Dog attacks: Should we punish the owner or the breed?

As I have stated before in my previous article about aggressive dog breeds, the dog is not born vicious or aggressive – it is the treatment from the owner that enforces and influences the dog’s behaviour.


Yes some dog breeds may be known as being ‘more vicious or prone to attack’ than other breeds – but why is this? This is because irresponsible breeders create them this way. They breed them to fight, because some owners – mainly younger males want to own a dog that is vicious and aggressive – they think that it makes them look ‘cool’ and is a way to show off to their friends. This really is irresponsible and these people should be banned from owning and breeding dogs.

Banning certain breeds of dogs would not be fair to the people who love specific breeds of dog and are responsible owners who really take care of their dogs. Why should people not be allowed to own the dog they want just because some people are too immature to take care of that specific breed?

I have been around many different breeds of dogs which were owned by my family and friends, none of which have been aggressive. All have been different breeds but are cared for and loved in the way that a dog should be treated, so they have no reason to be vicious.

I believe that when you go to buy or adopt a dog you should be made to do classes and lessons on how to care for the dog, and understanding what the dog needs. Whilst this wouldn’t completely remove the problem because there will always be idiots who don’t have the respect for others let alone animals, it would give people a lot of information that they may not have realised before. Giving potential owners a test to see how well they understand their dogs needs and behaviour would then show owners where they needed to get more information and guidance in order to really care for their pet.

Banning certain breeds of dogs for being aggressive is the same as trying to ban certain parents from having children. It just isn’t viable. The dog isn’t always responsible for his or her actions if they know no better and are mistreated. Targeting the people who breed dogs specifically for fighting would be effective and would limit the amount of vicious dogs that are bred intentionally to hurt and kill.

Regardless of what the media says about specific dog breeds and traits, you must remember that in most cases the dog only acts how he or she has been told or shown to act. If they are beaten and abused then they will get aggressive. If they don’t trust their master they won’t trust any other person.

Posted in: Debates