For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, there is a rather heated discussion going on over at the Fully Vetted blog on PetMD. The subject is Ban the Behavior, Not the Breed. Needless to say, pit bulls and pit bull breeds are at the center of the discussion.
I would like to consider myself, for the most part, a fairly open-minded person. There are many issues in which I can appreciate and even respect the opinions of others even when they are not in agreement with my own. However, this is one issue on which I must admit to being completely close-minded. I simply cannot understand how any person can support banning any canine breed or group of breeds based solely on the fact that the dogs in question may be aggressive.
My Personal Experience with Pit Bulls and Pit Bull-Type Dogs
As a veterinarian, I have met and worked with many pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs. I do not find them, as a group, to be any more aggressive by nature than any other breed of dog. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they tend to be less aggressive than a few other breeds.
Just as an example, two of the technicians in my veterinary hospital own a pit bull. She’s a very sweet loving dog and spends a great deal of time around a lot of children. She has never injured nor threatened any of these children.
As a result of my experiences, I agree with Dr. Coates when she says “Ban the behavior, not the breed.” I also believe that, whether the dog is a pit bull breed or any other breed of dog, the owners of the dog need to take responsibility for properly training and controlling their dog.
Do Breed Bans and Other Forms of Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) Prevent Dog Bite Injuries?
In a word, no! There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that breed bans and BSL stop or even reduce dog bite injuries. In fact, in some areas, these breed bans have actually been lifted because they simply were not effective.
It was also suggested by one commentor on the Fully Vetted blog that a breed ban should be imposed because of the high numbers of these dogs that are euthanized for lack of a home. If someone can explain to me how this makes any sense at all, I’m listening. I truly don’t understand the logic of thinking like that.
It was also suggested that, as a veterinarian, I only see a small subset of these dogs and that many pit bull owners never bring their dogs to a veterinarian. My answer to that is that these are the types of owners that we should be targeting, regardless of what breed they own. In almost all communities, rabies vaccines are mandatory and must be administered by a veterinarian. In addition, if your dog regularly runs loose unsupervised or is tethered in your backyard for long periods of time, you are not a responsible pet owner and you are the biggest part of the problem. If your dog shows aggressive tendencies which are not dealt with, or worse yet, if you encourage aggressive tendencies in your dog, you are very much part of the problem. Dogs do what dogs do. As a civilized society, it’s up to us to make sure that our dog’s behaviors are appropriate and to change them if they are not.
What Can We Do to Prevent Dog Bites and Dog Bite Injuries
We can start by holding irresponsible pet owners responsible for their dog’s actions. This is true regardless of what breed of dog a person owns. And it’s as true for Chihuahuas as it is for pit bulls. Even small dogs need to learn manners.
We can also teach our children how to interact properly with a dog. A large number of bites involve children and family pets. I’m not saying that it is always the child’s fault and I certainly do feel sympathy for any child that is injured. However, it is important for a child to respect the family dog and understand when the dog is signalling that he wishes to be left alone. That means teaching our children how to understand a dog’s body language. For many of us, that lesson may need to begin with the adults. There are far too many adults that do not recognize the signs that a dog is fearful, tired, irritable or just needs some private time. And, it should go without saying that small children should always be supervised when interacting with the family dog.
Children also need to be taught not to approach a strange dog without asking permission from the owner first. I know some adults that need to learn this lesson too! Programs such as “Be a Tree” are a good way for children to learn how to properly interact with dogs.
In addition, spay/neuter programs are helpful as are outreach programs that teach responsible pet ownership. There are a number of things that we can do, as individuals and as a community, that help reduce the possibility of a dog bite. Any one of these suggestions is much more effective than a breed ban or breed-specific legislation.
Photo Courtesy of tanozzo/Flickr.com
