Going Against The Stereotype

Long time readers of this blog know that one of my "pet" issues is the issue of breed specific legislation. BSL's are usually geared around the so-called "bully breeds" - pit bulls, rottweillers, dobermans, german shepherds etc. My argument against BSL comes in large part from my days with the Junior Logician in dog training. One of the things we have learned in training is that ANY dog can become dangerous to people in the "wrong" set of circumstances. A story from my old stomping grounds brings that point home.

The verdict is in – Bitsy the long-haired dachshund is a potentially dangerous dog.

The designation came about as a result of the first dangerous dog hearing where the city used an outside hearing officer to preside over a case, which was also the second time the updated ordinance was followed.

Hearing examiner Karen E. Marty handed down the ruling Feb. 3 after presiding over an appeal hearing of a potentially dangerous dog citation against Bitsy that involved two very different stories about what happened on the morning of Nov. 26, 2008.

Now I fully understand that a Rottie is going to do more damage to a child than a Dachshund if either was to bite one. The point here is that you can not legislate based on profiling. You have to legislate the action not the genes. I have known too many "bully" breed dogs who have been the sweetiest, kindest creatures - incapable of harming of harming a flea much less a child. I have actually had more bad experiences with small dogs. The bottom line is it is not the size of the dog...it's the training and work that the owner puts INTO the dog.