Education:
Educating dog owners and the general public on dog safety is a great way to cut down on dog attacks. Teaching people how to safely interact with dogs and basic rules about dogs that they don't know. Calgary, Canada has already started putting this idea into effect and have found it quite effective. Here is some of what they have found “Research shows that just 1 hour of dog safety training in grades 2 and 3 can reduce these attacks by 80%.” (Alternatives to BSL)
No where in my research on BSL laws have I seen it mentioned that they have reduced attacks by 80% or even close to that.
Also, educating parents and grandparents etc, on animal/ children safety could greatly reduce the number of attacks on children. You should never leave a young child unattended with a dog, or any animal for that matter, its just not safe. Children that have been attacked by family dogs that have been around said child its whole life, tend to be the results of the child being left alone with the dog and not properly supervised, not nasty or mean dogs. Any dog could snap and turn on somebody, esp a child who say, doesn’t realize the dog is in pain and jumps on them etc. As long as dogs and childrens interactions are supervised many dangerous situations can be avoided.
Leash Laws:
Enacting and enforcing strong leash laws is another very effective way to help reduce dog attacks and its easy to tell whether or not a dog has a leash on, unlike the difficulty of trying to determine the breed of some dogs. If a dog is on a leash the owner has control of it, even if said dog does lunge at someone. But leash laws can't just say you must have your dog on a leash. They also need to address dogs being tied out and left outside alone. Do...
... middle of paper ...
...d Dog Breeds." PawNat
ion. 7 Dec. 2012. 16 Feb. 2014
.
Picture Citations:
Fig 1. "Ban on Pit Bulls." Ban on Pit Bulls. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 2. "Many shelter dogs mislabeled 'pit bulls'" Toledo Blade. 04 May 2014. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 3. "Steven Morrissey (stevenmorrissey)." Pinterest. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 4. "Badass of the Week: Sergeant Stubby the War Dog." Badass of the Week: Sergeant Stubby the War Dog. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 5. "The BrikWars Forum:." • View topic. 04 May 2014 .
After World War I, there was an increase in bite reports by German Shepherd Dogs, a breed used by the Nazis. Pit bulls are the most recent breed of dog to be misjudged. In this paper, we reviewed the following questions about BSL: who is affected, why are they targeted, does BSL work, and is the media to blame? Pit bulls are targeted in this ineffective solution to dog attacks.
Moore, Benjamin. “Here’s Why You See So Many Pit Bulls In Shelters.” Barkpost. Barkpost. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016.
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
In recent years it has been the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime. To say “pit bull,” however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (“American Pit Bull Terrier”). The three standard pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that “substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Kennel Club” (Melvindale)....
"United Kennel Club: American Pit Bull Terrier. " Ukcdogs.com, 2013. Web. 27 Nov 2013.
Every year an estimated 4.5 million dog bites occur in the U.S. BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) is a law that suggests that certain breeds are more prone to aggression than others. By banning or restricting the breeds in question, it is believed to help reduce the number of attacks. BSL determines which breeds are dangerous using statistics. These statistics cannot be relied on for two reasons. One, there is no concrete method to determine a dog’s pedigree. Thus, a victim, animal control officer, or owner is trusted with identifying the dog through appearance. According to Scott and Fuller, authors of Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, “It has been known for decades that the cross-bred offspring of purebred dogs of different breeds often bear little or no resemblance to either their sires or dams (1965).” Visual assessments are questionable. Two, population is not accounted for. Population is important, in that it provides context to percentages. Because a dog’s breed is impossible to pinpoint, we cannot provide numbers. BSL’s cause is rendered useless when we consider these points.
The misrepresentation of Pit Bull breeds in the media has been reflected in American culture. As these dogs were incorporated into World War I propaganda, they were perceived as symbols of courage and strength, the archetype of American dog breeds5. When, in the 1920s and 1930s, American Staffordshire Terrier “Pete the Pup” starred in the comedy Our Gang, later known as The Little Rascals, Pit Bulls were considered “nanny dogs” and family-friendly pets7. When the media focused heavily on illegal dog fighting rings and gang culture in the 1970s and 1980s, Pit Bulls were called demonic and unpredictable. Through their many roles, they have shown versatility and resilience, and lately they have suffered greatly.
Dogs have impacted the lives of 44% of American families and homes. People use dogs for much more than just a family friend. Dogs are used for special needs, assisting police, and hunting and tracking. Dogs should be appreciated and never taught to fight or be neglected. Dog fighting is unethical because man’s best friend shouldn’t have to fight for their lives.
The. Olsen, Kimberly R, and Julie K. Levy. Pit Bull Identification in Shelters. MaddiesFund.org -. University of Florida, 22 July 2011.
PETA states that, since before the 1920’s there has been animal experimentation. Not until President Lyndon Johnson signed the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (LAWA) in 1966, animals in the United States had no protection in laboratories, circuses, and zoos over breeding, transportation, housing, feeding, and veterinary care. The LAWA is now called the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). (Williams, and DeMello)
Dogs should be trained to be around people and other pets at an early age. Training a dog to listen and obey is the most important factor (Marketwire). A dog can simply be bored and want to play aggressively. No matter the breed a dog can always be trained not to be violent (“CAUSES OF DOG”). An improperly trained dog can turn out to be mean and aggressive. Also allowing your dog to practice these behaviors will cause them to adapt to them. Exposing a dog to new things will help it become comfortable with them and recognize them. Dogs use their bark as an alarming system (Marketwire). Knowing when and why a dog is aggressive is a key factor for changing this
Many people familiar with dogs cannot accurately identify the main breed of a mutt and will incorrectly identify it as a "pit bull" type.
There are a lot of facts and information about pit bulls that the public does not know. The media blows things way out of proportion with this breed of dog and doing simple research can shed some light. “There are three main types of ‘pit bulls,’ they are the Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers” (Pit Bull Rescue Center). The Staffordshire bull terrier is originally from England. When it was brought over to the states it was bred with other terriers and the American Staffordshire came to be. Often times people classify dogs that look a certain way as pit bulls, when in fact they are an entirely different breed or a mix of some sort.
The American Pit Bull is considered as a genuine breed because there are various breeds of pit bull that could have been mixed with other dogs. Pit bulls were raised for baiting larger animals during the hunting seasons. With the faithfulness of t...
The ugly truth is that animals are dying at the hands of their owners everyday, some in very violent ways that can be avoided given the right solution. Slaughterhouses, puppy mills, dog fighting, and so on, are just a few examples of how animals are being treated badly by people. Animal cruelty is a form of violence which, unfortunately, sometimes goes hand in hand with child abuse.... ... middle of paper ... ... Also, violence towards animals needs to be included in assessments for child protective services, in order to better prevent animals being placed in dangerous hands.