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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When specific breeds are involved in a disproportionate number of attacks there are a lot of reasons.

That dog is popular at the moment: If there are more of that dog, then there will be more attacks by this type of dog. This is particularly true is there are more of that type of dog in the rescue system where they are more likely to be poorly socialized, poorly trained, and/or have a history of abuse.

The dog is popular because it looks fierce: [b]Years ago German Shepherds were popular dogs amongst those who wanted a tough looking guard or fighting dog. [/b]A lot of German Shepherds ended up with poorly prepared owners who did not properly care for their pets and who encouraged aggressive behavior. Thus, we ended up with a lot of aggressive German Shepherds.

Size: All dogs are capable of biting. However, the power of a bite is related to the dog’s strength, which is directly correlated to its size. There aren’t many breeds that get to be over 80 lbs. Very few of those breeds are particularly popular. For example, you don’t see many Irish Wolfhounds out and about.

There are little 20-lb. terrier mixes that will have your arm off, and there are giant mastiffs that are lovely with small children. You need to know the animal and the handler to judge. Breed restrictions always conflate correlation and causation and always lead to the destruction of dogs that would be lovely family pets.

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Is this why most people got GSDs?  We got one because my spouse wanted a running partner, I thought they were beautiful (I like wolf-looking dogs, including huskies), and we both liked that they were intelligent.  Nothing to do with wanting a guard dog, etc.  Also, I've never heard of GSDs being fighting dogs--if so, that breaks my heart.[/quote]

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