In the United States, there are about 90 million dogs. While most of the time, the relationship between dogs and people is unextraordinary, over 4,000,000 people suffer from a dog bite per year.
Sometimes, people will associate dangerous canine behavior with certain breeds. The American Veterinary Medical Association suggests that identifying dangerous dog breeds may be more complex.
Are certain breeds the aggressors?
When you hear about aggressive breeds, you will most likely hear the following named:
- Pit bulls
- Dobermans
- Rottweilers
Many large breeds can find themselves on that list. The CDC does not gather dog breed data when assessing dog-attacks. One misleading piece of information about aggressive breeds occurs in the case of the pit bull. The American Kennel Club does not recognize the pit bull as a breed. Instead, the pit bull is a mix or can describe multiple breeds beneath that umbrella. Many professionals agree that all dogs can become aggressive.
Although there is a claim that pit bulls account for 65% of all dog attack fatalities, it is difficult to identify dog breeds accurately.
Are breed bans effective?
There is not a central reporting system when it comes to dog bites. This makes it difficult to analyze dog bites based on breed information. The President of the National Animal Care and Control Association explains that judgment on dogs should be based on the dog’s behavior, rather than the dog’s breed. To have breed-specific laws may punish responsible dog owners.
Laws that ban certain breeds do not take into consideration the other factors that create dangerous dogs. Studies show that there are no differences in the number of dog bites if the municipality has breed bans.