough difference genetically for them to be considered entirely separate from one another.  Most of the difference lies in how their parents were registered.  In fact, the AKC didn’t even recognize a difference up untill 1936.  On the other end of the argument, both the APBT and AmStafs are very different from their English cousins, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Wow.  I’d never heard of this before, so I looked them up.  I have to say, I’m a little skeptical.  They may work, who knows?   The only thing that I can say is that, without the training/behavior modification, it’s just a temporary fix.  If it’s just used by its self and the dog’s root anxieties aren’t addressed, eventually any effect it did have will wear off as  the dog becomes accustomed to it.  Having said that, it would certainly be cheaper to just address the issues first.  This is just my skeptical opinion, but I would be very interested to see if anybody has experience with these, “pressure wraps.”

Some of this is just natural.  One of the things you’ll find is that pits are very, shall we say, clingy.  They quickly bond with the people or person who cares for them.  He may be a little down at first, if he has troubles at night try a warm water bottle wrapped in something fuzzy.  The warmth and something to cuddle up with will comfort him. I don’t suggest you do what we did and let him get in the habit of sleeping on the bed with you.  They grow up fast and become TERRIBLE bed hogs!  Kaos spent the night last night on his back, all fours in the air, squashed between my husband and I, for all the world like a little kid after a bad dream.  At any rate, just love on him and let him adjust.  He will soon be following you EVERYWHERE and crying if he can’t.  You don’t need to worry about him missing his mother and siblings for too long, he will love you wholeheartedly in a matter of weeks.  It’s very characteristic of the breed, part of the reason we all love them so much.

If you have baseball diamonds or tennis courts with gates in your community, they’re a FANTASTIC plase to let your dogs loose.  Sometimes the leash is just too much restraint and they want to run. Fenced in areas where you can let them run and play are great.  We take Kaos to the dog park sometimes, but can’t let him loose because he isn’t neutered.  Taking him to ball fields has been a beautiful substitute.  He gets to stretch and run, without worrying about other dogs or stupid people who cause problems just because he’s a pit.  Try letting him run loose a few times and see if he’s more willing to walk quietly on the leash for you.  He’s just like a teenager, feeling hemmed in.

Not to worry!  You’ll b full of stories before too long.  Kaos cracks me up. I wish I could post videos! I have a bunch on my phone.  He provides hours of entertainment and I dare say that he’s well entertained by us too.  He gets that look on his face like, “Mom, I’m not sure what you’re doing, but you look REDICULOUS doing it!”  Then we all laugh.  They are so funny and just a blast to be around.  They’re just so full of spunk and personality.  Plus, they really are just so much better when they’re feroucious.  Lol. The do all sorts of funny things, like run from Chihuahua’s and hide from the Jack Russel terriers.  Ha ha.  Kaos hid from two Jack Russels when they came out to maul him and Digs, our 15 year old golden retriever mix, on our walk last night.  He was hiding behind my legs when he realized “Grandma” was about to be eaten by these two little horrors.  He got brave, growled once, but ended up just inspecting Grandma for injuries (much to her irritation,) after we were out of harms way.

I am glad to see somebody taking an unbias stance in this debate.  I agree with you on the naughty owner/naughty, provoking jogger theory.  It is true that sometimes dogs just bite, for whatever reason seemed good to them at the time, and it’s not a breed specific thing.  However, I would caution you to do your research well, as it seems you are.  Lack if evidence is not proof of anything.  Not all dog bites/attacks are reported in the news.  Reporters are after sensationalized, reader-grabbing, paper-selling stories.  Not one about a poodle that bit a child.  Unfortunatelly, as far as your query, I am but a lowly expert on my dogs alone.  I am afraid that your quest for unslanted view points may not be best met on this web site.  We are here because we love our pits, not to be unbiased and objective. If I were you, I would do a web search for experts on animal, specifically canine, behavior and see if anybody is available for a chat.  Universities provide a wealth of information, and if you can get ahold of somebody who specializes in the animal behavior field it would look very nice in an article.  If you have a facebook page you could also look up the site, Bless the Bullys.  They have published a couple articles lately that you may find interesting, including one about dog bite statistics in areas that support BSL. However, I would stay away from government agencies for anything other than area-specific stats.  Unfortunatelly, government agencies can be the worst for taking sides in politically charged debates.  In fact, in one county, I won’t mention specific names, the gentleman in charge of the animal shelter was fired for failure to comply with training requirements.  This particular gentleman had enacted a policy that barred the shelter from accepting or adopting out any dog with “pit bull” like features (another article published on Bless the Bullys.)  At any rate, I wish you luck and I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.  Just out of curiosity, since all these attacks were in the same area, within a short amount of time, have you looked into the possibility of these dogs being from the same blood lines?

Lol.  You’re welcome!  I used to LOVE puppies.  I’ve now had enough of the potty training, the biting, the chewing etc. to last a life time!!  I happily adopted my parents geizer, rather than do the puppy training again, although, I may still end up cleaning up accidents as she is 14 (if my grandmother-in-law is any example, the dog will forget where she’s supposed to go to the bathroom 😀 )  My advice, don’t let your pup get away with anything you won’t like when he or she is 60 or 70 lbs.  Be consistant and use common sense and you’ll be okay.  Just be aware that this breed, while fantastic, is VERY stuborn.  Stick to your guns and don’t let things slide now, otherwise your pup will take the bit and run with it.