Dr. Mark is a veterinarian. He has been working with dogs for more than 40
years.
What are the most commonly banned dog breeds? Why are these breeds
particularly banned?
Vitor Fontes via Unsplash.com
Five “Bad” Dog Breeds
There is nothing wrong with these dog breeds. There is something wrong when a
legislator decides he knows what is right or wrong for us and uses his powers
against a race of dog.
Maybe legislators should be banned.
5 Dog Breeds That Are Commonly Banned
- Pit Bull
- Fila Brasileiro
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Presa Canario
This Pitbull looks like she knows she is banned.
cc-by www.flickr.com cutsforkisses 3393389684
1. The Pit Bull: Banned Like No Other
Every time there is a biting incident, especially if it is serious, a Pit Bull
is blamed. It does not matter if the dog is not a Pit Bull, since no matter
what the dog breed involved, if no one identifies the dog, it is assumed to be
a Pit Bull.
When a Pit Bull bite occurs, it is on the news. If it is a stray dog, a mutt,
or a well-known hunting breed, it is not considered newsworthy.
Pit bulls are just a cross between bulldogs and terriers. They have been
around the US for a long time, hunting, driving livestock, and keeping the
family company. When they started becoming popular among the drug dealers and
inner-city crowd, the reports started.
Because of all the inflammatory reports about Pit Bulls, this dog is banned
more often than any other. They are illegal to own in Miami, Florida, in
Denver, Colorado, in Ontario, Canada, and many other cities and counties (UK,
parts of Canada, Singapore, Australia, and many others).
Some areas collect all pet Pit Bulls to euthanize, and other areas require an
extra tax on Pit Bulls. Those that cannot pay lose their dogs, and the city
council will round them up and kill them.
The Fila Brasiliero is not a fighting dog.
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2. Fila Brasileiro: The “Brazilian Fighting Dog”
The Fila Brasileiro has been called “The Brazilian Fighting Dog” on several
websites.
That is wrong.
The Fila is a livestock guard dog, developed to distrust strangers and animals
that could affect the herd he protected, and the Fila is a good animal that
does not deserve to be banned.
The Fila was bred from Mastiffs, Bulldogs, Bloodhounds, and native breeds. He
is tall, heavy (about 50 kilos or 110 pounds), has a short coat, and loose
skin that makes him comfortable in the tropics.
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This dog is illegal to own in the UK. It is also prohibited in Israel, Norway,
Denmark, Cyprus, and Malta. It is illegal to import a Fila to Australia, New
Zealand, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Japanese Tosa are banned in many places.
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3. Japanese Tosa: The Sumo Dog
The Tosa is still a rare breed but is recognized in many places infected with
BSL. They are big, up to about 80 kilos (200 pounds), have a huge head and
neck, and a muscular body that served them well in the sumo-type fighting that
they were forced to perform.
Yes, the Tosa was developed to fight—he knows how to wrestle. Small native
dogs (the Shikoku Inu) were mixed with Mastiffs, Great Danes, and some other
breeds to produce this large dog.
In the UK, the Tosa is considered a dangerous dog and cannot be owned without
special permission. They are also banned in the European countries of Denmark,
Norway, and Iceland, Malta, Cyprus, and Turkey, and are illegal in Malaysia,
New Zealand, and Australia.
Dogo Argentino are hunting dogs but are banned in many countries.
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4. Dogo Argentino: Illegal in Many Places
This attractive white dog was bred from a fighting breed but was also mixed
with mellow dogs like the Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane to develop a strong
animal that could hunt boar and puma.
The only people who use the Dogo Argentino for fighting are doing so
illegally. That is no reason to ban the breed.
They are banned in the UK, where dogs may be taken away by the police. In the
US, they have been banned in Aurora, Colorado, and New York City. New Zealand,
Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Iceland, Israel, and the Ukraine have all decided
it is illegal to own one of these dogs. In Australia, it is even illegal to
import a Dogo Argentino.
A Presa Canario.
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5. Presa Canario: A Victim of Appearance
Presa Canarios are victims of their looks. Their chests are wide, and their
heads are square and broad, so they look like a guard dog, look like a
fighter, and if there is an incident that would be ignored in a popular breed,
the Presa makes headlines.
This dog from the Spanish Canary Islands was bred to work and still has not
been banned in a lot of areas. Back in 2001, there was a woman killed by a
pair of Presa Canarios who had been trained to fight and then kept in an
apartment. The attorneys who had decided to keep the dogs ended up going to
prison.
Preso Canario are banned in Australia and New Zealand.
These Dogs Are Not All That Dangerous
A lot of countries also ban American Bulldogs, Boerboels, and Neapolitan
Mastiffs. Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Boxers, Dobermans, Rottweilers,
German Shepherd Dogs, Akitas, and a few others are occasionally labeled
dangerous but are too popular to be attacked by legislators in most areas. It
might happen at any time.
If you want to get one of these dogs, the first thing you need to find out
would be is if it legal in your area. Even if it is allowed, there are
insurance requirements for homeowners, and many landlords do not allow certain
breeds on their property.
Is everything okay? You can get an adult dog and evaluate her personality, or
find a reputable breeder and get a puppy that can grow up with your family.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and
is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a
qualified professional.
© 2013 Dr Mark
Comments
casey on July 12, 2020:
I have five dogo Argentinos. They’re very sweet dogs, but very temperamental.
Don’t piss them off and don’t get in the way of their food. I’ve seen them
snap and it’s not pleasant.
venkat, chennai, india on November 14, 2016:
This shows how mean we humans really are!!! and what a comfort, shift the
blame on the breed of the dog and prosecute them, typically timid human
behaviour, sorry to say.
Just want give an example, I have a Doberman, 4 years old, male, quite
ferocious and very protective of all household and the members, but only if
needed. I can take him for walks chained or unchained and a simple voice
command or at most a stern call, he will not croos the line. Last week he was
attacked by two ill temperd Labradors, and he freed himself in a few seconds
and mind you he was in a choke collar all the time, but he did not bite back,
for one simple reason, I did not shout attack! my poor guy took a bite and I
am still tending to his wound, almost healed now. Was it my mistake I did not
command him to attack? Iam still pondering on that! And mind you in one
incident just to safe gaurd my child he has even attacked a mid sized bull and
chase the bull like crazy!
Well in a nut shell hope we can first check if the person buying a pup is just
for fancy or he can cope up with the hard work and dedication involved and of
course ban those (well I am quite tempted to add a few nice words here!) so
called inhuman legislators!
nAtavious on November 16, 2015:
I got 10 pitbulls and they don’t fight so it the people who train them to
fight they don’t do it on their own
ARADHYA on July 06, 2014:
Nice article as Dr. mark say “Dogs only do what they are taught.”
Any specific dog breed should not be banned, the week or careless owners
should be banned.
Thanks for nice article.
Karen from Utah on April 16, 2013:
It is crazy that because a dog is a certain breed people think they can ban it
Judy Specht from California on April 15, 2013:
This hub leaves me speechless and sad. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on April 15, 2013:
Thanks for visiting, Eiddwen. I have seen that photo a lot over the years but
it strikes hard every time, really sad.
Eiddwen from Wales on April 15, 2013:
So so sad and the last photo really got to me. It is bad owners who need to be
banned and not the dog!!!
Thanks for sharing this much needed hub.
Eddy.
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on April 13, 2013:
I feel the same way. It is sad when a hunting dog is blamed for causing
problems because people teach it to fight!
Bill De Giulio from Massachusetts on April 13, 2013:
Hi DrMark. How sad. I did not know that some breeds were banned in some cities
and countries. The people who train these dogs to fight are the ones who
should be banned.
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on April 13, 2013:
And the other thing, Bob, is that a lot of those times those aggressive dogs
are just hungry and maltreated. Does that make them bad? Not as far as I am
concerned.
The BSL cannot be pushed far enough away. Some countries are still discovering
it and think it is a good thing.
Dr Mark (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on April 13, 2013:
Thanks Will I agree that it is the jerks who treat them as weapons, and I
don’t think the dogs should be blamed for all the bad people out there. It was
really sad seeing all the hate pages for Pitbulls and Filas out there while
doing research for this article.
Michelle Dee from Charlotte, NC on April 13, 2013:
Another aaawwwww what a cutie moment from the first puppy photo.
That is very tragic about the Denver CO killings. I didn’t even know about
that. I wonder if PETA or Humane Society spoke up. That just doesn’t seem
right.
Bob Bamberg on April 13, 2013:
What an unfortunate true story! In almost all cases of dog aggressiveness,
it’s the owner’s fault. Either they permit their dog to display what they
consider a little meanness, or they’ve just failed at training him properly.
I had scores of customers who owned breeds with bad reputations, yet they were
really good family dogs because they were properly socialized, trained and
maintained.
We’re starting to see some push back against BSL, but it’s still a fairly
active movement. Good hub, Doc. Voted up and interesting.
WillStarr from Phoenix, Arizona on April 13, 2013:
I think it all depends on the owner. I have never had a bad dog that I raised
myself, and the one pit female I had ( a hand-me-down) responded right away
with a little leader of the pack discipline and a lot of the love and kindness
she had never known.
Having said that, dogs bred to be aggressive are not for everyone, and
certainly not for the nincompoops who treat them as weapons.
Good Hub, Doc.