by John Murphy Jr

Created on: December 06, 2007   Last Updated: January 08, 2010

Dogs, as well as any artifact that any person wishes to augment their lives with, should be added to a household or domicile with care and responsibility. Much like automobiles, some which drive you to church every Sunday and some that make you want to go to church every Sunday, dogs come in assorted breeds, shapes, colors, sizes, and temperaments. Choosing what breed to own requires a total inventory of self so that the dog and owner can exist in the same space happily.

Some dog owners are also dog trainers and have the ability to keep aggressive breeds happily in check. Those dogs are very lucky because they can cohabit with humans in a fairly calm atmosphere. When an aggressive dog instinctively understands that it has free reign over the house and owner, all hell breaks loose. The home becomes literally an "animal house." Dogs that are allowed to reach this level of aggressiveness have to be put in check quickly.

Rather than dangerous, aggressive breeds being "banned" the question, consequently, should be reshaped to read, "Should dangerous breeds of dogs be owned?" Banning problems, in this case, dangerous breeds of dogs, does not solve the problem, which many dog behaviorists are quick to point out is usually the inability of the owner to basically train their dog to be sociable. Breeds are deemed "dangerous" when they cannot cohabit with humans because of aggressions that were never addressed. Thus we are stuck with ill bred and ill trained dogs that give a particular breed a bad name.

I have read many stories over the years about "Pit Bulls" and Rotweillers who have been involved in horrendous scenarios with equally horrible outcomes for the humans involved. I can strike a generally common thread that connects the stories together: the owners in most instances were the worst possible people to own dogs of this sort. They could not control the behavior of these dogs that instinctively pushed their normally aggressive natures around to control, possess or protect their surroundings.

Being around purebred dogs for over 30 years, I understand that herding dogs were developed to be put in charge of a flock and keep them together. Working dogs were also used to haul small loads or protect property. Sporting/hunting dogs have been trained to work in the fields with the human. In these three instances, the two former examples illustrate that dogs from this category are used to being the "boss" and keeping control. This is instinctive. Add to that the urge to protect against any perceived threat and you have a walking "weapon."

In today's society that is well-settled and occupied dogs of this sort are an anachronism, ill suited to carry out those traits in a crowded world. Hence it is the owner of these dangerous dog breeds who must "deprogram," with training, all of those nasty reactions that set these dogs part from nice, happy dogs.

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