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American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs) and Bandogs are facing a ban in Slovakia.
Breeding of the Sarlasoos Wolfhounds, Tornjaks and many other pastoral dogs are to be regulated.
Why is it that in the Czech Republic and across the world the number of dog attacks on people is on an increase?
Martin Øíha (expert cynologist and author of the book Bull Terriers)
Well, we have to realize that the Czech Republic is one of the canine empires.
Number of the dogs here is steadily increasing, currently we estimate there to be up to 2 million of them.
Not only does the number constantly increase, but some of the people acquiring these dogs should never own one.
It can be said that its todays general drift, a fashion trend of sort for the perfect family to own a dog.
These people usually dont know anything about the breed of their choice. They choose a breed according to looks,
because the dog is visually appealing to them.
The second case scenario, being the worse of the two is that different kinds of people use the dog
to fully illustrate their image – usually one of a big badass.
Over the past seven years there have been seven fatal dog attacks on people,
and certainly these statistics dont give us information about how many people
and to what extent have been injured.
Can this be in correlation with the fact people have been buying so called dog fighting breeds?
I dont believe so… no, not in my opinion.
First of all, the statistics here in the Czech Republic do not deal with this issue almost at all.
I mean there are precise statistics for how many car accidents there have been,
how many people have gotten shot by a fire arm – we have all that.
But statistics of how many people have been attacked, injured or even killed by a dog are close to non-existent.
(Fighting Dog Attacks Two People on a Single Day)
(Fighting Dog Shatters Owners Forearm and Gets Shot By a Police Officer)
And I believe that fighting dog attacks are multiplying for the simple fact that
there is a huge media interest in them.
Thus, every little thing the media notes or records they also forward onto the nation
and this can give the impression that the attacks increase in number.
(Staré Sedlo Village Bullied by a Fighting Dog)
Unfortunately, it is not unusual for the media to twist the stories to make them spicier.
The last of attacks that is currently much spoken about is one that took place in Slovakia,
not here in the Czech Republic.
Do you have any detailed information about this particular attack?
No, I dont have any behind the scenes information.
All I know is what Ive derived from the media coverage.
Ive also watched an interview with the dog owner that has returned from Switzerland after this tragic event.
This has been enough for me to get the picture:
The owner forbade his wife to walk the dog outside of the property with respect to his aggressive nature.
This is clearly an issue of an individual dog, not the breed as a whole.
His wife ignored her husbands warning, took the risk and walked the dog outside…
It ended with such tragedy.
(Swiss APBT breeder had a 9 yr. old Pit he knew was dying but instead of putting him to sleep,
he paid a middle age couple in Slovakia to watch over him so he could die on his own.
The couple had 19 other dogs on their property – this was their business.
The APBT attacked the wife and did not survive.)
Another message that shook the media, appearing I believe around May of this year,
was about a Pit attacking his lady owner. What do you think about that?
Well, this particular case I am well informed about. I personally know the lady owner of the dog.
(Lady dog owner bit by her Pit that got into a fight with another dog of a crossbreed origin.)
I know the Pit as well, weve met at several dog sporting events.
I cannot imagine the dog would actually attack her.
I called her to ask what happened, she told the entire story.
Long story short, she was walking her dog while they were attacked by a neighbors mutt,
and it was the neighbors dog that bit her – the media turned the story into a Pit attack again
to make it sound more attention grabbing.
Im having a hard time believing that a lady walking a Pit gets attacked by some little mutt.
That sounds nearly unreal.
Youre right about that, but lets make something clear:
a crossbreed doesnt necessarily have to be a little mutt,
it can as well be a big strong dog.
The second thing is that the owners of Pits or any Bull Terriers are,
generally speaking, a common target of such attacks
because theyre so afraid that their dogs going to bite someone (another dog),
that theyll make the already bad name of the breed that much worse.
It is because sometimes they act beyond reason, theyll lift the dog theyre walking up by the leash
– theyll hang him out.
In majority of the cases, the dog (the Pit) will even have a muzzle so that said:
owners of Pits and Bull Terriers are very often attacked and injured by other dogs.
Commonly do they not get any reimbursement for veterinary care
from the person responsible for the attacking dog.
How is it with these breeds, Bulls and Pits, often they are trained to attack hands.
They are often trained to attack people. Is this a good or bad thing?
Well, to train a Bull Terrier to attack a person is certainly wrong, I actually prohibit that.
Bull Terriers cannot distinguish between training
and reality as well as what once were considered the working dog breeds.
These dogs are capable of learning and understanding that theyre supposed to attack strangers,
and protect the people that fall into their inner circle.
Bull Terriers put into the inner circle without any problems just about anyone, they literally love everyone.
For these breeds I consider much more suitable so called sport defense.
Theres biting a sleeve involved as well, but theres no aggression evoked in the dogs.
Its in a form of play where the figurant is more or less just playing tug of war with the dog.
I had a chance to play the role of a figurant, try it out.
It was a scenario where two dogs of different breeds were attacking me, first with and then without the sleeve.
How is it possible that either of the dogs really attacked me as a stranger only while I had the sleeve on
but wouldnt do anything when I did not have the sleeve?
Could the dog mistake say a thick feather jacket for a training sleeve and attack?
No, I dont believe so. First of the attacking dogs was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier which upon seeing a sleeve,
goes after it immediately.
Its that big tug or fetch that hes going to fight with you over, hell just want to play with you.
If he doesnt see the toy, hell be confused, run around you and bark.
If it so happened, like you asked, that we would meet outside on a walk
and you had a jacket that could remind you of a training sleeve.
A trench coat for instance?
A trench coat, no it wouldnt happen. The dog is very well able to recognize the actual sleeve,
and more importantly hell miss the environment of the training field.
The dog is used to biting into the sleeve only on the grounds of the training field,
and walking down the street anywhere else hes not seeking anything to bite into – not even for fun.
The second trial was a Great Dane.
Yes, that was a Great Dane.
Id like to point out that this particular dog is not a typical representative of the breed.
The character of this dog that hes expressing is typical for the Great Dane 50 yrs. back
when it was a working dog breed.
Todays Great Dane is very calm and peaceful, and that is why we chose Great Dane,
we wanted a calm and peaceful dog.
Unfortunately, ours turned out to be more of a defender. On the other hand, he is a very well handled individual.
We even managed to get him play in a comedy, so hes calm enough to shoot a movie.
His defenders instincts are very well developed so hes able to determine who he is and is not supposed to attack.
Hes gone so far that if a woman or a child trespassed onto our property,
he wouldnt hurt them because he knows they represent no harm.
But a man in the same situation could get attacked if the dog considered him a threat.
We had a chance to test this out, this dog knows exactly how to react.
He knows hes supposed to defend, protect the owner.
Weve tested that – you have the sleeve on, hell go after it.
If you dont have the sleeve on, hell go after you anyway.
This particular Great Dane is actually usable for defense while the Bull Terrier
is not really usable for defense, hes very well usable for sports.
The state police tried to use English Bull Terriers as K9 unit dogs.
(those are the ones with the long nose)
This is where it went wrong – the dogs arent able to take down the offender. They are only good for sports.
You dont use the term fighting dog breeds at all,
although youve been talking about the Bull type dogs or Bull Terriers.
I dont use it intentionally. The term has become incredibly profaned.
Todays breeders are very uncomfortable, even feisty when someone calls their dog a fighting dog.
I understand that.
In todays society, the term fighting dog breed includes many different dogs regardless of their use.
The term comes from a German kampfhunde or English fighting dogs
that we can translate as a wrestling or fighting dog.
Theres even a book published that is titled The Fighting Dogs where most of the breeds are listed.
But in correlation with the breed specific legislation in different countries,
some of these lists of regulated breeds include working dogs, pastoral dogs, Bull Terriers,
Pinschers such as the Doberman, hunting dogs such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback or the Argentine Mastiff.
That profanes the name fighting dog incredibly.
Its important to add that Denmark for instance has put on the list of so called fighting dogs
or regulated breeds the French Bulldog or the Boston Terrier.
Certainly the ancestors of these modern breeds were once used for dog fighting,
ancestors of the Staffordshire Bull Terriers were, too.
Unfortunately, APBTs are used for illegal dog fighting till this very day.
What we have to realize is that theres a history behind these breeds,
the French Bulldog and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier have been family
or companion dogs for the past two hundred years,
and just because over two centuries ago they were used for fighting it is impossible to persecute them in any way.
Id like to point out that it is those forsaken dog fights of these breeds
that account for the perfect relationship with people.
During those fights, the dog could under no circumstance attack a man.
There was a judge inside of the ring, the fight began with owners of the two dogs exchanging them.
So both of these men had to be able to handle a dog they were not familiar with in a stressful environment
and had to bathe him.
Thats because it was not at all uncommon for either of the dogs fur to be impregnated
with substances that were meant dull the competitor.
So you were to handle a completely strange dog you had never seen before,
bathe him, weigh him so there wouldnt be any weight cheating.
Only then would the dog make it to the actual fight ring where again,
the dog now facing death could by any means attack any of the bystanders or the person controlling the fight.
After these fights, the often badly injured dog was being treated by his owner.
To get the picture, the owner would stitch up the dogs wounds without any anesthetics whatsoever.
This dog obviously could not snap at his owner at any point of this procedure.
Once the dog was all stitched up, he was put inside of a stroller next to a baby sometimes.
Taken home where hed lay in front of a fireplace,
he would then get messed around with by little children until the next fight.
I believe it is such background that accounts for a character of these dogs
that really has no competition within the dog world.
This particular dog, or his ancestors to be exact were used for dog fighting two hundred years ago.
Thanks to the fact the circumstances had turned the breed into extremely people friendly,
these dogs have not gone extinct over the years.
That and the dog fight ban that in England took place back in 1835
accounted for this breeds extraordinary evolution into the perfect companion.
This Colin here, according to the politicians,
is one of the dogs that is supposed to go or could go on the list of regulated dog breeds or be banned completely.
This dog, just like many other Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers or Pit Bulls,
has the canistherapeutic license. If a dog passes the tests,
hes used in hospitals to help treat or cure children and adults.
During the licensing, suitability of the dog is tested.
He cannot by any means show any signs of aggressiveness towards people,
and has to be able to cooperate well with other dogs as well.
He cannot be unsettled by a patient falling down next to him and hitting him with a crutch for instance
- that is part of the test, and so is a patient in a wheelchair rolling over his leg or tail.
Believe me when I say that over the many years I have been around these dogs,
I have not one single time experienced or even heard of an attack on people.
Just a little growl on someone will in fact be considered a shockingly bad behavior by his owners.
About a year ago a message flew through the media about a Staffordshire Bull Terrier killing a baby in Germany.
What do you think about that?
Of course I take note of such messages, and I believe it should always be made clear whether such attacks
were made by a purebred representative of the breed with a pedigree or if it was a dog that reminds of the breed,
a crossbreed perhaps. That is very important to clarify,
I cannot imagine a Staffordshire Bull Terrier attacking in such fashion.
Does what youre saying here mean that crossbreeds can be more dangerous?
What I mean is that if you have a purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrier,
this dog has a given nature that is typical for the standard of the breed
and the vast majority of its representatives will fall within those definition lines.
Its in his nature to be absolutely reliable.
And if you crossbreed this dog with one of another similar breed,
that once might have appeared it the bloodline as well…
What that means is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a cross of the Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.
So you take this Staffordshire Bull Terrier
and you crossbreed it with the German Pinscher thats much similar to the Old English Terrier,
what can happen is that in the first filial generation you might not be able to tell the difference.
Out of six or seven puppies, you could literally have one that looks exactly like a typical Staffordshire Bull Terrier
–- BUT –-
the character of this dog will inevitably become very different.
The German Pinscher thats been bred into the Doberman Pinscher is a very sharp dog,
he can be rough towards people.
If you incorporate this characteristic into the character of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier,
it is possible that a dog visually similar to the SBT can act aggressively towards people,
but its not a SBT by nature.
This is a crossbreed.
Naturally, youre going to advise people to buy purebred dogs with pedigree or so called dogs with papers.
But the price is much higher…
The price is not MUCH higher, it is a bit higher but not that much. Theres a difference of about €280 - €320.
In other words, for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with no certificate of origin youll pay €320.
For a purebred one with pedigree youll pay about €600.
If you spread that out over 15 years of the dogs life, I dare say its a negligible amount.
Okay, I get that. But many people out there dont have that kind of money so theyll rather go for the crossbreed.
If they dont have enough money to buy a purebred with pedigree,
my opinion is that they should not own a dog at all.
If €300 is a limiting factor for them, how are they supposed provide the dog with quality food or veterinary care.
It can just so happen that the dog gets injured, and the vet will easily cost €800 - €1200…
So anyone unable to spend that kind of money should really think twice about whether he really needs the dog.
I dont want to get into politics here, thats a whole another branch.
But recently, the Slovakian government introduced an amendment to their constitution
that would regulate breeding of some of these dogs.
It was actually in reaction to the tragedy of this August, where an unmanageable Pit Bull killed,
crushed a nearly fifty year old woman. Whats your position on that, do you know about the amendment?
I do know about this amendment thats supposed to regulate the breeding of 13 breeds,
while Pit Bulls and Bandogs should be banned completely.
That means sterilizing all the living and not breeding any new ones.
They even want to go as far as making it illegal to enter the countrys territory with these dogs
so visitors or tourists shouldnt be allowed to enter or even pass through.
I consider this to be non-sense, an irrational step.
Making any kinds of lists is actually non-sense.
On top of it all, this particular list seems to be made based on information drawn from facebook or pub talk.
The combination of breeds that made it on this particular list just does not make any sense to me.
Theyve even listed a dog that is not an official breed. I believe that Tornjak for instance,
which is a pastoral breed with a Croatian and Bosnia-Herzegovina origin,
does not have a single kennel on the territory of Slovakia representing the breed.
There might be five Tornjaks spread out across the country,
and not in a single case has there been an attack on people noted.
I dont understand why they should be banned.
Likewise, there are about ten single dogs of the Saarloos Wolfhound breed.
Again, I dont understand why youre going to regulate by law breeds
which have mere several representatives within the country.
Third case is the Kangal dog – that is not an FCI respected official breed.
These dogs come from the Turkish Akbash and Karabash that are local pastoral breeds.
Kangal is just a blood line of the Karabash, you could say its just one single kennel with a 500 year tradition.
So in other words, if you buy a Anatolian Shepehrd, its okay.
The law does not even mention such breed, but if you get a Kangal which is just a part of that Anatolian Shepherd
– thats illegal.
My opinion is that this bill is a dud,
it should be swept off the table top and no one should bother wasting their time with it.
If the law makers put together something with valid points and a bit of sense, all the power to them.
What kind of a list would you put together? And lets come back here to the Czech Republic.
I wouldnt make one at all, not a list that is.
Such misconduct, attacking a person is always an act of a particular dog individual.
The whole breed should not bear the burden. Secondly, in majority of the cases it is a human fault
– in vast majority of the cases, the mistakes made either by the dog owner or the attacked person.
The owner can be in fault due to not securing his dog properly - by not teaching the dog right manners,
or even worse by intentionally making the dog aggressive or teaching him to attack people.
And again, the victim can be at fault. Some of these people can provoke a dog or push him to attack.
I have no clue where people have read that dogs supposed to be by all means a nice animal.
Some of them have this picture in their heads of a nice, cute, fattish Labrador
that is accompanying a mother walking with a stroller.
If you need a working dog, a hunting dog, dog to catch a law offender,
then you have to choose a dog with the right characteristics for the job.
It is then up to the owner to properly secure such dog. If I have a sharp dog,
I have to be aware of the fact and act accordingly.
Youve said here that you are not fond of any lists of breeds that should be generally banned,
be it here in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or anywhere else.
Do you have an alternative solution to offer in an attempt to prevent dog attacks by dangerous breeds?
Are there even any dangerous breeds?
Look, Im going to come back to the list.
If you do put together a list of breeds that are banned or regulated,
youll always affect only the responsible owners and breeders that dedicate themselves to those dogs
– they take their dogs to shows, different events such as k9 sporting events or my personal favorite Bull sports.
(those are sports primarily for dogs of the Bull Terrier type)
Again, the law or the ban will only affect the owners who live for their dogs.
These problematic dogs will rarely ever come from the hands of such owners.
Such dogs will generally come from the hands of (I dont want to be prejudice here)
of someone who buys the dogs to complete their image of a badass or a full family.
In my opinion, such people never make a good dog owner.
So if you do put such list into effect, youll hurt the responsible owners.
The irresponsible owners will most likely tie the dog to a tree in the middle of a forest or put him to dog shelter…
and simply go buy a breed that is not on that list.
So well just have shelters full of Bandogs and Pit Bulls, and these irresponsible owners will go and buy a Bulldog,
Bull Terrier or a Brazilian Fila – all are good alternatives to these two breeds,
great dogs and arent illegal since most of the politicians most likely never even heard of them.
Okay, do you have a solution then? How should it be defined? How should we go about it?
Certainly, we should listen to specialists. We should not make political-populist decisions
based on a message in the newS that a Pit attacked a woman, or that a Rottweiler attacked a photographer.
In other words, its impossible to make such decision based on those two messages.
Slovakians have organized a movement called One Meter, thats fighting this bill.
(WHAT HAVE I BEEN CHARGED WITH? Dont be careless towards discriminating laws.)
I think it is the people of this movement that the law makers should sit with
and together find a way to solve the issue.
Do you think that there are people out here in the Czech Republic
that would be willing to help people out, give them advice like you said?
Certainly, we have an organization thats also called Jeden Metr (One Meter - to measure all equally).
Not only that, but I am convinced that every dog training facility has enough specialists
that are willing to help with the upbringing of the dog or with choosing the right puppy.
Okay, lets get back to the Bull Terriers. You have not once used the term fighting dogs
in association with these breeds.
Where is this term coming from? Is it made up by the journalists?
Unfortunately, they did not make it up.
Theyve grabbed onto the term and held strongly since because its very catchy and it paints a clear picture.
If you say Bull Terriers or Terrier of the Bull type on TV,
not many people have their attention grabbed or follow the anchor.
On the other hand, if you say FIGHTING DOG”, everyones taking a seat with their eyes glued to the screen…
The term actually comes from the breeders themselves and dates back to the beginning of 90s.
Thats when in some of the most prestigious magazines you could see ads
with headers advertising these dogs in an incomprehensible fashion.
I still get stunned when I read some of these ads, lots of them will say:
weve got puppies from a bloodline from some of the best fighting dogs of the US.”
Ads for the pastoral dogs from central Asia said theyre offering a very rare Asian fighting dog.”
Some of these people were ashamed to put into the ads that parents of the puppies for sale
were tested in fight or that they are of an aggressive origin. You could read such things in those ads back then.
Imagine Ive even come across an ad for a Brazilian Fila where the seller put into the ad
that the dog is better than a loaded shot gun.
So the cause of this issue was the hype of the 90s when prices of some of these dogs were astronomical.
I remember a central Asian pastoral dog would go for around 120,000CZK (10x as much as today).
Pit Bulls and Brazilian Filas were not far behind these dogs in price as well so it was a certain marketing move.
Unfortunately, the journalists had grabbed hold of the term and it eventually grew over everyones head…
Today, the breeders are defending themselves against this term again.
Id like to draw attention to the fact that todays breeders are much different from the breeders of the 90s
when it comes to responsibility and decency.
Today, they are primarily honestly concerned about the breed.
Back then it was more common for people to really try and make crazy money on the dogs.
I think that is where I would look for the roots of this issue.