When you think about it&banning one breed of dog does not eliminate dog bites.

Dog of all breeds can bite and, if left untrained, can be dangerous.

States from Maine to California and in between are introducing legislation that would restrict the ownership of certain breeds of dogs. While most of these bills target pit bulls, American Staffordshire terriers, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds have also been targeted. While breed bans get publicity, especially following a particularly gruesome dog attack, they do not get at the heart of the problem—owners who do not take appropriate care of their dogs.

In a study of dog bites published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, September 2000, 30 different breeds of dogs were shown to be responsible for fatal attacks on people between 1979 and 1998. Banning one breed will not stop the other 29 breeds from biting. Banning one breed will not stop any dog from biting. If breed bans work, why have dog bite reports continued to increase? If breed bans work, why after many years in some locales are the banned breeds still being rounded up?

On the flip side, some states are introducing legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from refusing to issue or renew, cancel, or increase homeowners’ insurance based solely on whether the homeowner owns a specific breed of dog. So, while some state legislators “get it,” others do not.

All dog owners need to train their dogs to be good canine citizens and to practice safe dog handling. Better educated owners and well trained dogs will reduce the number of dog bites in a community, not banning certain breeds. When you think about it…all dogs are capable of inflicting harm.

Read our recent Paws Up, “Breed-neutral Laws Work“