San Diego pit bull owners and their detractors

And, while anecdotal stories are not evidence, it has been *my experience as a non-discriminating landlord*, small dog owners have the most trouble managing their dogs. (Their dogs may start a fight, and a bigger dog will finish it.) **These small dogs are less socialized, more aggressive, and, in general, more trouble than the Pit Bulls, Rotties, and Mastiffs.** In addition, these small dog owners seem to be less educated regarding dog behavior and safe interactions, including why it is important to spay/neuter, to leash your dog, and to spend the time to train and exercise it. ***I have found those tenant owners of breeds traditionally discriminated against are the BEST tenants.*** Like many populations who face discrimination, they only have one shot to make a good impression... not only of themselves, but for all those who might follow in their footsteps. And, because I know you'll ask. Nope, never had ONE incident in 20 years of land lording +10 units. And, nope... I don't have any vacancies.
— May 6, 2015 10:27 p.m.

San Diego pit bull owners and their detractors

While I can appreciate the fear that Bill has from this ONE, highly personal, incident, any writer using Dogbite.com as a source clearly hasn't done their homework. Rather, Bill should read the CDC's research which clearly states breed is not a reliable factor in determining risk, so much so that they do not recommend Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). ***Here's a good summary from the ASPCA's site:*** > "**The CDC strongly recommends against breed-specific laws** in its oft-cited > study of fatal dog attacks, **noting that data collection related to bites > by breed is fraught with potential sources of error** (Sacks et al.,2000). > Specifically, the authors of this and other studies cite the inherent difficulties in > breed identification (especially among mixed-breed dogs) and in calculating a > breed’s bite rate given the lack of consistent data on breed population and the > actual number of bites occurring in a community, especially when the injury is not > deemed serious enough to require treatment in an emergency room (Sacks et al., > 2000; AVMA, 2001; Collier, 2006). Supporting the concern regarding identification, > a recent study noted a significant discrepancy between visual determination of > breed and DNA determination of breed (Voith et al., 2009). **A variety of factors > may affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression**; these include heredity, early > experience, socialization and training, sex and reproductive status (Lockwood, > 1999). For example, **intact males constitute 80 percent of all dogs > presented to veterinary behaviorists for what formerly has been described > as dominance aggression, are involved in 70 to 76 percent of reported dog > bite incidents, and are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs**, > while unspayed females “attract free-roaming males, which increases bite risk > to people through increased exposure to unfamiliar dogs,” and “contribute to the > population of unwanted” and potentially aggressive dogs (Gershman et al., 1993; > Sacks et al., 2000; AVMA, 2001). **Chaining and tethering also appear to be > risk factors for biting** (Gershman et al., 1993), and programs that target > tethering have proven effective in reducing bite rates (Sacks et al., 2000; AVMA, > 2001). Other factors implicated in dog aggression are **selective breeding and > raising of dogs for elevated aggression**, whether for protection, use in dog > fighting competitions, social status or financial gain (Bradley, 2006); **abuse > and neglect** (Delise, 2007); and **inadequate obedience training and > supervision** (Shuler et al., 2008)."
— May 6, 2015 10:27 p.m.