“But when I see a pit, I start thinking of defensive strategies.”
Yep. Although the two pit bulls I have known were very friendly and all they wanted to do was cuddle. Still, even a well-behaved dog might “nip” if touched the wrong way. It is one thing to get a “nip” from a normal dog compared to a pit with the massive jaw and muscles they have.
A friend takes in rescue pits. He says they were/are also called “nanny dogs” as they can be trained to be well behaved around children, but are also protective.
I put the blame on the owners rather than the dogs.
I remember a grandmother that would loudly but jokingly threaten to spank the grandkids. The kids would sit on the couch and the pits would lay across their laps so they couldn’t be moved.