Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

Some of you may know that in 1991, the United Kingdom passed the Dangerous Dogs Act. This act banned ownership of dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro, Japanese tosa, and pit bull terrier. Never mind that in the UK, the pit bull terrier is not even considered a breed, so banning it was rather problematic. This was going to solve the problem of dog attacks in the United Kingdom, or so the act's proponents claimed.
Now Britain's Liberal Democrats have conducted a statistical survey and found that the number of people visiting the emergency room after a dog attack has risen more than 40 percent over the last 4 years. As in most cases, young children and teenagers are most often the victims of the bites, and in the UK, there is also a strong regional variation. For example, the numbers doubled in London and rose by almost 80 percent in the West Midlands, whereas the East Midlands showed barely any increase.
In London, the response has been surprisingly reasonable - several groups have come together to launch a campaign for responsible dog ownership. If their campaign is effective, it's likely to have much more of an impact on the incidence of dog bites than the banning of specific breeds has.
A lot of dog people support the saying "it's the deed, not the breed," and indeed it should be. Doberman Pinschers were once rather sharp reactive dogs, and they still find their way onto dangerous dog lists, even though breeders have done an excellent job of changing their personalities to be more of a big energetic marshmallow.
I live in the U.S., where we are not supposed to profile anyone even after the terrorist attacks, because it could harm the innocent people who happened to fit the profile. We should exend the same courtesy to our dogs, and judge individual actions rather than a breed and a "dangerous dog" label.

Introduction

Hello. I've been dragged kicking and screaming through every electronic advancement since the desktop computer. So I start a blog with some trepidation. But with as many books as I've published, it seemed about time. I plan to post once or twice a week, when something of doggie interest hits the news or some profound thought pops into my mind. . . or maybe in response to an interesting comment from someone out there in cyberland.
For this first post, as Westminster has just aired, I would like to congratulate the Beagle on the first win for the breed. What a charming little guy! But I would also like to remind everyone that what made Uno so charming on television -- the barking, howling, acting up, chewing on the signs -- will be somewhat less charming in your own home. Before anyone rushes out to add a Beagle to their family, please do some homework. They are delightful dogs in many ways, but there's a reason their nickname is "a nose on four legs." They often have their own agenda, and it often conflicts with that of their humans. So please get to know about more than a pretty face before bringing a Beagle into your home. They're not for everyone, but for those who can handle all that sass, they're terrific.