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Dogs Bite, But Balloons And Slippers Are More Dangerous
 This book by Janis Bradley is worth the read for
anyone interested in the skewed statistics and popular perceptions of dog bites. Overall, I think her descriptions of dog behavior and genetics plus environmental factors is good. She debunks the 'if it bit, it must be a Pit' nonsense but I think she's made some errors on other breeds. She describes Caucasian Ovacharkas as being
'neophobic' and thereby unsuitable for many situations. I do agree they are inappropriate for many owners and urban homes but disagree that they and other livestock guardians are neophobic. It is more a mindset that you are guilty until proven innocent and strangers approaching are being told to back off until the boss certifies that they are acceptable. Much like a good security guard, secret service agent protecting the President, or police officer approaching a car for a routine traffic stop--a most dangerous time for officers. It isn't fear but sensible caution backed up with willingness to act if someone is a threat. In a similar way, a Brazilian Fila, is supposed to have that mindset, that any non family member is potentially a threat to the family. Such dogs do require a level of vigilance and handling that most owners are incapable of. In a high risk area, they can be a great safety factor for the family. But outside of this and a few other details on
raising and training for bite inhibition that I disagree with, this book is worthwhile as it describes how and why dog bites and BSL are such big news and hot topics. And it has next to nothing to do with the reality of true dangers. The studies most often quoted for the supposed rising wave of dog bites are very badly done and include bites that are on the level of a scratch where even the emergency room personnel do nothing more than clean it, apply antiseptic and a band-aid. Truly more children die from choking on balloons and adults from accidents caused by bedroom slippers than die from dog bites. Far more children die from drowning and most disturbing of all, from human caregivers. 826 children die on average from caregivers--mostly direct family members vs. 10 children from dog bites. The number of children dying from injuries caused by other family members and friends besides caregivers is far higher For anyone interested in BSL, and other related subjects such as homeowners' insurance and dogs, this is a useful read. Surprisingly enough, insurance companies have a strong incentive to hype up the nonsense. The potential market of 30-40 million households with dogs and coercing them into getting dog liability insurance is a huge market with far less chance of having to pay out on than for fires, floods, hurricanes, and even mold problems.
Judy Schultz
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