Dangerous Dogs

Certain dogs – like pit bulls and Rottweilers – are as dangerous as loaded guns, but their owners are in denial about the risks.

No. Grafton, Mass. [10.25.04] After a spate of attacks by pit bulls this summer, Massachusetts lawmakers passed legislation requiring the dogs to be muzzled in public. Some pit bull owners protested, but a Tufts expert says the law may be a good idea. Breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers, says animal behavior expert Nick Dodman, are hardwired for aggression.

“Some of these dogs are as dangerous as a loaded handgun,” Dodman – director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine – said in an interview with The Boston Globe Magazine.

Genetics play a big role.

“No doubt about it, pit bulls are genetically predisposed toward aggression,” he told the magazine. “Just as certain breeds of dogs were bred to herd, certain were bred to hunt, certain to point, and others to swim.”

While most pet owners accept that their dogs have certain genetic behavioral characteristics, there is still resistance to the idea that some dogs are more dangerous than others.

“Everybody accepts [genetic behaviors like herding or hunting] until you throw in the word ‘aggression’ and things like a full, crushing bite, which some breeds were specifically bred for in the past.”

Statistics on dog attacks reinforce the link between certain dogs and dangerous behavior.

“It’s like a scene from “Casablanca” when they say, ‘Round up the usual suspects,’” Dodman told the Globe. “It’s always German shepherds, chow, husky, pit bull. The numbers do the talking.”

He added that pit bulls and Rottweilers alone account for more than 50 percent of the fatal dog attacks every year. Despite the danger, the owners of these dogs often fail to take proper precautions.

“A lot of owners of aggressive breeds are suffering from denial and ignorance, because no one wants to be fingered as having that kind of dog,” Dodman said.

Laws requiring dangerous dogs to be muzzled may help reduce the risks. But Dodman was quick to note that dog attacks should be kept in perspective.

“Although it’s too many, the number of deaths from dog bites is very small, about 10 per year,” the Tufts animal behavior expert told the Globe. “Homicides – people killing people – far exceeded that. If you ask yourself which is more dangerous, the dog or the person, the answer is obvious.”