Thanks for the compliment.
A lot of pitties do not deal well with other dogs, for what its worth. (You probably know all this already but I am putting it out there for those who don't.)
So do not let a pittie interact with other dogs unsupervised, even if there have never been any incidents in the past. I also don't let my dog (Redhead) interact with my baby (Lilia) unsupervised, even though he has never been aggressive to anyone ever for any reason or provocation (including strangers touching his injured leg and a vet sticking her finger up his butt).
As far as avoiding the "crazy pitbull" stories we all read about: first, a dog's character is mostly his genetics. So I would either get an adult dog (so you know what his character is) or a pup from a solid responsible breeder.
Also, a tired dog is a good dog, and pitties are very physical, drivey critters. If you have a fenced-in area, a long hard round of fetch is a lifesaver.
Another thing you can do is make your dog work. For instance, Redhead has to follow some commands to get his breakfast, has to sit at the door when we go out for his walk, etc..
Read Ed Frawley's (Leerburg Kennels) articles on dog training, they are very good and down-to-earth.
