Does the breed make the dog? Simply put, no, a dog's breed does not define them. For years I have listened to people make negative comments about breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers, and I understand why they jump to these conclusions with the statistics that have been published. In 2015 over 90% of fatalities belong to pit bulls and rottweilers alone, and when you add bulldogs that number goes to over 97%. The problem with these statistics is that they don't give any insight into the why and how. this post will dive into the issue of stereotypes in the dog world and offer a solution that will benefit humans and dogs alike.
Any real trainer or behaviorist will tell you, every dog is different, even within their own breed. Let's not bring stereotypes based on appearances into the dog world, the way some people apply stereotypes in our own world. In my experiences the greatest factor impacting a dog's behaviors in life, is its upbringing and socialization with the world starting from the moment they are born. When you connect this idea with the opening of this post, an inference can be made about who is raising the dogs contributing to these statistics. Show me a bad dog and I will show you a bad owner. Many of the dogs who are a part of these attacks were brought up in a terrible environment because bad people want to raise bad dogs. They want something that is powerful, loyal, and brave to boost their appearance and status as well as defend them if necessary. So what starts out as an amazing dog with great character traits is transformed into a living breathing weapon on the owner's behalf. Because these bad people look for these traits, they often land on breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers because they fit the bill perfectly. So, by no fault of their own, they are being banned everywhere, labeled as dangerous, and in some cases murdered for doing absolutely nothing other than being a certain breed. Is a pit bull or rottweiler more capable of causing harm due to their physicality? Absolutely, but that shouldn't affect our view on them. We don't discriminate against someone who is strong or people with combat training because we know that those things alone don't lead to anything bad. It is the bad person behind the dog that leads to the attack, not the fact that it is a certain breed. There are certain traits and instincts that are stronger in some breeds than others, like prey drive, but nothing that can't be addressed. If your dog is capable of taking a life, treat it as such, and never underestimate it. Love and respect is key, always respect what your dog is capable of and take proper measures to keep everyone safe.
Now that we know the problem, what is the solution? EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION! In a perfect world we would have stricter requirements for becoming a pet parent and more accurate reporting methods for sharing information with the public. Every potential pet parent should be required to pass a knowledge and skills based test which would vary depending on the breed desired. This test would cover what behaviors and health concerns to expect, as well as how to properly address them. A majority of dogs are relinquished because they did not meet the owner's behavioral expectations, even if their expectations were unrealistic. Having a certification and education system like this is not only beneficial to the adoption and retention rate, but it only makes sense to be held to the same type of standards as someone adopting a child or acquiring a firearm. You need to care for this animal's health and well being the same way you would a human, and while you may argue a firearm is far more dangerous than any dog, remember that a firearm can't act on its own.
The Ultimate goal would be to educate the public so they truly understand and live with dogs, rather than simply owning them. This "Pet Parent Certification" may be viewed as a deterrent for potential pet parents, but in reality it would simply weed out those not ready for the commitment and responsibility. In fact, I believe it would increase adoption numbers as well as greatly increase the retention rate for adopted dogs. A more educated community would be more inclined to adopt because they would view them as dogs rather than "shelter dogs", which comes attached with the stigma of being damaged goods, and retention rates would increase due to pet parents having realistic expectations when entering the adoption process. A "Pet Parent Certification" may be a pipe dream, but it is something that could really benefit the dog world; from destroying stereotypes to saving lives of humans and dogs alike, there is no downside to education. Until that day comes, my mission is to share as much knowledge as I can and help as many dogs and families as possible.
