by Brandy Fee

Created on: January 21, 2007   Last Updated: October 20, 2009

This is a question that is debatable from so many different angles that I am unsure where to even start. Understandably there are those who believe that the breed of the dog determines the personality of the dog, the controllability of a dog, and the demeanor of a dog. However, let me share with you my point of view. I will begin with the most banned breed I know of, the almighty pit bull.

Pit bulls are said to be totally aggressive, mean, and downright uncontrollable. They are said to have a "taste for blood." However lets look at this for a moment. What kind of stereotypical people own pit bulls? Where I come from it is usually younger people, sometimes people who are a little rougher than the majority of others. These dogs are trained to be fight dogs, guard dogs, attack dogs, SCARY dogs. They are owned to put fear into people, and that they have accomplished. Would a pit bull be as scary with a red bow around it's neck and the leash held by a 70 year old woman? I don't think so.

Years ago, when Chow-Chows were the popular dog, they were said to be a "vicious breed," untrustable and uncontrollable. For the same reason that the pit has found himself in these shoes... popularity. Of course there are more recorded pit attacks in the US, they are one of the most popular breeds in the US. Do you really think that teacup poodle attacks are going to be as highly publicized as pit attacks are?

Don't get me wrong here, as I believe that ANY breed of dog in the wrong hands can easily become a vicious animal. But on the flip side of that I also believe that any dog can be trained and raised properly. There are always times when things go badly... just as there are parents who raise their children in wonderful homes only to have their children spend their adult lives in prison, so is true with animals. Should we ban people because they have the potential to harm someone in society, because they could be put into the wrong hands? Should parents be punished for doing their best when their child fails to become a success in society?

Animals are not humans by far, but they are intelligent creatures, and we as humans have the power to raise them to be gentle creatures. The Doberman, the pit, the rotweiller, the chow, these are all dogs that have gotten a bad rap through time, not because they are bad breeds, but because they are popular at that time.

Don't ban the dogs, Educate the people. Teach them how to raise, handle, and properly train their animals. Teach them to care for, not abuse these creatures. Teach children how to approach, how to deal with and how to command an unknown animal. Teach society how to be unafraid. Teach each individual how to be a pack leader.

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