Dogs of war

When I was a child in the 1950s it was unheard of for someone to be killed by a dog. Dogs were rarely killed by other dogs. By the early 1990s, things were different. Dog-fighting made a comeback and the fad was for the ‘weapon’ dog, promoted via American gangsta rap. Staffordshire bull terriers were being bred in large numbers again and other fighting breeds, previously unheard of here, were brought into this country. In 1991, concerned about attacks, the government passed the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA), which banned the American pit bull terrier as well as the lesser-known dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro and Japanese tosa, all of fighting origins.

The DDA, however, proved unpopular and dog attacks have continued, which is why, in May, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) select committee launched the inquiry into Breed Specific Legislation, which is looking at whether the ban should be scrapped altogether or replaced by some other form of regulation.

It comes down to the old nature vs nurture argument, in this case whether genetics plays a part in a dog’s behaviour. If you believe that some breeds are potentially too dangerous to be kept as pets, you will side with the police and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who want some form of regulation to remain in place.

But if you believe in ‘blaming the deed, not the breed’, you will side with most of the dog world. The Kennel Club, the RSPCA and the other dog charities, dog magazines, many vets and dog behaviourists have campaigned for years to get the ban overturned and want every dog to be treated as an individual.