This issue is a much debated matter worldwide, especially in the U.K, Canada, and the U.S.
Currently Canada and the U.K. have both passed bans on Pit Bulls and Bull Mastiff type breeds. Although severely restricted, the animals are available in Canada. In the U.K. in many regions Pit Bulls seen in public are being seized and euthanized thanks to a very strict new legislation. Legislation in both countries have left laws wide open for the government to step in and declare a ban on any breed that becomes regarded as hostile by the public in the future.
The movement to ban certain dog breeds in these countries has been fueled by special interest groups who represent victims and families of several high-profile dog attacks on women and children. These attacks have often ended in death or severe disfigurement and are often carried out by dogs known for having aggressive tendencies, such as the Pit Bull.
While some support the move to ban, many see it as a government stepping in and misunderstanding the problem, providing band-aid solutions that fail to identify and change the root cause of the problem.
Although some breeds are better known for aggressive behavior, it is important to understand and analyze that in most cases aggressive dogs have been chosen by owners who for one reason or another want aggressive dogs. These owners train them, often in inhumane ways, to be aggressive dogs. In some people there is a need to own an aggressive dog simply as an extension of their own personal aggression, often motivated by their own insecurities. In reality it really isn't the genetics of the breed that make them more aggressive, it's that the breed itself is a more popular choice among those who desire to have aggressive dogs. These people often use their aggressive animals to intimidate others and their neighbors.
It is from this mentality that the problem of aggressive Pit Bulls arose, and not from the genetics of the breed itself.
Through public cases of dog attacks many victims and citizens have mistakenly gone up in arms over the dogs and their breed itself. The media attention that surrounds these cases often inspires hysteria in citizens who are unfamiliar with the animals and the process of dog breeding in general. After a rash of Pit Bull and Pit Bull type breed attacks in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. the Canadian government attempted to curb the hysteria by banning the Pit Bull in its county. The dog hysteria continued and even escalated in their southern neighbor and the banning had only given more fuel to the fire. At one point dog hysteria in the U.S. had grown to a point that it inspired a ridiculous urban myth that the next dog breed to be banned in Canada would be the Labrador Retriever because of an attack in Nova Scotia which was getting a lot of media attention.
Victims of dog attacks have every right to be upset. Victims will often misplace their anger and lead petitions and media campaigns against the breed of dog that attacked them. Unfortunately this does not provide any solution to the psychological pain that victims suffer. Under the right circumstances any breed of dog can pose a threat to the public. The psychological damage caused by these attacks would cause any survivor to start a crusade against the breed that attacked them, whether it is a Pit Bull or a Poodle.
What the governments of these countries fail to see is where the responsibility lies. In many cases we as a society are blaming the dogs. In most cases the dogs are reacting to the world they've been exposed to by their owners, often abused and untrusting of humans, and in many cases have been trained to act aggressively.
The sad reality is that by banning Pit Bulls and making them a harder to get, people who desire aggressive dogs will just shift their focus to another unrestricted breed. Over time another breed will become known as aggressive, and banning that breed will not end the cycle of abuse any more than banning Pit Bulls has.
In reality these animals are not accountable for their actions, and it is those who own and train aggressive dogs that should be facing the brunt of legislation. Owners who fail to control or restrain their pet, or purposely train them to be dangerous to others should have their rights to own any pet revoked for a long term. Legally it is the owners of these animals that should be punished and not the dogs themselves.
Failure to train any dog properly from an early age can turn a dog of any breed into a well meaning accident waiting to happen at best. Owners need to recognize their responsibility to their family and neighbors to train their dog properly and prevent their dog from becoming a safety hazard.
There are some cases too where people themselves fail to respect the abilities and boundaries of other people's pets, resulting in an attack. In any situation, no matter what the disposition, a person should always exercise caution when around an animal that they are unfamiliar with or is unfamiliar with them. Parents of young children too need to instill a respect for the animals from a young age, which can also prevent a tragedy in the future.
In reality there are many good owners of Pit Bulls and similar breeds who have trained their animal properly and as a result own a good animal that poses no danger to their family or the public. Unfortunately these people will now be made to suffer the loss of a pet thanks to a few irresponsible pet owners and the new legislations passed in Canada and the U.K.
As long as we continue to focus our anger on the animals, dog attacks will continue to occur no matter what the breed. What responsible pet owners need to do is form a lobby and send a message to their government that we as a society do not blame these dogs for the tragedies they are involved in, but their owners. Legislation needs to be tabled that would enforce stricter fines, penalties, and yes, jail time for those who own animals that present a danger to the public.
When the penalties are stiff enough to discourage poor pet owners from owning a pet in the first place, the occurrence of dog attacks among any breed will decline rapidly.