I'm confused about why there are breed restrictions. I guess I am one of those people that believes that any dog can be aggressive, regardless of breed. I guess certain breeds can have characteristics that are in their genes, such as herding dogs who have that herding gene or hounds who have the sight and tracking genes. But I don't know if I think aggression is something that is genetic :dunno


Anyhow, this was sparked b/c I was reading through the lease agreement for the new orleans military housing. They say no Dobies, no Chows, no German Sheperds, No Pit Bulls, No Mastiffs and no dogs mixed with any of these breeds. I know the Great Lakes housing and most apt complexes have the same rules. I just don't really understand why.

I have a hard time understanding it too Brandi.. I've got a mix of one of those breeds up there and she's not even CLOSE to being aggressive... if anything she is a weenie because she'll back down QUICK if you raise your voice at her.

:dunno

I think it's unfair. Little dogs (that aren't on that list) can be aggressive as well!

I don't understand things like that either, any dog can be aggrestive.

because people are ignorant and stupid

I don't think they should restrict breeds... it depends on how the animal is raised...what are they going to do, take people's loving pets away from them and kill htem? How would you even explain to your child that their loving pit bull that they had grown up with and sleeps in their bed is going to be taken away and killed, but the chiuaiua that bit their foot last week was able to staywith it's family?

I agree with the theory that any dog can and will bite. I have a small 7lb papillon that does bite! My only beef with larger dogs is that their jaws are going to be more powerful and can therefore inflict much more severe wounds (especially on a small child). As far as certain breeds go......hmm let me think of that for a bit.

I was bit on the face as a child and had to have stiches just below my eye and on the top of my head. I tripped over my uncles (large mixed breed) dog who was sleeping and his reaction was to jerk back and lightning quick his jaws had clutched me face and I was pouring blood. I am of the opinion that a smaller dog just probably couldn't have done that sort of damage in such a quick amount of time:dunno BTW he was a 12 year old dog and had never bitten anyone before me........he was sleeping and I felt terrible:depressed

but if larger breeds have stronger jaws then ban ALL large breeds including golden retrievers and labs.

Yeah I don't understand it or think it is very fair at all. I have known some great pit bulls, dobies, etc...

Any dog can be aggresive. My niece, when she was 2, was viciously attacked by a chocolate lab. It tore her face apart and her eye out of the socket darn near. She had 4 plastic surgeries etc. It is all in the owners, how it was raised, etc

but if larger breeds have stronger jaws then ban ALL large breeds including golden retrievers and labs.

:yes

I don't see how little dogs couldn't rip flesh away as well.. they might not have as strong of jaws, but they are lightning quick. They could really hurt someone if they want to, just like bigger dogs.

Well that's why I said let me think on the breed thing for a bit. Maybe there is no reason other than media hype and that would be wrong IMO:wink

It is all in the owners, how it was raised, etc

I honestly believe that too!

Well that's why I said let me think on the breed thing for a bit. Maybe there is no reason other than media hype and that would be wrong IMO:wink



I really think that has a lot to do with it. The media is such a crock... I can't believe what they say half the time because it's usually THEIR SPIN on something.

Well that's why I said let me think on the breed thing for a bit. Maybe there is no reason other than media hype and that would be wrong IMO:wink

It truly is media hype. When my niece was attacked by that chocolate lab, somewhere else in SD a kid was attacked by a rotty. Guess which story ran? The rotty. Because pits, rottys, dobis etc are the ones that get the attention so much

I was honestly more scared of labs and such then I was with pits as a vet assistant. The pits were big babies and the labs would snarl.

ANY animal can attack. Thats why they are animals. With the right upbringing and such it minimizes that potential. To discriminate a breed simply because of the fact it has been in the news alot is kinda dumb. But thats just me

Well I really don't buy the whole it's how it was raised thing. I have three dogs and my other two don't bite. They were all raised the exact same way, yet I have 1 biter......and two sweet angels.

Plus I tripped over the dog that bit me and he was a perfectly sweet dog who had never bitten a soul.

It's because there are some people in this world that have to ruin it for everyone. They make their dog a fighter or aggressive, or train to kill. And apparently since people think that's the cool thing to do, we hear about all the bad stuff in the media, which in turn makes people scared of the dogs. If you (general you) hears enough bad stuff about a certain breed, they're gonna assume that entire breed is bad news. Or even if someone has one bad encounter with a dog from a breed, they're gonna associate that breed with whatever happened.

Any dog can be aggressive, I don't understand why a lot of people can't understand that. Yes, certain breeds can have certain genes, but that doesn't mean that they're a bad dog and should be banned. It's a load of shit.

Well I really don't buy the whole it's how it was raised thing. I have three dogs and my other two don't bite. They were all raised the exact same way, yet I have 1 biter......and two sweet angels.

Plus I tripped over the dog that bit me and he was a perfectly sweet dog who had never bitten a soul.

Breeds have certain traits/genes, but how they were raised does play a big part in how they act.

I can understand the whole "big breed" thing being stronger. I mean, I don't agree with restricting all big breeds b/c I personally do believe the dog's environment (how it was raised) is the most imporant factor. But IF there is a ban list based on size and jaw strength, it just doesn't make sense that dogs like labs, hounds, danes, etc would not be banned as well. I think it's a little unfair to ban just based simply on a breed. Especially a dog like a german sheperd. I mean, I know they can be protective and guard dogs but I rarely even hear about them in the news. Its just weird how they selectively ban certain breeds.

In whidbey you can't adopt a pit bull from the shelter if you are an Oak Harbor resident. they don't allow it. :shrug people are quick to blame breeds which yes have some role in how they act, but most learn from what they are taught like kids.

I agree with you Brandi, I think that there are bad dogs in every breed and good dogs in every breed. My mom got attacked by a lil wiener dog when she was a kid.

I don't totally get the weight restrictions on dogs either...if a big dog is going to tear up so will a little one. :dunno... I think some people are more weary and prejudice against certain kinds of breeds...but some people will let it slide if they can meet the dog.

I don't understand it either...it personally ticks me off, ALOT. :irked I hate that businesses can discriminate against a certain breed of dog, because to me, its also discriminating against the owner since they own that breed of dog. Its just wrong on so many levels.

When I worked in the Veterinary field, I noticed that the smaller dogs were the one's that were most aggressive.

I don't understand things like that either, any dog can be aggrestive.

Some breeds are high risk but IMO no such things as bad breeds but bad owners. Any amimal can be aggresive. Some of the breeds on a banned breed list are :screwy.

I would bet anything that statistically speaking more children have been maimed for life by larger dogs. I am talking about injuries that happen because of seriously powerful jaws.......like crushed bones and seriously torn flesh. Whole entire faces gone.....that sort of thing.

because people are ignorant and stupid

hahaha thats exactly what I was going to say

those dogs just get a bad rep because they are most commenly used to breed fight dogs. ANY dog can be taught not to be aggressive... just like you can make them aggressive!

I have NEVER understood breed restrictions. We always had dogs around growing up. The first one I can remember was a German Shepard who love oreos and chips ahoy and the ONLY time she growled was if you were eating and didn't share. Since then we have had several other large breed dogs (most on the banned dog list Brandi posted) and never a problem. Earlier this summer, DB and I adopted an American Staffordshire Terrier (more commonly known as a pit bull..a term I never use...when someone asks I tell them he is an American Staffordshire). Schmoopie (yeah I know not exactly a very manly name, but it fits him) is much more placid and agreeable than my neighbors' little yappy dog that thinks she is 200 pounds and the scariest thing with on 4 paws, who has on several occasions gotten out of the house and tried to attack the person who found her. Schmoops has not shown a hit of aggression and loves people. He is actually the only dog I know that LIKES the mailman. He sits by the front door and waits for him most afternoons. What I am getting at is, any breed can show aggression. It is all in how you raise them. If you show them love and affection along with a stern 'who is boss' the out come will be nothing but enjoyable. If you neglect them and abuse them...well you will have yourselves an aggressive mess. This is true for large and small breeds..and anything in between.

I agree that ANY dog can be agressive. BUT that being said I will never own a pitt or a rottie b/c of BAD experiences I Have had with them. Does that mean I think NOONE should own them. NO. That just means I won't.

i, like everyone else, don't understand the restricted breed list. i garantee if it came down to it, buddy would bite someone and draw blood before gwen even worked up the courage to go check that person out.
i was attacked by a dalmation when i was younger...yeah, a dalmation...
i have only ever been bitten once by work...take a guess at what bite me...go on...a wild gues...

a toy poodle! a tiny little ity bity toy poodle bit me in the thumb and made me bleed. hurt like a bitch too. i am never scared to do any dog at work...but man, those little ones...they'll get ya, and they'll get ya quick if they want to.

I do not agree with breed restrictions at all :no

I know when we were looking for dogs we had to turn down several really good dogs because of what they were mixed with because there are some counties, cities and I think even a state or 2 that have banned some of these breed and lord only knows where we would get stationed next....our dog is a family member I just couldn't give up a family because he wasn't allowed somewhere.

As far as what should or should no be considered aggresive...well, if it's got teeth it can bite therefor it has the possibility of being aggresive :yes. Yes larger breeds may have stronger jaws...but jeez, have you seen a bull dog, beagle and any other small breed hunting dog?? Those suckers are way stronger than what you think :yes.

It's because there are some people in this world that have to ruin it for everyone. They make their dog a fighter or aggressive, or train to kill. And apparently since people think that's the cool thing to do, we hear about all the bad stuff in the media, which in turn makes people scared of the dogs. If you (general you) hears enough bad stuff about a certain breed, they're gonna assume that entire breed is bad news. Or even if someone has one bad encounter with a dog from a breed, they're gonna associate that breed with whatever happened.

Any dog can be aggressive, I don't understand why a lot of people can't understand that. Yes, certain breeds can have certain genes, but that doesn't mean that they're a bad dog and should be banned. It's a load of shit.


I couldnt really agree any more with what you've said if i tried

Alot of the restrictions on dogs are because some are more apt to be aggressive because of what people do with their breeds-pits and boxers are usually owner for fighting,ect. But I know that Chows are genetically dispositioned to psychosis in older age, and many adult german shepards were used as police dogs when they were younger. So slot of people want to eliminate them all so that they won't have to deal with any of it. I know my dog is half pit and half boxer and she has the mildest temper. I've seen her get into a fight with another dog, but she has to be MAJORLY provoked to do it. She's pretty much a 65 lb lap dog witha heart of gold:P But anyone who doesn't know her is terrified of her because she's pure muscle. I think it's bad to generalize a dog's temper based on their breed alone, but alot of building supervisors and housing companies do it as a just in case type of thing.

I'm confused about why there are breed restrictions. I guess I am one of those people that believes that any dog can be aggressive, regardless of breed. I guess certain breeds can have characteristics that are in their genes, such as herding dogs who have that herding gene or hounds who have the sight and tracking genes. But I don't know if I think aggression is something that is genetic :dunno


that's precisely it

pits and boxers are usually owner for fighting,ect.

When did boxers become owned mostly for fighting? I haven't heard of that :dunno

When did boxers become owned mostly for fighting? I haven't heard of that :dunno

I haven't heard that either. I would be so bummed if boxers start to get a bad name...I know our Boxer is an amazing dog and quite frankly every boxer I have ever come in contact with as well.

I agree with the theory that any dog can and will bite. I have a small 7lb papillon that does bite! My only beef with larger dogs is that their jaws are going to be more powerful and can therefore inflict much more severe wounds (especially on a small child). As far as certain breeds go......hmm let me think of that for a bit.

I was bit on the face as a child and had to have stiches just below my eye and on the top of my head. I tripped over my uncles (large mixed breed) dog who was sleeping and his reaction was to jerk back and lightning quick his jaws had clutched me face and I was pouring blood. I am of the opinion that a smaller dog just probably couldn't have done that sort of damage in such a quick amount of time:dunno BTW he was a 12 year old dog and had never bitten anyone before me........he was sleeping and I felt terrible:depressed

I have to agree with you on the part that larger dogs can cause more damage just b/c of their size. But from my own personal experience smaller dogs are.. well to put it honestly.. mean little fuckers.. I too was bit by a dog as a child in the face, and b/c of how small I was the dog was able to get my whole face in one bite ( I have scars from my lip up to right below my eye..) It was an accident and I provoked the dog ( we were playing and I was waving a zip tie to try to get the dog to bit it.. well I was waving it in front of my face and he went for the zip tie...) But as soon as the dog heard me screamed he let go and laid his head on my lap whining... Anyway.. I love big dogs.. especially pits ( even tho thats what bit me) and think its stupid that they're banned in some places..

i don't care what kind of dog a person has any dog can be aggressive. I do know the majority of the incidents on our base are from larger dogs.....staffordshire terriers (no longer allowed on base) rottweilers (no longer allowed on base) and of course the pit breeds. HOWEVER that doesn't mean that the little yappy dog that has a leash that extends across half the playground by my house coudn't bite a kid.....

I'm good with anyone's dog as long as you are a responsible owner that doesn't make it stay outside all day long and for the love of God doesn't let it BARK all day long.

We had neighbors that were removed from housing because of their dogs......well because of THEIR stupidity. They had two rotts.....big huge dogs.....not socialized AT all and they did nothing but bark bark bark bark and they would run and slam into the glass when people would walk by the house. It scared me and I wouldn't lie.......even when they were outside (which was hardly ever as they kept them in their garage) they barked and growled at everyone. Long story short they chewed up the inside of the house because they were bored and not cared for properly and the owners NEVER cleaned up the yard. So disgusting. However I was glad to see them go....

My other neighbors would leave their mini dauchsand outside all day and he'd escape from the chain and got hit by a car.

Another neighbor was breeding his american bulldog (breeding isn't allowed in our housing) and that dog would get loose and terrorize people all the time. The owners were awful. Just awful.

On another hand when my very friendly terrier is outside sunning herself in MY yard minding HER business please keep your children away from her. I've never had a problem to where she was aggressive, but if the kids keep coming into the yard without permission the chances of aggression could increase.

Sometimes housing is really a bad place to have pets. We can't put up fences so we have to rely on the chains......which isn't a problem for me, but it doesn't keep other kids OUT of my little area.

Anyway....most of it boils down to the owners......

Well I will probably be in the very low majority here. My feeling is that with the general attitude that "my dog is a big baby" and "my dog wasn't raised like that" and "my dog won't bite" can only lead to more dog bites. People get too laxed thinking their (general they) dog is not going to do such a thing. Statistically speaking certain breeds do bite more often and cause more damage and since housing can't always be sure of how someone is a.)going to raise the dog....or b.) keep the dog secured and away from children......they decide to do an overall ban of certain breeds. Yes, maybe the media has some sort of play, but after reading around last night and today, there are also plenty of statistics to support such claims that certain breeds are worse.

Maybe I just see things from a different POV. I was bitten on the face and required stitches by a sweet older dog who had never bitten, and I have a dog that despite all of my efforts still tries (and has succeeded) to bite people. I will NEVER think of an animal as a "baby" who will never bite........they are after all and ANIMAL. Guess I better run for cover:giggle

Well I will probably be in the very low majority here. My feeling is that with the general attitude that "my dog is a big baby" and "my dog wasn't raised like that" and "my dog won't bite" can only lead to more dog bites. People get too laxed thinking their (general they) dog is not going to do such a thing. Statistically speaking certain breeds do bite more often and cause more damage and since housing can't always be sure of how someone is a.)going to raise the dog....or b.) keep the dog secured and away from children......they decide to do an overall ban of certain breeds. Yes, maybe the media has some sort of play, but after reading around last night and today, there are also plenty of statistics to support such claims that certain breeds are worse.

Maybe I just see things from a different POV. I was bitten on the face and required stitches by a sweet older dog who had never bitten, and I have a dog that despite all of my efforts still tries (and has succeeded) to bite people. I will NEVER think of an animal as a "baby" who will never bite........they are after all and ANIMAL. Guess I better run for cover:giggle

The only issue about statistics is a lot of those statistics have incorrect information. ( just like the media) Many times ( not all) when someone is bit the dog is grouped with the wrong breed ( saying a american bulldog is a pit, or a lab is a rottie, etc) b/c those ( rotties, pits, dobies, boxers, etc) are the breeds with a bad rep. so its assumed, that bc "Joe Blow" said it was a *insert breed here* then it is...

I'm confused about why there are breed restrictions. I guess I am one of those people that believes that any dog can be aggressive, regardless of breed. I guess certain breeds can have characteristics that are in their genes, such as herding dogs who have that herding gene or hounds who have the sight and tracking genes. But I don't know if I think aggression is something that is genetic :dunno


Anyhow, this was sparked b/c I was reading through the lease agreement for the new orleans military housing. They say no Dobies, no Chows, no German Sheperds, No Pit Bulls, No Mastiffs and no dogs mixed with any of these breeds. I know the Great Lakes housing and most apt complexes have the same rules. I just don't really understand why.


Well that is why I'm sure they have included mixed breeds into the ban.

i hate the fact that they dont allow those breeds.its just uttery stupid IMO.not every dog is mean it depends on how they were raised.

Well that is why I'm sure they have included mixed breeds into the ban.
however you can't tell what you dog might be mixed with if you don't know.. my dog oreo is a mixed breed. she could have pit, collie, shepard, beagle, or any of the other hundreds of breeds out there. yes dogs are animals and like any animal they bite when provoked. EVERY dog gives warning signs before attack. they just don't decide to bite your face off. the problem is people don't recognize them nor do they do anything to stop behavior in the animal or person causing it.

On another hand when my very friendly terrier is outside sunning herself in MY yard minding HER business please keep your children away from her. I've never had a problem to where she was aggressive, but if the kids keep coming into the yard without permission the chances of aggression could increase.


Anyway....most of it boils down to the owners......

i wanted to quote just this cause well, i agree with your little terrier and the possibility for it to get agressive (not because i think your dog is agressive. :lol) but because buddy is the sweetest boy ever. nicole can attest to that, but he does not like kids. kids like, 2-6, who are jumping all over the place and try to stick their face in his...he will snap. in fact, when we had our house check in order to get gwen, her foster mom brought over her kids, and they kept trying to get in buddy's face and he snapped at them. (didn't get them) but mom didn't care. she told them to keep out of his face, and they did it anyway, but the point is, i didn't raise my dog to be like that. he just doesn't like people up in his face, especially small excitable people.

You really can't be mad at the complex for banning, they are protecting themselves from their insurance companies. Once they find you have a "dangerous" breed on your property they can jack up the rates for their Liability insurance or deny them all together. They are naming some of what the insurance industry calls the "top 10 dangerous breeds" in their ban.

While I do not agree with breed bans, there are breeds of dogs I am not comfortable around for personal reasons.

And as far as the Boxers go....they are mainly used as BAIT for the pitbull fights, not for fighting themselves. Boxers do not have the jaw structure to fight because the majority of them have severe underbites. Boxers are brachycephalic which means they have a "normal" size lower jaw but a compressed upper jaw. In my two girls they each have at least a 1-1.5inch underbite. My Mags is so bad her bottom teeth stick out over her top lip.

That being said, anything with a mouth can bite..and any dog can be agressive. The little purse puppies are the worst IMO.

I pretty much agree with everything with what has already been said, and I have a few thoughts to share.

I don't understand why German Shepards are allowed on base as police dogs, but not as pets. If they are banned for aggressive tendencies (not saying I agree), then ban them all together. But if they feel they are so highly trainable and dependable to be given 'rank', then how can they turn around and ban them? That just seems so hypocritical to me.

I also don't get the mixed breeds things. Mixed breeds have been proven over and over to have the best dispositions. And unless you know the parents, you can't know for sure what a dog is mixed with, like someone else said. It's not an objective science, and I can't imagine how one could legally ban on someone's opinion of what a dog looks like.

And last but not least... I'll add my dog bite experiences. I've been bitten my my gramps' chihuaha (sp?) / pekinese mix. I've been bitten by my OWN Lhasa Apso / Shitz Zu mix. An adopted dalmatian mix of mine that was sweet as could be bit my BIL for no apparent reason. And my highly trained and very dependable doberman, as he got old and feeble, nipped a young girl that I told not to touch him, after which she proceeded to poke an open sore he had. So, not his fault. Of all those bites... the doberman was the only one that didn't break skin. For me, that proves that no dog can be 100% trusted, and breed can not predict the outcome.

Well I will probably be in the very low majority here. My feeling is that with the general attitude that "my dog is a big baby" and "my dog wasn't raised like that" and "my dog won't bite" can only lead to more dog bites. People get too laxed thinking their (general they) dog is not going to do such a thing.

You're right. :yes

Always keep a watchful eye on your dog because you never know. It's always the dog you never thought would bite that's on the news.

We have a rottie and a half rottie/collie mix. We've had the rottie, Max, since he was 12 weeks old. Max will let my 6yo climb all over him and love on him without a problem. Riley, the rottie mix, doesn't like the kids climbing all over him and he'll run away if thet start to climb on him. I watch the dogs with my girls. I want to make sure everyone, including the dogs, will be okay.

I don't trust any animal 100% when it comes to my babies.

As a side note, when I spoke with Great Lakes housing earlier this week, if you don't know the mix of your dogs they can and will require a breed analysis. I guess they don't want to take any chances.

**Generalizations used**

We have a German Shepard/ Chow mix. She is the sweetest dog I have ever had. She is leary of people right away and might bark, but she won't bite unless she is cornered and extremely provoked... To me that is one of her best qualities because with DH gone a lot I want something that's gonna scare someone. However, at the same time, I need to be able to control her. With the right training any dog can be good or bad. I have seen Pits that allow a toddler to sleep on them.

As a side note, when I spoke with Great Lakes housing earlier this week, if you don't know the mix of your dogs they can and will require a breed analysis.

I didn't know there was such a thing. Is it just a vet looking at the dog and making assumptions based on physical characteristics? Or is it like a blood test? I'm really interested since I've never heard of this.

I didn't know there was such a thing. Is it just a vet looking at the dog and making assumptions based on physical characteristics? Or is it like a blood test? I'm really interested since I've never heard of this.

I agree, I've never heard of a breed analysis. And if they are requiring that, I think that is a bit extreme.

I understand the whole insurance company thing, and how the complex's rates go up, blah blah blah...but, I still don't agree with it.

I pretty much agree with everything with what has already been said, and I have a few thoughts to share.

I don't understand why German Shepards are allowed on base as police dogs, but not as pets. If they are banned for aggressive tendencies (not saying I agree), then ban them all together. But if they feel they are so highly trainable and dependable to be given 'rank', then how can they turn around and ban them? That just seems so hypocritical to me.

I also don't get the mixed breeds things. Mixed breeds have been proven over and over to have the best dispositions. And unless you know the parents, you can't know for sure what a dog is mixed with, like someone else said. It's not an objective science, and I can't imagine how one could legally ban on someone's opinion of what a dog looks like.


And last but not least... I'll add my dog bite experiences. I've been bitten my my gramps' chihuaha (sp?) / pekinese mix. I've been bitten by my OWN Lhasa Apso / Shitz Zu mix. An adopted dalmatian mix of mine that was sweet as could be bit my BIL for no apparent reason. And my highly trained and very dependable doberman, as he got old and feeble, nipped a young girl that I told not to touch him, after which she proceeded to poke an open sore he had. So, not his fault. Of all those bites... the doberman was the only one that didn't break skin. For me, that proves that no dog can be 100% trusted, and breed can not predict the outcome.

Actually I found this website...read down about mixed breeds.

http://www.dogexpert.com/Dog%20Bite%20Statistics/DogBiteStatistics.html

I didn't know there was such a thing. Is it just a vet looking at the dog and making assumptions based on physical characteristics? Or is it like a blood test? I'm really interested since I've never heard of this.

I didn't know there was such a thing too. I don't know how they would do it but I'm thinking a Vet would make an educated guess using the dog's physical characteristics.

Look at Riley, other than his coloring I don't think he really looks like a rottie but he's on the restricted breed list because of it.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/jsweany/DSCF0062.jpg

:sadeyes its completely unfair. and i don't believe that aggression is breed specific. it just isn't possible...my pit is a very sweet boy, but we had to put down one of our aussie dogs cause she would try to bite kids :shock

:dunno but it makes me really upset

Actually I found this website...read down about mixed breeds.

http://www.dogexpert.com/Dog%20Bite%20Statistics/DogBiteStatistics.html

Ok, that's the first time I have heard that. But then here's my next question... if that's true, I want to know how many more mixed breeds are owned than purebreds.

Like for instance, if there are 500 bites by mixed breeds out of a total 10,000 mixed breeds owned, how does it compare to bites by pure breds out ot total purebreds owned. I would be more swayed if it said something like 3 out of 50 mixed breeds have bitten as compared to 1 out of 50 purebreds, kwim? Also, even though it says strays don't account for many of the bites, I'm guessing that most strays/ferals are mixed breeds, so that would sway the numbers towards more mixed breeds as well. That only makes a difference of course in comparing 'owned' mixed breeds to 'owned' pets.

And last but not least, I think there might be something to think about when it comes to who owns the majority of mixed breeds to purebreds. I'm not saying that poor people don't own pure breds, or that poor people don't properly care for or train their animals... but since I do believe that a pet's disposition at least partially has to do with treatment and training by the owner, I think that socioeconomic standings in general could have an effect on the validity of this statistic. I think that the socioeconomic statistics of owners of mixed breeds vs. pure breeds would shed some light, in addition to the other factors I mentioned.

One example of this is the chained dog stat. You don't often see Purebred standard poodles chained to a tree, but you do see lots of mixed hounds chained up. Socioeconomics can affect which dog breeds or mixes are more likely to be chained, and since being chained affects the rate of biting incidents, it could then affect the rate for the mixed dog or breed, making the breed or mix seem more aggressive, when really it's that it's more likely to be chained which in turn makes it more defensive.... This is a big generalization, and I don't know if I'm making my point clear, sorry.

Another example of how socioeconomics of owners can affect these stats is the spay/neuter stat he gave. From volunteering at the shelter, I have seen first hand that very uneducated people with little funds often don't spay or neuter their mixed breed mutts. And since spaying and neutering decreases the risk of bites... it could be said that mutts have a higher risk of biting because they are less likely to be spayed or neutered. I'm not saying that's a fact... just a conjecture again about how stats can misrepresent the cause of something.


I don't know if this made any sense. I'm not saying this statistic is wrong. I'm actually very interested by it. But I do think there can be a lot of factors to skew these numbers to represent something other than the general truth.

And last but not least... his stats are only from two states and then other countries - again, with a limited geographical range, socioeconomics of owners can have a big impact on the validity of these stats.

I said last but not least twice...

:lmao

Evidently I got carried away. :lmao