Petey from Little Rascals

There are a lot of people out there today who have an opinion on whether specific breed targeting (“banning”) is a good thing or bad thing. Most advocates of the BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) believe that certain types of dogs should be banned, and in some states and countries this has already taken effect. Others believe in the punishment for the crime, not the breed. I believe that this debate will  go on forever; you will have people on either sides that are unable to hear the other side’s point of view. 

At the moment “Pitbulls” are the number one target for persecution.  It usually ends being what the popular dog of the day is, and pitbulls are that dog today. Just look at Petey there to your right, Pitbulls were loved when the media showed them for something other than violent, vicious man eating dogs  like they did in Little Rascals. Pitbulls were thought to be loyal and trustworthy a long time ago. Now, unfortuanetly a completely different image pops in the minds of people when they hear “Pitbull”.

All dogs bite, they all have teeth and they all are capable of biting. Obviously getting bit by a German Shepard, Pit or Rott is going to be more severe and damaging then getting bit by a miniature dog such a small Poodle, Shitzu, Pomeranian or a Chihuahua; although you are more likely to get bitten by one of the smaller dogs than the bigger ones.

Why do dogs bite?

Dogs can bite for many reasons; they may bite if they feel threatened, angry, afraid or hurt. I was always taught as a young kid to never show fear to a dog or they will bite. We never owned any dogs when I was a kid, but for some reason I remember being told that and I think maybe these days people are more fixated on what’s being told and shown on TV and through the media instead of thinking about it logically or even really trying to understand the situation.

Yes, there are dumb ass owners out there that do not know how to train or take care of a dog, and sometimes certain things can make a dog more aggressive, like being locked up all the time away from people and other animals, or getting physically and mentally abused.

Socialization is a huge part of a dog’s personality, if they are not allowed to be around people and other animals, they will bite and attack things they fear and do not know.  If you socialize your dog at a young age with people and other animals, in the dogs mind they are no longer afraid of the unknown and they have a better chance of not reacting in a defensive way.

The bond between a child and a dog can be great for that child’s emotional and physical health, but kids need to be educated on what not to do with a dog in the house as well. Young children under the age of 10 usually don’t know how to treat a dog, they think they are toys that they can do whatever they want with. As the parent and dog owner, it’s important that parents are encouraged to show their children how to treat all dogs with the greatest respect for their own personal safety.

Kids Safety around Dogs:

• Teach them to never go face to face with any dog, or even going down to their level would be bad.
• Dogs are protective in nature; kids need to know that even though the neighbor’s dog for instance has always been friendly to them, that dogs will almost always protect their own space and the space of their owners. Eating and sleeping areas, yards, porches, and parked cars are some examples. Most dog bites of small children are from dogs that they are already familiar with, like a neighbor’s dog or family dog.
• Kids should always be taught not to approach stray dogs, you never know what the temperament of the dog is, and better to stay away than to take a chance with a stray. No different from telling them to never talk to strangers.
• Sick or injured dogs may be afraid or irritable and should be avoided by children.
• Most children’s dog bite injuries occur during play with a dog they know. A dog that is excited or nervous can bite by mistake. Children should be taught not to play fight, tease, yell at, or chase dogs or other animals.
• Do not leave your kids alone with a dog, especially children under 10, no matter how good you think your dog is.

Dog bites can happen with any dog at anytime, in my opinion to single out one breed as more dangerous as another is irresponsible and ignorant. The reason I believe people are so quick to judge the pits, rots and other labeled “dangerous” dogs is fear, or just plain don’t understand it. The media loves dog bites involving Pitbulls and Pit mixes and they will cause more fear than good from doing so.

Now, on the other side of that is some dogs when they do bite it will hurt more than others. German Sheppards, Labs, and some other bigger breed dogs are known to bite and bite hard too, but you don’t hear about those as much anymore. When you get a specific breed that is popular, like the pitbull is currently, you get a lot of over breeding, misconceptions, and incest breeding to meet demand. It’s the oldest thing, supply and demand.

I will end this with just saying being a responsible person, whether you are a parent, dog owner, even someone who doesn’t like animals, having at least some basic understanding of dogs will help avoid potential bad situations.  Hope this helps some people understand the fears a little bit more. I know some people are set in their ways and no matter what it’s all blah blah to them, but I think understanding things and how they work is better than just assuming that things should be a certain way. Have a good day

-JW