by Robin Canada

Created on: July 13, 2007   Last Updated: February 03, 2008

Canine discrimination is the singling out of certain breeds because of the assumption that they are vicious. Rottweilers, Pit bulls, Chows, and even German Shepherds are sometimes discriminated against because of the bad reputation they have. Housing areas and some towns are banning the breeds altogether just because of the inflated statistics that exist and are not accurate. While it is true that some of these breeds may have a tendency to act out aggressively if treated badly, with more education they can be owned responsibly.

The American Kennel Club of America describes the Rottweiler as a dog bred to be calm and confident, with a "wait and see" attitude. The normal temperament of this dog is not to attack but rather corner an intruder until help arrives. He is normally great with people and very loving and protective of his family.
All dogs were bred to be with humans either for companionship or in a working environment. Owners must do research on the breed they have or intend to have and know what each type of dog requires. The breeds mentioned above and quite a few others have a more inherent need for human companionship and if that need is neglected they will exhibit undesirable behaviors. Chaining a dog up is never humane; dogs feel abandoned by their owners when this happens. Firm control and training can and will produce a wonderful family pet.
The media screams out "Another pit bull attack" and people quickly believe what they hear. They assume that this dog was a pit bull by just going off what the news is telling them. The media loves a good pit bull story so as soon as anyone off the street labels the dog as a pit, the news follows suit. Within the past 6 months on the coast of California there have been two major dog attacks, both labeled as pit bulls. After quarantining the dogs veterinarians came to the conclusion that the first one was a black Labrador and the second was a Bull Terrier which is a complete different breed. The news did not bother to mention the mistake. This is the case all across the country. Dogs are flashed across headlines as a pit bull when in fact they are not.
Dogs are wonderful companions that have feelings and temperaments just like people do. They mourn, they get excited, and they thrive when loved and appreciated for who they are. Of course there are cases of neglect and abuse which have created a vicious animal and yes, those should be dealt with accordingly. But that can happen with any breed and that is why animal discrimination should not be allowed.
People argue that canine discrimination does not exist. After all, dogs do not have the same rights as humans. While this is true, they are creatures needing respect for their individuality. We do not lock up certain human races simply because they have a bad reputation so we should not do it to animals either.

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