Dangerous Dogs - Who's to Blame

A situation I am constantly asked to help with is that of "dangerous dogs." These are dogs that have bitten someone and presumably pose a threat to the public. Animal control officers are quick to point the finger at the animal and try to move to killing it as quickly as possible. What seems to be overlooked here is the question of "Who is to blame?"

Are we to assume a dog was born dangerous and seeks out the person it wishes to bite?
Do dogs become aggressive in certain situations?
Does something or someone drive the dog to become aggressive?

If we can assume that a dangerous dog is one that bites, then all dogs must be considered dangerous. As a trainer, I approach all dogs with the presumption that all dogs can and may bite. What motivates a dog to bite is what I'd like to examine. Dogs bite for several reasons, including, fear, anger, territory, and some are trained to bite, as in police and protection work. The primary focus of dogs that we need to look at are those dogs that bite out of anger. Anger or aggression in dogs is something that is instilled in them often times by lack of, or improper training. That is to say a dog that has been improperly handled is likely to bite out of anger or fear. Fearful dogs generally bite only when approached, where angry dogs have a propensity to strike out to bite.

If a dog owner has a situation with a dog that has anger or aggression issues, it should be looked at seriously. There is a high risk that this dog will bite someone at some point, or even that the dog may get away from the owner and bite. If this happens, who is to blame? If a dog is well behaved its entire life and gets away from the owner and causes damage, who is to blame? IF an owner owns a dog that has the likelihood to become dangerous and does not train it, who is to blame?

I think the answer to these questions is quite simple, the owner of the dog is responsible for the damages the dog inflicts. If its an eye for an eye, then the owner must pay restitution for the damages inflicted. Many who argue this from a biblical standpoint misinterpret the scripture and demand that if a person takes anothers eye, he too should have his eye cut out. This makes no sense according to the law, but I'm not here to argue this. What I would like to address is the logical standpoint of punishing a dog for being a dog. If a dog bites someone, does it solve the problem by killing the dog? Are all the problems solved?

I've been involved with several dangerous dogs and have rescued and trained them and they enjoy happy lives. I will go on record to say that not just anyone should own a dog that has aggression issues, nor do I think just anyone should own any dog. A dogs temperament is something to strongly consider when getting a dog. I've seen that many people do not have the capacity to deal with a dog that has some behavioral issues. Again, does that mean they should be killed?

I would agree on many standpoints that is an animal poses a threat to the public we should examine options to protect the public. However, if there is an option to protect the life of an animal without killing it, should that be considered? Are there sanctuaries, rescues or places that will take dogs that can not be in the public? What do we do with wild animals that we have wrongly captured that would pose a treat to the public such as lions, elephants, wolves, etc? And when these options exist, are we able to put our egos aside and step up to the plate?

What I've seen in dealing with some animal control agencies, is that ego tends to get in the way of compassion. I'm not only talking about government agencies here, but private rescues as well. People love to play God and make their decisions based on what feels right to them. Have we come so far only to slip down this fast? Are we the barbaric shadows of our ancestors? Do we kill people that we are afraid of and cage trophy animals for our ego? There are many things to consider. We have domesticated animal, much against their will. Animals are still wild in their instincts. No matter how sweet your little dog is, when his drive clicks, your dog becomes a wolf and few people are going to stop him. If you'd like to read more about how dogs are like wolves and about their drives, I'd invite you to visit my Black Belt Dog Training website. My point in all of this is simple, if we've taken it upon ourselves to live with these animals, we must accept responsibility to train, understand and live with them. The key word being LIVE with them. There are murderers, child molesters and sexual offenders walking the streets of our country who pose far greater threats to our society than dogs. We should kill all the dangerous dogs when they are causing the greater risks. When the streets are 100% safe from dangerous people it will be the right time to start killing the dangerous dogs. In the meantime, lets try to figure out a viable solution to dogs that have some behavior problems without killing them.

This post relates directly to a situation that I am currently involved in. I will discuss it in further detail in the near future.

On the Topic of Breeders

It seems that rescuers and breeders are on two different sides when it comes to the right choice of how and where to get a dog.  There are breeders who boast the myth that only a good dog can be purchased from a breeder, while rescue workers attest that there is such a great animal overpopulation that breeders should be put out of business.  Let me shed some light on the situation.  

As a rescue worker, I can assure you that I will do my best to be fair in my statements, actually much more fair than the statements that I have seen from many breeders posts on blogs.  I do believe that people should be able to make a living in whatever they are doing: be it breeders, pet stores, groomers, trainers, etc.  That being said, it should be a living not at the expense of another's suffering, be that a pet or another person.  If I were to derive a living from beating and confining my workers to make my t-shirts,  I'm sure you would agree that this would be wrong.    Well, that is what the battle against some breeders known as puppy mills is about.  With the internet so widespread, many people get their dogs from far away places and rely on the photos and testimonials they read on the breeders website without ever checking out the breeder.  If you can visit the breeder and see it for yourself, chances are its a good breeder.  Legitimate breeders love their dogs and care about where they go.  They will do intensive interview and question prospective buyers.  They will NOT just ship a dog to anyone.  Puppy mills will.  

Puppy mill breeders are in it for the cash and sell misery.  EVERY legitimate breeder will hate puppy mill breeders even more than people in rescue.  Why?  because it makes them and their entire industry look bad.  Pet stores for the most part, more than 90% sell puppies from puppy mills.  NO legitimate breeder would sell their puppies to a puppy store and not care about where their dogs are going.  Good breeders want to know the future of their dogs and will take back a dog that doesn't work out.  Puppy mills and pet stores don't.

There are countless rescue organizations from general breeds to breed specific rescues that scour the shelters and save millions of dogs.  They operate on limited budgets and are run by animal lovers who are often struggling to make it.  Some make money, some charge adoption fees for legitimate reasons, however none but one or two operate at a sizable profit...  in fact most are Non-Profits.  These organizations rescue, board, foster and re-home the dogs that were cast away.  So the big business people say, "Why should it be your responsibility to take on 'someone else's problem'?"  Well, its not.  Looking at it like that makes it seem like you are taking over someone's credit card debt with nothing in return.  What people overlook is that it is a life.  You are not taking over a problem, but a life that will give back to you just like the dog you get from the pet store, but often with a lot less issues.  Yes, you can get a puppy from a breeder, but rescues are often overrun with puppies as are shelters.  You won't get that fancy piece of paper stating its history, but you still get a loving life.  If you can trace the entire lineage of your partner before you settle down, then maybe getting a purebred papered dog is the right choice for you.  However if love and doing something heartfelt for an animal who needs a second chance is in your scope of reality, a rescue may make you just as happy as a dog from a breeder.

As a professional dog behaviorist I can attest that dogs from shelters / rescues can be every bit as loving (sometimes more so) than breeder dogs.  I've had both and have seen both sides.  Puppies are cute, but very hard to deal with.  A dog who has outgrown the puppy stage often makes for a better pet.  Puppy love lasts for a while, but then you have to settle down to cleaning puppy poop, pee, puke, deal with chewing, digging, whining, barking, etc.  These all seem like fun, but then grow into issues.  And, I can tell you professionally that if they are not dealt with properly, they will cause greater issues than any I've seen in rescue dogs.

Getting a dog is a decision that should not be spontaneous.  It is something to think about.  Both sides of this issue are very passionate about their ideas.   My passion lies merely in what is right for the dog.  If you have done the research and are ready to make your decision, move on and do it.  The compassionate choice is the one you make with a clear conscience.  More than 5 million shelter animals are killed each year.  Many of them come from breeders, puppy mills and pet stores.  Educating yourself on the responsibilities of owning a dog will help you to avoid being a part of the problem and therefor help solve the problem.