The New York Times’ City Room blog posted a with Adam Goldfarb, an issues specialist for companion-care animals at the , who answers reader questions about so-called dangerous dogs.
I found his answer to the following very interesting:
I’ve read Mr. Goldfarb’s advice that one should judge individual dogs, not entire breeds. And it seems to me there has always been one breed or another – the German Shepherd, the Doberman pinscher – that had the sort of reputation for vicious attacks that the Pit Bull does today. I remember the “Spanky and Our Gang,” a popular series of short films for children, had a Pit Bull as its mascot. He seemed as friendly and harmless as his human companions.
But because I live near a New York City housing project where Pit Bulls, gold chains and designer sports attire are status symbols, all that reasonable, rational talk seems naive, especially in light of persistent reports of unprovoked attacks. Whether these dogs are trained to be vicious, or simply mistreated, they’re scary and menacing. I will go out of my way to avoid being anywhere near one.
Why are some breeds seemingly more prone to be vicious–or more easily trained to become that way?
— Posted by bencharif
You’re absolutely right that there’s always one breed of dog that is regarded (and stigmatized) as the dangerous dog du jour. As long as there are people who acquire dogs as status symbols, guard dogs, or use them for fighting, communities will always have problems with dangerous dogs.
I don’t believe that any breed is more prone to being vicious. However, pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, and Doberman pinschers are all extremely intelligent, athletic dogs; they typically take to training very well. Pit bulls especially crave training because it provides the stimulation and interaction with people that they love so much. When these dogs are properly trained and socialized by caring, responsible owners, they’ll be great pets. But if they’re trained by people who want them to be aggressive, they may respond to that training as well.
In the 1800’s, breeds like Newfoundlands and bloodhounds were the dangerous dogs of their day, but they’re rarely considered that way today. Like other fads, the popularity of dog breeds waxes and wanes and I’m confident that pit bulls will eventually fade away from the spotlight as new breeds take their place.
For more information on the history of dangerous dogs in the United States, read “The Pit Bull Placebo,” by Karen Delise.
