Google the term “Dangerous Dog Breed” and 1,440,000 results appear in less than two seconds. That is one million four hundred- forty thousand results on a subject that really doesn’t exist. There are lists, articles, warnings, news stories all about the top dangerous breeds and how these particular dogs need to be closely watched or simply eradicated from existence. How can a million posters be wrong?
Bad Press?
The media loves a storm. If there is a dog bite or attack, it will get reported on. If the dog happens to be one of the “dangerous breeds” (Rottweiler, Doberman and the ever popular bad seed “pit type”) makes the news story even more salacious. The band of killer Chihuahuas that plagued Arizona seemed to get swept under the rug. No one wants to admit being attacked by a Chihuahua.
Bad Dogs?
Sorry, not buying it. No breed is genetically predisposed to being evil. There are several breeds that were designed and bred to be cautious. Chows, Akitas, even the Lhasa Apso were bred to be guard dogs. It is in their nature to be on alert, to have a healthy dose of “stranger danger”. For those readers who are fortunate enough to reside with these special breeds, are they dangerous? Should an entire breed be judged for the actions of a few unfortunate dogs?
Bad Owners?
A puppy needs guidance, same as a baby. They need to learn boundaries, manners, patience and who’s in charge. A parent wouldn’t put a baby on the floor and allow them free reign all over the house, with no supervision. When a puppy doesn’t have the proper training, he grows into a teenager thinking he’s in charge and can do whatever he pleases. If the teenage dog still doesn’t get any training, it will mature into an entitled adult. So when an incident arises, the dog has never been taught manners, who’s at fault? Is it the dog, the breed or the owner?
No Excuses!
When Cesar Milan roller bladed on the scene with fifty leashed dogs in each hand and began whispering to the canine community; a new wave of dog enthusiasts, trainers, and behaviorists crawled out of the woodwork to invade every dog owner’s consciousness. The dog industry has exploded locally with puppy play dates, owner support groups, and every type training available. The industry has experienced global expansion with the internet by way of blogs, how to videos and books on any behavior issue imaginable and fifty different ways to deal with it.
Eradicate irresponsible owners; there would be no such thing as an untrained dog. If there were no untrained dogs then there wouldn’t be a need to Google “Dangerous Breeds”.
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Toledo, United States.
