AVSAB POSiTION STATEMENT on BREED-SPECIFIC LEGISLATION AVSAB, a national association of veterinarians who are board-certified in the specialty of animal behavior, has released a position statement expressing their opposition to breed-specific legislation. Their position paper notes that they are concerned about the propensity of various communities reliance on breed-specific legislation as a tool to decrease the risk and incidence of dog bites to humans, noting that such legislation (BSL) - is ineffective, and can lead to a false sense of community safety as well as welfare concerns for dogs identified (often incorrectly) as belonging to specific breeds. Dogs and owners must be evaluated individually, the authors conclude, citing the wide range of findings across the literature regarding breeds and bite risk. Many such findings are called into question by the demonstrated unreliability of visual breed identification, particularly with regard to the estimated 46% of the US dog population that are of mixed breed ancestry. In discussing why dogs bite, these behaviorists point out that while there are many motivations, most occur when the dog feels threatened in some way, and that uncovering the triggers specific to the individual dog and responding appropriately are key to prevention. Understanding the social needs of dogs is particularly important to bite prevention, ranging from appropriate socialization of puppies to including the dog in the family, providing daily, positive interactions with people. The AVSAB stresses that breed alone is not predictive of the risk of aggressive behavior. Indeed, this recommendation is in line with a recent study of dog bite-related fatalities which reported that in 80.5% of cases, four or more potential risk factors were present. (Laura Roach - CPDT-KA) You can download the position statement here: avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/Breed-Specific_Legislation-download-_8-18-14.pdf and PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE AND CROSSPOST!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 12:00:00 +0000
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