The Pit-bull Debate

Here in Halifax there is a lot of talk about pit-bulls in all our local news media.

A number of high profile attacks in the Halifax area on dogs and people were reportedly done by dogs that were a 'pit-bull-type' dog, leading the media to muse over the idea of banning the breed. A similar event happened in Yarmouth earlier in the year.

I wanted to write down my thoughts on breed banning, pit-bulls and dog attacks:

Are Pit-bulls more aggressive than other dogs? My answer would be towards people - no, towards other dogs - likely. A pit-bull is a terrier - and terriers are a feisty bunch when it comes to other dogs. This isn't a pit-bull thing, but more a terrier thing in general. I get slightly annoyed at the 'every dog is the same' crowd because clearly breeding gives dogs predisposed traits to certain things, and you most certainly can breed for aggression either knowingly or unknowingly.

Chocolate labs will chase a ball with much more vigor than a Pug and a Bernese will have a lot more fun pulling a cart than a Sheltie will. (In general)

Breed matters and does create genetic behavioral predispositions.

Breeding line is also very important. We have no control on our breeders - there's no stopping anyone from breeding a line of aggressive dogs either intentionally or unintentionally. This could obviously be done for any breed of dog, but the point I'm trying to make is that breeding and genetics play a role in the formation of aggression - this is a fact.

If you are going to own a pit-bull dog - or any terrier - be aware that you should be socializing and training the dog much more so than other dog owners. This goes for 'guard dogs' as well since they are also predisposed to be not so welcoming. Your Rottie is going to take much more of an issue with a stranger at the door than your St Bernard is. (In general)

If your dog is large enough to inflict serious damage on a person, my option is we should be requiring people to take training - even if its only a day course that gives information on positive training methods and socialization and proper acceptable and non-acceptable punishment. I'm sure myself and many trainers I know could put together a solid full day of material that would be very helpful for all dog owners.

In terms of breed ban -I've always been against this however one event this summer did rattle my thinking quite a bit. I attended the Halifax 'Bully-Expo' which featured a large number of pit-bull owners and breeders. I got to see some Pit-Bull type dogs that I've never really seen out in public before. These dogs were pure muscle and had huge heads. I chatted with breeders who prided themselves on breeding for 'muscle' in their dogs.

I'm really not sure that making dogs of this size and power is really a good idea. With all the unregulated and unsupervised things that happen in the dog world (remember there's no formal certification to be a dog owner, trainer or breeder!) I don't feel that breeding dogs for 'muscle and power' is really appropriate. Being near some of the dogs at the expo made me very nervous just looking at how powerful they were - and I don't scare that easy, especially around dogs.

However many normal sized, regular run of the mill amstaff mixes are no bigger or stronger than my own bernese mountain dog - so I certainly don't see a need to ban these dogs, but these pure power-machine dogs aren't really something I think is needed or safe.

I don't want to see hand-guns banned, but I'm glad people can't own a machine gun.

Many pit-bull advocates have said that higher fines are the answer, but I disagree. While higher fines are good, I would argue that controls are also needed.

We have stiff fines for firearm offenses, yet you still need to be trained to possess a gun. We don't just give them to anyone and allow the high fines and penalties to prevent the crimes.

My proposed solution would be to see an educational component come with dog licensing. I'm not sure if this would be forced obedience classes, or simply educational seminars for dog owners - perhaps that you only need to take once in your life, not with each dog you own. There is a lot of possibilities. One thing I'm sure of though, there is a lot of misinformation, bad advice, and arm-chair dog trainers out there and the real information on proper dog husbandry needs to be addressed for the safety of dogs and the public alike.

The Right Dog for you

I had a request from a friend to write about choosing the right breed of dog so I'll do my best to address the subject. I believe first and foremost however that you need to decide if ANY dog is right for you. Dogs require a lot of time commitment, monetary commitment and mental commitment.

You need to take a good look at your lifestyle and work life and decide if you can give a dog what he wants the most - companionship. Lets clear one myth up - dogs don't want a big backyard. They do however want a big backyard in which to play with their owner or as a second choice, another dog(s).

If you are working 12 hour shifts or long work days - unless your prepared to pay / find someone to care for your dog when your not around - you need to really consider if getting a dog is the right decision for you and the future dog.

Now if you've sure you want a dog, lets talk about breed selection. To understand what makes a "breed" and why there are so many, lets talk a little bit about genetics.

Dogs developed into specific breeds by human intervention. That is, humans picked certain traits they wanted within a dog and bred for that purpose. One famous example of this is a Russian Scientist by the name of Dmitry Belyaev who bred generations of foxes for the sole trait of domestication. As each litter of foxes was produced, only the most tame and human friendly foxes were bred. Over several generations (this experiment has been going on since the 60's) the foxes become more domesticated so that the foxes started to seek out human companionship from birth. However many traits also 'came along for the ride'. So in seeking to breed a certain trait - many others will also appear. For example, there were marked differences in the coat color and hair shape of the 'tame' foxes - as well as internal biological differences such as 2 estrus (heat) cycles per year instead of 1 which is normal for foxes. (This difference appears in dogs vs wolves as well)

So what does this tell us? While dogs do develop based on their experiences throughout their life (specially as puppies but that's another post), certain breeds come pre-loaded with built in desires and abilities that have been bred into them, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not.

So what breed is right for you? Well there are many questions you need to ask yourself in order to figure that out. Here's a good list to start:

1) What size dog do you want? Big dogs require more space and more food and generally have more health problems and shorter life spans. Small dogs can be more vocal and are more easily subjected to injury in a fight or attack.

2)How often will you be around other dogs? If you want to go to the dog park everyday or you live in the city, pick a breed that is known to be very friendly with both people, children and other dogs. People in rural areas don't need to be as concerned with this.

3) How often do you want your dog off leash? Hounds, specially bassets, bloodhounds and beagles tend to follow their nose. Without some really solid recall work you might lose your dog if they are off leash.

4) How much time do you want to spend grooming and dealing with dog hair? Some breeds like poodles are hypoallergenic and don't have hair to deal with. Dogs like an afghan hound or English sheepdog require a lot of coat maintenance.

5) How experienced are you with dogs? I don't recommend powerful breeds to be in the hands of first time owners or anyone who isn't prepared to put a lot of time into training their dog. Rotties, Pit bulls and German Shepards are best left to experienced handlers. Please let me be clear - I love these breeds but in the hands of inexperienced owners, an aggressive Rottie will be a greater risk than an aggressive Pomeranian.

The last thing I want to mention is the most important of all - Energy level. It's critical that you pick a dog that has equal to, or less energy than you. If you want a dog for agility or to take swimming on a regular basis - great - there's plenty of dogs out there for that. If you want to just lay on the couch and walk them a few times a day, there's dogs out there for that too.

Several years ago Dr Stanley Coren wrote a book called "The intelligence of dogs". He asked professional obedience judges to rank the most intelligent dogs, and border collies ranked number one. Immediately people went out and started getting border collies. So what happened? Well border collies need high energy and exercise and lots of mental stimulation that many people were not prepared to handle. As such, most trainers will tell you that border collies rank close to the top for behavioral problems, which are mostly rooted in boredom.

So in summary - dogs ARE a product of their environment and treatment, however genetics predisposes them to a number of factors that owners should be educated about. Beware that not all the dogs of the same breed are created equal! The best way to judge how a dog will behave is to look at the parents (something you can't do in a pet store). Over-breeding has caused some stock (genetic line) to move away from their well know traits. The most concerning trait to look for is energy and to ensure your up to meeting the dogs mental and physical needs, and also if they can meet yours.

The number one reason dogs end up in shelters is behavioral issues - and behavioral issues normally develop from stress and the dogs needs not being met. Pet ownership should be for life - please do your homework, for both your sakes.

ps - if you want help with choosing the right dog for you, send me an email.