I, too, own a big "pit bull" (mix of half pit bull, half bull mastiff), and second everything you said! (My dog is the silliest, sweetest, wiggliest dog on earth!) Where I live (Madison, WI), people don't treat pitbull owners with open derision. At least not in my personal experience. We love pits! In fact, our humane society took posession of some 40 or more pits (bred for fighting) that were seized in a drug case. The list was a mile long to adopt those dogs, if any were deemed suitable (few eventually were). I'm so sorry you have to deal with jerks while walking that gorgeous dog. If I walked pass you, I'd stop you and ask about her!