i think she is referring to the fact there is no such breed as pitt bull, it is a generic misnomer applied to any big blockheaded dog by people ignorant of what an American Pit Bull Terrier really is.
And I don't care if it's misspelled where you're from, "pit" refers to the area in which they were matched. There is no such breed as "pit bull" and certainly nothing called a "pitt bull".
I have no idea how you treat your dogs, but proper APBT temperament does not include "protectiveness". They should not be human aggressive in any sense. They are friendly and generally unsuspecting of humans even in poor circumstances. They rarely stand up for their own safety, let alone that of their owners. Historically, this breed was not used for protection in any facet.
I'm going to provide some educational links. If you truly love this breed, you will read them, because you owe it to them to educate yourself.
Basic info:
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
On APBTs and people:
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo3.html
On APBTs and other dogs:
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo4.html