ANSC 250 1st Edition Lecture 18 Outline of Last Lecture I Intro to dog fighting in U S II Overview of dog fighting and dog fighters III ASPCA video IV Off the Chain V Laws and cases Outline of Current Lecture I What is a Pit Bull II Why do dogs bite III Media Reporting IV Myth vs Fact V Breed discrimination and Identification VI What can we do Current Lecture I What is a Pit Bull a A pit bull is not a true breed It is a generic term used to describe multiple breeds or mix of those breeds It can also be used to describe a dog that shares common physical traits of certain breeds b They descended from bull dogs Were all pit bulls bred for fighting or bull baiting No bull baiting and dog fighting work dogs companionship c Famous pit bulls in early 20th c i Sergeant Stubby war hero ii Petey the Pit bull Little Rascals iii Other media figures famous owners Teddy Roosevelt Buster Brown Shoes Helen Keller b Today pit bulls have a dangerous image enhanced by the media which increases their popularity with people who have poor intentions for them They are also sometimes used in fighting professional and street level But the majority of pit bulls today are kept as family pets by responsible owners c Which other dogs have been viewed as more dangerous or aggressive in the past i Bloodhound ii Newfoundland iii Sled dogs iv Collies These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute II II v German Shepherd vi Doberman Pincher vii Rottweiler Why do dogs bite a When a dog breed gains a dangerous image the number of reckless owners increases When dogs are abused or neglected the number of incidences of aggression increases When a bite occurs the image created by the media report is reinforced b Just remember the HUMAN is the biggest variable in a dog s behavior and aggression c Reckless owners will chain their dogs allow their dogs to roam neglect or abuse their dogs and allow unsupervised children to interact with unfamiliar dogs d Resident dogs are those that i Maintained exclusively on chains or in kennels ii Obtained for negative functions that encourage aggression iii Have limited or no positive human interactions kept isolated iv Do NOT exhibit the same behaviors as family dogs v Animals are likely unaltered b Family dogs are those that i Learn appropriate behaviors and are well socialized with humans ii Interact regularly with humans in humane and positive ways iii Have owners who are more likely to train spay neuter and provide appropriate care for their dogs b The AVMA study from class found that in fatal dog bites fatalities was not a common factor breed was NOT a common factor note pit bull is not a breed but rather a group of dogs 40 50 of dogs in US are mixed breed c Some common factors of bites 7 or more of these were present in most cases include i No able bodied person able to intervene ii Victim had no previous relationship with dog s iii Dogs not spayed neutered iv Victim had a compromised ability to manage their interactions with the dog v Kept as resident dogs vi Owner s prior mismanagement vii Owner s abuse or neglect of dogs Media Reporting a The main difference between media reporting of the past 19th and early 20th c compared to today is that today the function of the dog and the circumstances of the attack are often known and the blame used to lie with the owner but now it is on the dog focus on breed function of dog circumstances of attack are unknown or unreported b With this type of reporting we re assuming the following has changed i Dogs now attack without warning ii All dogs are kept as family dogs II II iii All dogs are purebred b Papers were 9 times more likely to include the breed of the dog in the headline when the story involved a pit bull only 8 of articles reporting on dogs attacks by other breeds mentioned the breed Myth vs Fact a Do pit bull have locking jaws or the ability to lock their jaw during an attack i No b How many pounds of pressure per square inch can pit bulls exert in their bite i 200 450psi pit bull has less amount of bite pressure than most other dogs b In the National Geographic study discussed which breed had the most and the least amount of pressure in their bite i Least pit bulls ii Most Rottwellers b We know there are some friendly pit bulls out there but are they just the exception i No most are friendly b The results from the American Temperament Test Society show pit bulls have reliable friendly behavior c Are pit bulls more intolerant to pain than other dogs i No b Who owns the majority of pit bull type dogs i Anyone b According to the Banfield Pet Hospital s report where do pit bulls rank in terms of breed popularity with their clients i 5th 1st Labrador Retriever Breed Discrimination and Identification a Breed Discriminatory Legislation is a statute or regulation based on specific breed or breed types b Which city has the most infamous of these types of regulations i Denver CO 1989 pit bull ban is the most notable born out of unsupported fears dogs were register confiscated and killed majority were family dogs overall dog bites have not decreased Americans with Disabilities Act opposed the bans b Are breed bans shown to be effective in reducing the number of dog bites and increasing public safety i No dog bites can t be predicted by breed alone b Who is mainly being punished with these types of regulations i Responsible pet owners and family dogs b Which government group recently announced their opposition to breed bans i The White House thinks that bans are ineffective and a waste of public resources b Is there any organization s that are knowledgeable about dog behavior or aggression that support breed regulations or bans If so list them below i National Animal Welfare organizations 1 HSUS II 2 ASPCA 3 Best Friends Animal Society 4 AHA i Vets ii Government iii Lawyers iv Animal Control Officers v Dog trainers vi Dog Breeders b What is the state of Illinois stance on breed regulations i Anti BSL provisions No city can enact a breed specific ban b A problem with breed bans involves knowing what a pit bull is This is because most of these dogs are mixed breed dogs and most bans are based on visual appearancenot genetic c Doggie DNA is being used now to determine a dog s breed ancestry d In one study it was found that 87 5 of the time animal professionals guessed the wrong breed s in mixed breeds entering shelters What can we do a