A Miniature Poodle bites a child, breaking the skin, and the media hype is nonexistent. There isn’t even a hospital visit following the incident. A pit bull bites a child but does not break the skin, and the media swarms the home like a nest of aggravated hornets.
Considering that neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has ever issued a report or press release naming the types of dogs most likely to bite, it seems breed bans are a knee-jerk reaction to what experts say is not actually the cause of the problem.
The AVMA report, published from research collected by the AVMA Task Force on Canine Aggression, states:
“There are several reasons why it is not possible to calculate a bite rate for a breed or to compare rates between breeds. First, the breed of the biting dog may not be accurately recorded, and mixed-breed dogs are commonly described as if they were purebreds. Second, the actual number of bites that occur in a community is not known, especially if they did not result in serious injury. Third, the number of dogs of a particular breed or combination of breeds in a community is not known, because it is rare for all dogs in a community to be licensed, and existing licensing data is then incomplete.”
If This Is True, Do Breed Bans Work?
It seems every decade or so, a new breed must be demonized. In the 1970s, it was the German Shepherd. In the 1980s, it was the Doberman Pinscher, with the hype somewhat fueled by the TV show Magnum P.I., where two male Dobermans, Apollo and Zeus, kept Tom Selleck on his toes. In the 1990s, it was the pit bull and bull breeds. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) quickly followed, but do breed bans actually work?
BSL ranges from requiring certain breeds to be spayed or neutered to outright banning the breed entirely. Many countries have added breeds to the list of those to be banned, including Rottweilers, Japanese Tosa Inu, American Bulldogs, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario, and Presa Mallorquin.
Since the implementation of breed bans, many countries have repealed these laws after realizing that they did not actually reduce the incidents of dog bites or attacks. In fact, in the United Kingdom, one of the first adopters of BSL in 1991 with the strictest rules, reported in 2008 that dog attacks had increased by 50% in the previous decade. If anything, this proves that breed bans do not work and may actually lower public safety. Considering that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is nicknamed the ‘nanny dog’ in the UK for being particularly good with children, one would think they would reconsider their stance based on the breed’s history, not the hype created by a single incident.
A 2006 study in Australia titled Breed-Specific Legislation and the Pit Bull Terrier: Are the Laws Justified? concluded that “the evidence does not sustain the view that pit bulls are a uniquely dangerous breed, and breed-specific laws aimed to control it have not been demonstrated by authorities to be justified by its attack record.”
Unfortunately, breed bans paint every member of the breed with the same brush while ignoring the actual problem: irresponsible ownership. The majority of pit bulls and other banned breeds are perfect members of canine society—loving, playful, well-behaved, and endearing pets much loved by their owners.
Owned by an irresponsible owner, any dog can become dangerous. Just ask the Californian family of the two-month-old baby who was killed by their 5lb Pomeranian, or the Canadian mail carrier who was seriously mauled by a pack of Chihuahuas. Conscientious pet owners understand what it takes to keep their pets happy, healthy, socialized, and safe.
Thankfully, many countries have repealed their breed ban laws and adopted responsible pet ownership models. Educating pet owners is one side of the coin, but the other is working with parents to educate their children on how to behave around dogs. On average, 70% of reported dog bites occur in children aged 12 and under. Never leave a child alone with any pet, and teaching children how to approach and behave around dogs is the most effective way to lower dog bite incidents in any community.
Do breed bans work? No. Responsible pet ownership is the only solution to preventing dog bites and attacks.