[Dailydrool] Article from The New Yorker about profiling and dog breeds

[Val Brewer]

  A few years ago (2/6/05), the New Yorker ran an interesting article entitled "What pitbulls can teach us about profiling".  The web link is www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060206fa_fact   It can also be found by typing "New Yorker", "pitbulls", and "profiling" into one's search engine.  Gaylene's posting reminded me of the article.  The article makes many good points on a number of issues, and I'd recommend it.  Points covered address issues such as which breeds are most popular at any given point in history with owners wishing to look tough, purposes for which different dogs are bred and how this affects their behavior, relative destructiveness of bites from different breeds, innate temperaments as determined by behavioral tests by the "American temperment test society", etc., then goes on to talk about issues regarding generalizations.
   
  That being said, I was upset to read of Deb's confrontation.  Dogs (and their owners) which run out into the street to attack people and leashed dogs passing by infuriate me.  (There is a pitbull-labrador retriever mix up the street from me who too frequently breaks his chain and attacks other dogs.  Neither of my bassets will even consider walking in that direction anymore).  Most states have "vicious dog" laws (kind of a three strikes and you're out procedure) with increasingly severe restrictions and penalties, starting with fines and mandates for fenced enclosures and escalating to capitol punishment.  Might be worth checking Virginia's laws. 
   
   

       
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