I mean people who have owned dogs before and know what they are getting them self into. Getting a rottweiler or a pitbull is not a good choice if you have never owned a dog before and got zero experience.
Where does one draw the line as "good beginner" breed?
I have had apbt
literally all my life. I was raised with the breed and have done rescue for as long as I can remember and taking favor on the breed. That said, with everything I have seen (which has not always been pretty), I
still believe this is one of the best singular family dog breeds in existence.
-They're extremely tolerant, when bred well (which is becoming more and more scarce), they are incredibly resilient and honestly the
best breed of dog for inexperienced or heavy handed trainers because these dogs just keep trying no matter how badly you break them down, they have a phenomenal off switch but can play for hours when requested, they can adjust their strength per play mate with ease (unlike many breeds who shamelessly plow through a weaker playmate), and they truly love children (again, when bred well).
This breed is actually
not a difficult breed to own. It wasn't at least, until people started to believe every dog in existence should be best buddies with it's neighbor. This breed is not the breed if you want puppy play dates with strangers at the park. This breed is a wonderful dog for the family, great for children, great for hiking, great for farm work, great for most everything. They do maintain dog aggression most of the time and they can have some of the worst separation anxiety I have ever seen. These two flaws come from history and breeding. These two flaws are perfectly handle-able when raised responsibly with love and respect. They're not insanely active chewers, ime, they're not hyper demon puppies, they're not sensitive to change, they're not distrusting of strangers, they're rarely alarm barkers, they're commonly just plain ol' dogs and while many people breeding them today are trying their daymnest to ruin this trait it still remains in well bred dogs.
Would I say a puppy rescue pit bull is the best first time dog for a family? Eh, with research and reasonable expectations, yes. Would I say a
well bred puppy (or an
adult rescue pit bull) is the best first time dog for a family? You bet your butt I would.