Great research site on dog attacks

[TrapsMcLats]

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/default.asp

Interesting stuff.

[jmt1]

yes that is a very good site. 

karen delise has also written 2 excellent books on the subject.


Two Books by Karen Delise explore the Facts, Fiction and
Statistics behind Dog Breeds and Dog Attacks


 
The Pit Bull Placebo:

The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression

By Karen Delise


“Falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late: the jest is over, and the tale has had its effect.” - Jonathan Swift


First it was the Bloodhound, sensationalized in the dramatizations of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Then it was the Doberman Pinscher, symbol of the Nazi menace for a nation at war. Today, it is the Pit bull that is vilified for the depravity of his master.

At perhaps no time in history has mankind been as ignorant of natural canine behavior as we find ourselves at the beginning of the 21st century. The human/dog bond—the most complex and profound inter-species relationship in the history of mankind—has now been reduced to a simple axiom: Breed of dog = degree of dangerousness.

Today, police chase down fleeing Pit bulls in the street, firing dozens of wild shots in response to media-fed rumors of supernatural Pit bull abilities. Politicians coach and nurture this fear with their own brand of rhetoric used to assist in the passing of quick and ineffective legislation created to pacify communities ignorant of the real cause for dog attacks. Hundreds of animal shelters throughout the country kill all unclaimed Pit bull-looking dogs, as they are deemed "unadoptable" solely on their physical appearance.

In a society unparalleled in its access to information and ability to control our natural environment, we now claim that we are unable to master our dogs. Unwilling to assume responsibility for the control and care of our canine companions, we instead hang entire breeds of dogs in effigy for the sins of their owners. Society now accepts this “solution to the dog bite problem” because we have been placated by a Pit Bull Placebo.

Like the pharmacologically inactive sugar pill dispensed to pacify a patient who supposes it to be medicine, eradication of the Pit bull is heralded as the cure for severe dog attacks. However, a placebo is administered solely to appease a person's mental duress. In the present day climate of fear and misinformation about Pit bulls and dog attacks, eradication of the Pit bull is the placebo administered to ease the public's mental anxiety. This, of course, does not address the underlying causes of why dogs attack and how they have been allowed access to their victims.

The book, The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression, explores and reveals how our views and beliefs about canine aggression have changed over the last 150 years and how our perceptions about the nature and behavior of dogs has been influenced and shaped by persons and organizations who often times disseminate information about dog attacks which is tailored to further an agenda unrelated to the improvement of the human/dog bond.

We have come to be in the midst of a social hysteria about Pit bulls because we have abandoned centuries-old common sense and reasoning and have been duped by inaccurate reporting from a media that thrives on sensationalism and by politicians who traffic in rumors, myths and pseudoscience in their efforts to pass legislation that demonizes dogs while exonerating criminal and abusive owners.

Despite the intense media, political and public interest in dog attacks, there is a disturbing scarcity of accurate information and investigation done on the real causes and reasons for these incidents.

If we truly believe that the extremely rare cases of fatal dog attacks merit extreme measures in the management of dogs—if our concern and shock is genuine—then we must be equally genuine and sincere in seeking out and addressing the real causes for these incidents.

Whether our goal is community safety, understanding canine behavior, furtherance of humane treatment towards dogs, or the advancement of the human-dog bond, it is critical that we examine all the details available about dog attacks.

The Pit Bull Placebo examines actual cases of severe dog attacks during the last 150 years—the circumstances, the individual dogs involved, the victims, and our interpretations of these events—in an attempt to offer a reasoned and balanced perspective on the behavior of dogs and the critical role humans play in the management and treatment of our canine companions.

Only by stepping back from the swirl of present-day hysteria surrounding isolated cases of severe canine aggression and examining the problem from a broader and more objective perspective can we hope to understand and effectively address the human and canine behaviors which have contributed to these incidents.

[jmt1]

FATAL DOG ATTACKS
The Stories Behind the Statistics
By Karen Delise

More than any other breed of dog, Pit Bulls have, for the last two decades, borne the brunt of a firestorm of negative and very often misleading publicity.

There is both a public and political perception as to the “viciousness” of certain breeds of dogs. Their perceptions are based on newspaper accounts of severe and fatal dog attacks and on sporadic studies from the Centers for Disease Control that document which breeds of dogs cause the most human fatalities in the United States.

As a result, Pit-bull-type dogs have in the last 20 years become a breed non grata in many cities and counties throughout the country. Although, lip-service is often given to the fact that most severe and fatal attacks are caused by irresponsible owners, (and not a true reflection of breed); there has previously been NO true facts given to substantiate this claim, and so the public and politicians are often unconvinced as to the true rarity of these incidents and even more unaware of the true nature and disposition of the Pit Bull.

One of the biggest obstacles facing the Pit Bull is the image of unpredictability. Media accounts and previously published reports routinely classify the Pit Bulls involved in fatal attacks as “family pets”, leading the public and lawmakers into believing these dogs acted with unexpected aggression or behaved erratically. Almost, without exception, further investigation into these incidents reveals this to be an untrue representation of the function and status of the dog as it relates to the owner and/or victim. This vital distinction is important and relevant to lawmakers, those involved in rescue and rehabilitation, and the general public.

In reviewing and studying over 448 cases of fatal dog attacks in the United States, it is apparent that the three most critical factors that contribute to a fatal dog attack are: function of the dog, owner responsibility, and reproductive status of the dog. There is no documented case where a single, neutered, household Pit Bull was the cause of a human fatality. Overwhelmingly, the dogs involved in fatalities (Pit Bulls as well as other breeds) were un-neutered male dogs that were maintained for reasons other than to be a household companion. (Delise makes a clear distinction between a “household” dog that lives within the home and has extensive social contact with family members, versus a “resident dog” which is a dog that is kept chained or restrained outside of the home.)

This fact sheet is included as an adjunct to the book, (*Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics) and has been compiled specifically for those who work to keep our communities safe, and for those organizations and devotees that work hard to improve the image and condition of the Pit Bull breeds in today’s hostile and often unforgiving atmosphere.

[JBGRAY]

Great article.  I find it very appalling on the ignorance of a lot of people when it comes to the pitbull. I get a LOT of people thinking my Pit(who isn't even 5 months yet) is some sort of vicious animal or at least he will grow up to be.  They think their jaws lock, that they go out their way to attack children, and are inherently dangerous to people.  This isn't just concocted by the media, this is the general attitude amongst people around in my parts(I live in Broward, but the breed is banned in Dade and Palm Beach counties).  Breed specific legislation is continuing to hit all parts of the country.

The media is largely responsible for this, and general ignorance as well.  They rarely, if ever, give the story on behalf of the pitbull. I read an article that stated that when a Labrador mix and a cocker spaniel had attacked and bitten a kid, that story only attracted 2 media outlets.  However, when a dog that resembled a PitBull did the same thing, that particular story was picked up by over 225 media outlets. 

Profit-driven news networks should not be considered news at all.  The only thing they are good for is sports scores and traffic reports.  Bastards, all of them. 

[Vet]

Profit-driven news networks should not be considered news at all.  The only thing they are good for is sports scores and traffic reports.  Bastards, all of them. 

I agree.