Dogs that inspire fear:

Pit bull, Staffordshire terrier, Bull terrier, among other fighting dogs.

Fighting dogs were once used in England for “bull-baiting”, that is, fights between bulls and dogs (hence the Bull terrier breed), but these were banned at the start of the 19th century. The Staffordshire miners, true devotees of this kind of spectacle, then devised dog fights using a breed of dog, the Staffordshire terrier, which comes from a cross between the Bull terrier and the (now extinct) English Terrier. The Staffordshire terriers were imported into the USA in 1870 and then, made heavier by rigorous selective breeding, gave rise to the American Staffordshire terrier, commonly known as the Pit bull, more than 4 kg heavier than the English one.

Characteristics

This type of dog was bred for its aggression towards the other dog in the fight, but not towards its master, who had to be able to pull it out of the fight if his dog was being torn apart. In temperament they are loyal and intelligent, and possess a great deal of strength and courage. A good guard dog, it should be able to tell well-meaning strangers from those who are not. It can become dangerous if it is treated harshly. This, of course, holds true for every breed of dog!!!

Aggression

Its aggression is of the “predatory” type: that is to say, it gives no warning and attacks until the prey is dead, since that is precisely the aim of this kind of aggression. Its jaw has powerful masseter muscles and the dog does not let go of its prey. These forms of attack are among the most dangerous. The factors that encourage such behaviour are frequently to be found in poor socialisation (a lack of contact with various external stimuli, with children, cats, other dogs, elderly or disabled people, and so on), as well as in mistaken upbringing on the owner’s part (unsuitable games, encouraging biting, disregard for other people, and so on). People who do not own dogs sometimes also forget that their own behaviour can awaken a hunting instinct in any dog: children are taught not to throw themselves at an unfamiliar dog to hug it, not to race past on roller skates or a scooter right beside it (the dog will mistake the person on top for prey to chase), and to avoid stirring up any hunting instinct.

Measures in Switzerland?

Abroad, where firm measures have been taken against this type of dog, no fall in the incidence of bites has been observed. What is more, the majority of bites are still caused by dogs of various breeds, but more often by mongrels. It is also worth remembering that most bites to children are caused by the family’s own dogs.

In March 2000 the Federal Council appointed a working group on dangerous dogs (GTCD). Together with the Society of Swiss Veterinary Surgeons (SVS), this group delivered a first report on 30 June, of which here is a summary:

Advocating the proper training of dogs, by introducing a quality label for puppy play classes, since these have proved effective as a means of socialising dogs, and likewise for training courses, in order to instil appropriate behaviour in both people and animals in critical situations.

A monitoring of breeding operations, which should use for reproduction only dogs with good socialisation potential.

Compulsory identification by microchip, together with mandatory reporting of bites. These last two measures combined should make it possible to detect repeat-offender dogs, which will then undergo a veterinary assessment to determine whether re-education or euthanasia is appropriate.

Taken together, these measures will make it possible to establish both prevention and enforcement for all dogs, whatever the breed, since every dog potentially has the capacity to cause serious harm to a person’s physical integrity. This is by no means confined to fighting dogs.

The GTCD and the SVS are opposed to introducing a general licence to keep a dog; this would heighten interest in the dog as an illegal fighting animal and reduce it to the rank of an unfeeling weapon, which runs counter to the animal-welfare ethics of our country.

Banning certain breeds is also undesirable from a scientific point of view; what is more, a dog’s physical appearance gives no information about its temperament.

In conclusion, prevention must be established among breeders, owners and non-owners, along with information campaigns among the public and in schools, as well as measures that make it possible to target enforcement.