Breed Specific Laws – Boon or Bane

A matter of concern for many dog owners is the introduction of what is called breed specific laws. Breed specific laws dictate regulations on specific breeds of dogs. In some cases it may necessitate the elimination of an entire breed of dogs.

Reasons for the Law
This law comes about from the perceived dangers some breeds of dogs bring. Some of the particular breeds of dogs such as pit bulls that have been bred and trained for fighting are said to be naturally predisposed to fighting and violence – making them unfit to be household pets. There have been numerous reports of dogs that have attacked neighbors quite viciously and have had to be put to sleep over the matter. There have even been attacks of this sort that have ended quite fatally.

And believe it or not, there have even been attacks on the dog’s owners themselves. This has led some legislators to seek legal redress for this kind of situation. Hence the development of numerous Breed Specific Laws.

Their thinking revolved around the philosophy that these dogs are trained to maim or kill. They will instinctively attack others. Therefore, they should either be not allowed to multiply, and should be given appropriate restrictions.

Regarding this issue, many are torn between both sides. Many of the owners of the affected breeds contend that this law is unfair to them and their wards, and that such actions are unnecessary. They maintain that any dog can maim and attack – it all depends on how an owner cares for the dog that decided the dog’s actions on others.

The Importance of Good Training

Some maintain that the law may prevent some attacks. However, they do not address the real culprit – bad owners. Dogs are said to develop a temperance that reflects how they were brought up. If the owner of the dog is irresponsible, this could have contributed greatly to the risk of the dog being dangerous. Breed Specific Laws do not address such irresponsible ownership and only run the risk of punishing the dogs and not the owner.

Many dog owners stress the fact that owners should also own up to their responsibility if others are attacked by their dogs. Proper training is said to greatly reduce or even eliminate such problems. They even say that a pit bull –generally considered one of the more vicious breeds – in a good home is safer than a gentler breed in a bad home.

Some Factors that Should Instead be Considered For Dog Behavior

1. Training – most people do not train or care for their dogs in manner that promotes good temperance. For the most part, people should avoid allowing dogs to bite and pull when playing. This is especially true if the dogs are still young – they learn that this type of play is tolerable. They will maintain this type of play not knowing that they can harm others.

2. Lack of Education – Many do not understand dogs, it would do well to study their behavior and the proper way to raise them so that they grow up to be safe and reliable companions.

3. No provocation – Some of the attacks on people has been caused by provocation of these dogs. Children should be taught not to provoke animals and to play roughly with them. They should also be taught not to pat strange dogs as they could feel threatened and retaliate.