Dude, I'm not trying to put down or slam you or Rottweilers and if its come across as that I apologize. I know a couple of Rotts I consider to be WONDERFUL family pets.
I just see you spouting stuff about you Rotts that you turn right around and accuse pitbull owners of saying at the same time. I found the way you posted everything both ironic and slightly disturbing in the closemindedness. Almost every person out there is biased towards the dog breeds they own or have owned. Thats pretty much a given. They will also have one or two breeds, maybe more, they just don't like for various reasons, some real, some percieved, some increadibly biased and false.
I was basically trying to say that, but I fucked it up somewhere between my brain and the computer screen.
I understand what you are saying. But I never said that Rotties were never at one point the same as pitbulls are in the public eye, although I believe if you add in the dog fighting problem, the pitbull issue is much greater in this day and age. I also agree that an out-of-control Rottweiler is much more dangerous than an out-of-control pitbull, and to me I think that is because pitbulls are generally more amiable with people, even the ones that aren't trained well. I am not close minded at all. I mean, to use my obedience training club, which is the biggest in Philadelphia, I have never seen any pitbull past the beginners/puppy class. None. Every thursday since my dog was 5 months old, and I have never seen a pitbull in a higher level obedience class than beginner. That is over 100 dogs, easily. Isn't this saying something that not even 1 out of 100 people are even trying to teach their dog how to come/sit/stay, shit, to maybe even possibly pass the CGC?
My overall point is something that you said:
"At the same time, I've met way more pitbull owners who flat out do increadibly stupid things with their dogs, setting themselves up for problems with the dog and are completely oblivious to what they are doing."
When I said 95% of pitbull owners are idiots, that is what I meant. They buy the breed for all the wrong reasons and are too lazy to take care of it, while simultaneously being completely ignorant to the guidance the breed actually needs and will not accept the facts if problems begin to arise. And I am also agreeing with you that during the 80s, ( I was about 5 years old so my memory is a little shot =P), I am sure that Rottie's were on the same plane as pitbulls in this degree, just as I'm sure was the case with GSD's and Dobie's.