What do dog owners think about BSL?

Question

Breed Specific Legislation is daft, I have just been watching videos on YouTube about American Pit Bull Terriers that had to be killed due to BSL.

Am I the only person out here that thinks that theres very rarely a bad dog, just a bad owner?

My friend was attacked quite badly by a Labrador a while back, does this mean that they should all be killed as well???

Answer 1

I think breed specific legislation and mandatory spaying/neutering is very bad.

Any kind of dog is made "bad" by BAD owners!!

I agree with you-- I own Labradors and they can be aggressive too. Actually, incidents involving Labrador bites are quite high because people think they're all sweet and lovey and disregard the fact that it is still an unfamiliar, territorial dog! Some breeds of dogs have a bum rap and it's because of thugs and lowlifes.

Besides, bad people will continue to do bad things regardless of the law! Why isn't this more evident to folks?? People who breed pits for fighting are going to continue to do so, it's already illegal!! (to fight dogs)

Answer 2

Bsl is a very dangerous area. Something everyone needs to fight against. People look at what could happen in your state and area and what has happened in some. Lets look back in history, recall a time when their was an Adolf Hitler ordering, passing laws to kill a specific type of person!!! Truly no different than bsl, is that what we want? I know for one that I don't want it never will and will fight against bsl and I don't own a pit bull although have handled a few over the years with no problems. Once that foothold comes about, then its on to no breeding of dogs in general or a law passed saying that all dogs must be fixed then what? maybe someone telling us that we have to limit the amount of children per household. Breed specific is truly wrong, certain dogs singled out based on very non specific reasons other than perhaps aggressive behavior, which in fact the sweetest looking dog can have that behavior and do. Some have made statements about labs and a lot think that these types of dogs don't bite or have an aggressive behavior but some do. You will find this in any breed, it is up to the RESPONSIBLE OWNER to channel that into something good. Lets see if we can answer some questions, Which dog breed has been reported to have bitten more people? Is it the pit bull? or is it another known aggressive breed? Or is it a poodle? Do we get caught up in media hype such as person chewed up by raging pit bull, how often do you hear about person chewed up by raging lab or some other breed, yes we will sometimes hear that but more often we hear about pit bull, a dog breed that has been stereotyped NOT ALL PIT BULLS ARE MONSTERS NOT ALL ARE BRED TO FIGHT. They are a nice breed in the responsible owners hands, a breed that needs some very dominant training but there are many other breeds that require very similar training. Lets look at this, slow down here people and don't just ban something because of so and so said it should be or because we see more media hype over it. I wonder if some here that agree with bsl have ever been involved with an aggressive type breed? When i say aggressive I mean more dominant, more protective than other breed types. Please don't single out a certain breed of dog, all breeds can have these same traits. Don't play Adolf Hitler here people nothing good will come of it. Every one has a right to their opinion and we all need to listen and be heard. At the same time be a responsible dog owner and understand the breed you own know the breeds traits and how to handle those traits, become the pack leader and if you can not train your dog yourself then get some help but don't blame the specific breed

Answer 3

BSL is ridiculous! People will fight dogs if they want to fight dogs They will just abuse whatever dog they can get their hands on to do it. BSL just gives the illusion that something worth while is being done to correct a perceived problem. Of course now these people are importing bigger fighting breeds from other countries, since BSLs don't cover those (Cane Corsos, Filas, Preso Canarios and Tosa Inus and the like) so soon Pits won't look so bad and the damage will get worse. This is exactly what people were trying to telling these brainless politicians when they decided to punish the breeds and not the owners. I worked at a shelter in Virginia where we had to put down 3 labs for killing an elderly woman. He paid a fine and bought a pair of mastiffs a short time later, he was ordered to have them put down before they were a year old. Banning anything is just the work of lazy government and even lazier constituents. If BSL works then why do areas that have it still have so many problems?
P.S. Iluvgerry is lying about being a Vet, ignore any advice this person gives

Answer 4

I agree with you. I was attacked by a Golden Retriever who nearly took the right side of my face off, and I still have scars on my face from it. It this dog would have bit a child instead of me it would have done MUCH more damage. But even though I have had first hand experience with an aggressive golden doesn't mean I think all goldens should be banned. I know that this was a case of a bad owner, not a bad dog. Though the owner did not train this dog to be aggressive, she neglected the fact that he IS aggressive. After he attacked me, she said that he has done that before. And she still refuses to get help in training. And this is often the case for any aggressive dog, regardless of the breed.

I think BSL is rediculous, and would never work. People would still find a way to get the banned breed, or they the people who do want an aggressive intimidating dog will just move to another breed...

Answer 5

I agree with you BSL is BS! Pit Bulls are not the only breed on the list and the list will grow very easy if passed through Legislature. We should be going after the idiots who can not handle and train a dog, and the ones who breed and train them improperly. I have a Pit Bull now and he is the best of friends with my Lab. He would never hurt anyone or thing. And it is wrong to punish him because of some idiots. I also had a family member mauled by a dog of another breed. And that dog was raised wrong and knew no different. People are the ones who need to be held accountable and not an innocent animal who does not know what is right or wrong in our world.

Answer 6

First off, I do think that BSL is a rotten idea, however I disagree that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Realistically, I would like to think that, however given that in every species there are rogue examples, it only stands to reason that there would be rogue dogs. With the large amount of inbreeding that has gone into creating the current breeds, and with the huge number of irresponsable, backyard breeders out there, the likelihood of rogue dogs turning up only increases. That being said, those rogue dogs can be found in ANY breed, not just the "problem" breeds targeted by BSL. As you mentioned, some of the most aggressive, and non-responsive dogs I have ever been around have been mutts, or examples of any number of the traditional "family" breeds (goldens, labs, cocker spaniels, dalmations, poodles, etc). The problem with the breeds targeted in BSL is that they are powerful and require a certain finesse and personality to handle them. Because of their power and reputation, they often end up in the wrong hands, and thus are not handled with the respect and discipline they require. I think all animals should be judged on an individual basis. In response to King Tootin whatever... Pits are not bred to fight dogs to death. They, and their bully cousins, were bred as hunting and bull fighting dogs. Their power was then used to pit them against eachother. Part of their breed standard, and all bully breed standards, specifically states that any fearful or human aggressive dogs are considered faulted, in addition to dogs displaying dog on dog aggression. That being said, they often have a high prey drive, and in the wrong hands can become dog aggressive, but that dog aggression does not automaticallymean that will become human aggressive. Nor does tasting blood mean they will automatically bite and draw blood again. In addition, these breeds are NOT only owned by low lifes. Some of the most respected and well-to-do in society own these breeds. Any dog in the wrong hands can become the stereotype you so sadly have in your head of what a pit bull is.

Answer 7

How about, rather than breed specific legislation, we make people register their pits the way sex offenders are registered? Make people get a permit or license before allowing them to breed these dogs. Punish illegal breeders with fines, jail time, etc. I have never met a mean pitbull, and I had one who was a little devil, but sweet as she could be. I do recognize, though, that in the hands of the wrong owners, these dogs can be dangerous.

Statistically, don't more people get bitten by Labs than by Pit Bulls?

Answer 8

I think the problem is that many people want a mean dog, so they get a dog with that reputation and treat it so that it lives up to it. We have a lab that is the most gentle dog you can imagine--I've never heard of a mean one before. The real problem isn't that the breed is bad--I think if it were a smaller dog, there would be fewer complaints. It's just that a larger dog can cause more damage. Actually, the meanest dogs I've known are small--my aunt has a Bichon that would bite you as soon as look at you, but because he's small, she just laughs it off.

Answer 9

BSL is very wrong and I agree with punish the deed, not the breed.

I am 32 years old and have been around many, many dogs. The only dog I was ever attacked by was a Labrador Retriever as well. I was 4 or 5 years old at the time and he tore me up pretty good. I have been around Rotts, Pit Bulls (no real breed called that), Dobies, Shepards and many other supposed vicious breeds and have never been growled at.

Answer 10

I think that all breeds can become mean, mostly due to their upbringing. But there are certain breeds that show more aggression and bite more often. I think that it's silly to say all Pit Bulls are bad dogs, but it's also silly not to do anything about people getting hurt.

Maybe the best solution is to take away all unlicensed dogs and make sure that all dogs are in good homes where they can learn how to behave.