Do Dog Breed Bans Really Reduce Bites?

By Gina M. Scott, InsWeb.com

You see a large Dalmatian/Rottweiler mix sitting next to a little toy poodle. Which dog do you pet? If you're like most people you keep 10 feet between you and the big dog, and reach out to pet the little one. But you'd be wrong! Turns out you've just put your hand out to the more aggressive dog and avoided the well-trained nice one.

Because of the perception of "large equals evil," as well as some facts, various places around the country have or are trying to pass laws outlawing and restricting specific dog breeds such as pit bulls and Rottweilers. The Hawaii legislature is considering a bill banning pit bulls outright. In December 2008, the city of West Allis, Wis., tried to pass an ordinance banning pit bulls. Ohio passed a law in 1987 requiring all purebred pit bulls be confined and their owners buy at least $100,000 in liability insurance and Worthington, Ky., passed a law in June 2008 requiring owners of pit bulls to keep their doors and windows closed when the dogs are in the house-no screen doors allowed.

Unfortunately, dog breed-specific laws do not get at the root of the dog bite problem: vicious dogs.

Small Breed, Big Bite

Smaller dog breeds such as Chihuahuas, dachshunds, toy poodles, and Jack Russell terriers are known to be very aggressive. The only reason we don't automatically think of a cocker spaniel when talking about an aggressive dog is because a bite from a smaller dog probably won't warrant a trip to the ER.

But then again, maybe we should.

At the end of January 2009, the former president of France, Jacques Chirac, was mauled by his cute little "clinically depressed" Maltese, a breed that gets no more than seven lbs. according to the American Kennel Club. President Chirac had to be hospitalized. In late 2008, former President Bush's adorable Scottie dog Barney bit a reporter (though he was believed to have been provoked). In Savage, Minn., a dachshund named Bitsy is accused of biting a 12-year-old girl-a hearing is pending.

It is true that large breed dogs like pit bulls get the most press, and they can do a lot of damage if they attack. Yet experts such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States agree that "there is no such thing as a bad breed of dog" and "all dogs can bite if provoked." Even America's favorite dog, the Labrador Retriever, has been known to attack people.

Owners of large breed dogs like German Shepherds or Doberman Pinschers can pay higher homeowners or renters insurance costs. And some cities and states require owners of large breed dogs to carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance on their home or renters insurance policies.

The debate continues: do we eliminate certain dog breeds or do we mandate training? Do we punish an entire breed because of a few bad dogs? Does size really equal aggressiveness? Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut answer to the dog bite problem.