Dangerous Dogs by Erinn Coleman
The Pitbull terrier, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and Doberman Pinscher are well known for being dangerous dog breeds. But what makes these dogs more dangerous than other dogs? Dog attacks are a common problem throughout the world, more specifically in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Safia Gray Hussain, “Dog bites now rank among the top causes of nonfatal injuries, and are responsible second only to baseball and softball injuries for emergency room visits.” (Hussain 2850).
Breeds such as the Pitbull were not always considered dangerous, in fact, as stated by Erin C. Tarver “‘Breed’-specific danger is a comparatively recent development, as Staffordshire Terriers were, in the early twentieth
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In the late 1980’s breeds such as the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler were dubbed as fighting types and were considered problematic due to their association with criminal activity.
These dogs were used as weapons, as well as deterrents for the police and for fighting. Later, in 1991 the Pitbull terrier was popularized by the media when many of the attacks being reported were associated with the breed (Oxley 424). Due to the high number of attacks, the United Kingdom quickly passed the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. Lydia Bleasdale-Hill describes The Dangerous Dogs Act as “[A] response to a number of attacks by dogs on children in particular, and has been described as ‘a synonym for any unthinking reflex legislative response to media hype.’” The act placed a
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Hussain states that “There are approximately sixty-eight million dogs kept as pets in the United States. Every year, these dogs bite an estimated four to five million Americans, representing about two percent of the population...” According to J.T. Quirk, “dog bites are a significant cause of injury, particularly among children.” Based on Quirk’s research “National estimates presented [in the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) were based on weighted data for 25,709 patients treated for dog bite-related injuries at NEISS-AIP hospital emergency departments from 2005 to 2009.” That estimates roughly to 6,427 people per year being treated for dog bite-related injuries. Quirk also states that “It has been estimated that 1,615,426 persons… were treated in US emergency departments for non-fatal dog bite-related injuries between 2005 and 2009, for a corresponding average annual injury rate of 107.2 … per 100,000 population.” Males accounted for 53.9 percent of the injuries sustained making the rate of males 1.2 times higher than females. Rates were highest in children under the age of 15 at 95 percent (Quirk 300-302). Data on dog attacks seems more accessible in the United Kingdom, where the dangerous dog stigma began. Based on the research of Páraic Ó Súilleabháin, in Ireland “there was a total of
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.
Has society unfairly ostracized the entire breed or is the vicious reputation true? Critics claim that pit bulls attack indiscriminately and often without warning. In a study taken from U.S. and Canada press reports between 1982 and 2014, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7, found that pit bulls were the most responsible for inflicting bodily harm (as cited by DogsBite.org). However, it should be noted that attacks involving pit bulls often are catastrophic and result in responses from police and paramedics and news media reporters. According to news reports studied by DogsBite.org for “the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62% of the total recorded deaths” (DogsBite.org). All of the pit bull breeds possess powerful jaws, and Nicholas Dodman, author of Dogs Behaving Badly, reports “when they do chomp down, it can be a bloodbath” (as quoted by Rivenburg).
Pit bulls, the most dangerous dog to ever live. People like to train Pit Bulls to fight other dogs until they are either hurt or dead. The owners that train the dogs are usually the ones that make the dog turn out to be vicious and dangerous. “Each year, 1.2 million dogs are euthanized, approximately 40% of whom are Pit Bulls”(Moore). Pit Bulls don’t know better to understand which is right from wrong since they’re being raised up to fight and protect. Pit Bulls aren’t good family dogs due to the power of their strength and that they could attack at any moment.
There are plenty controversial issues about bully breeds and whether they are acceptable or safe dogs to own. In July a woman was mauled in her yard and killed by a dog in Montreal. Due to this unfortunate incident the mayor Denis Coderre created a bill called BSL (Breed-Specific Legislation) which was approved by the legislation. This bill states that determined by their breed or pitbull features “American Pitbull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs or any dog with strains of these breeds” will be unadoptable; they must wear a muzzle in public as well as a leash that’s 4 feet long and in most cases they will be euthanized due to their breed. BSL should be reversed because the real problem is irresponsible dog owners, the irresponsible owners will just switch breeds and any dog has the potential to hurt someone.
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.... ...
National Canine Research Council. Investigative Report for Dog-Bite Related Fatalities 2009. National Canine Research Council, 2010. 6-48. Print.
When most people today see a pitbull they see it as a monster who could snap at any moment. Something that they should protect themselves and their family from; but that is not necessarily true. Is any one man or woman exactly like the last? A human being’s personality along with their capacity for violence is molded by their past and how they were treated growing up; pit bulls are no different. In today’s society pitbulls are unfairly discriminated against because they are favored among street gangs and dog fighting rings, leaving a staggering number of loyal and loving dogs homeless or mistreated.
There are breeds that can be classified as outlaws. How can that be? It is like judging a book by its cover, and is not that frowned upon? Society has gone so far with this that there are even laws banning pit bulls in certain counties. Fines have been put in place and outrageous insurance policies must be purchased simply to own a dog. A dog is just that, a dog, until someone comes along and makes it into a monster. A dog may be bred to do something and can be trained to do an entirely different thing. For example, pit bulls have been bred to be nanny dogs. They are supposed to protect babies and ultimately care for them like they would their own pups. Some people have taken this instinct and turned it into something horrid. They have twisted the dogs mind into thinking that it has to fight to protect something all the time. Pit bulls have been classified as vicious and harmful animals. This is discrimination and is because of media skewing stories, ignorant people that refuse to listen to hard facts, and public attitudes and opinions. These laws against breeds are unconstitutional; there is no legislative basis for these laws.
Even though pit bulls are the majority of dog attacks anybody hears about, they are loyal and caring dogs. All they want is the love and approval of their owners. They will do anything that they are told to do. Their strength, stamina, and speed fuel the passion they have for their owners. Pit bulls are not vicious by nature; they are good guard dogs fueled by the love for their family; and, they are definitely loyal friends. They have a lower temperament than many other well-known breeds; therefore, they are not vicious by nature at all. They are very strong guard dogs. Pit bulls are known to be a scary breed, so people stay away from them. They have an amazing amount of speed and stamina that they can use to chase predators away, too. Pit bulls are the best friends anyone could ask for. They are loyal and loving creatures that just want to please their family. They are good dogs to train to be around children. If the children are a part of the dog’s family, then the dog will protect the child at all costs. Pit bulls are a good breed to have as a family
Some people think that pit-bulls are just naturally born to fight, they aren't, it is their owners who put them up to it. A dog weather it's a Rottweiler, Doberman or Pit, is completely loyal to it's owner and
Some people need to stop assuming that all Pitbulls are mean and can hurt you.
Nationwide, approximately 50 percent of all children will be bitten by a dog before they reach the age of twelve (DeIorio, “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer”). In Marion County, Florida, aggressive and dangerous breads of dogs are a “serious issue” for the community according to Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton (Thompson, “County drops '1 free kill'”). Responsible dog owners seem to be unaware of the problem but area residents who have been victims of these attacks have turned to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for help. The local County Commissioners have been wrestling with this issue since October of 2009 when a widow from Ocklawaha, Patricia McBee, had three of her dogs euthanized after they allegedly killed her neighbor’s cat (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”). The need for change moved even faster after a 3-year-old little girl was attacked and killed by a dog that was chained to a tree outside her house in Citra (Lee, “Girl, 3, mauled”).
b. “Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,” according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, “The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family 's Pomeranian dog.” a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. “American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,” according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever “family dog” by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they
What do you think of when I say the word pitbull? Do you picture a cute happy dog, wagging its tail happy to see you? Or do you see a mad dog, foaming mouth lunging at small child? If you are a owner of a pitbull then you probably see the happy cute dog. But if you don't own one then chances are you see pitbulls as mean dogs who are a threat to society. The media has painted a picture in our heads that it's in a pitbulls blood to be aggressive. Due to this false accusation, certain cities have banned breeds labeled as “aggressive”. If someone is caught owning a banned breed, the dog is usually euthanized. This is known as Breed Specific Laws or otherwise known as BSL.
“If somebody is too stupid to understand the fundamental immorality of dog fighting, you’re never going to be able to explain it to him” (Kevin Hench). Most people think that pit bulls have locking jaws. This is false however; no dog breed in the whole world has locking jaws. Dogs are not always aggressive how they are raised and trained determines the behavior of a dog. Dogs have tendencies to be aggressive only if not trained properly. The discrimination against pit bulls is wrong and uncalled for. Pit bulls are not the only culprits of attacks and death to humans. Dog fighting and stray pits are the fault of the people who own them. It is man kind’s job to take care of and be responsible for their dogs. Why should the dogs be punished for the actions of their owners? Pit bulls especially take the blame more than any other breed. This is an excellent breed if trained correctly. Pit bulls make excellent family pets to own because of the facts, traits, and the standards and guidelines for breeding and training associated with these breeds.