Maybe not the best breed...

[lg]

www.fataldogattacks.com/

www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAttacks/fataldogattacks.html

www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf PDF file, takes time to load

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00047723.htm

www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm

www.legallawhelp.com/safety_and_health/hazardous/dog_bites/dog_bite_fatalities.html

www.legallawhelp.com/safety_and_health/hazardous/dog_bites/dog_bite_fatalities.html

www.fataldogattacks.com/statistics.html

www.petplace.com/dogs/aggressive-dogs-fact-and-fiction/page1.aspx

www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/CDCReport/CDCReport.htm

www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/dangerous_dogs.html

info.insure.com/home/dog.html

www.animalfarmfoundation.org/topic.php?id=4&topic=73

www.safeusa.org/dogs/dogs.htm

www.animaladvocates.com/dogbites.htm

www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002/dog_blacklist.html

www.animalbehaviour.ca/ab2/do.php?target=articles&PHPSESSID=f4387a8bbdf05c0366d972a5032b74e1

It is important to stress, service dogs trained by reputatable service dog organizations are behavior tested and must meet the guidelines of the ADI.

[bailey]

Actually MA is also looking into legislation that would allow banning certain of those same breeds so it will be interesting to see which legislation wins out. One of the problems is the lack of control on the part of certain owners of the bigger more aggressive breeds. Perhaps requiring training of these dogs and giving those who get the training a break on their insurance would help bring down the cost of insurance for all. The problem is that these dog attacks do have an impact on home owner insurance costs. Dogs of any breed who are well trained and maintained rarely have home owner claims against them. Those that don't drive the cost of insurance up for all the rest of us. Why should I pay more for bad dog owners? My dog is fully trained and responds to verbal commands immediatley. He has a fenced in yard and stays away from the neighbors. I'm not costing my insurance company additional money because he doesn't create lawsuits.

[lg]

Discounts for those who have taken the time to have their dog CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certified, should be allowed a discount on their premiums, just as DMV offers discounts for those who take defensive or senior citizen driving classes.

The problem is many people are careless with their pet dogs, it is a wrong presumption that all dogs are safe no matter the threat or circumstance. Every dog has the ability to bite, the majority of dogs live out their life span without ever having bitten, so paying higher premiums because of only being a dog owner, the stastics just aren't high enough to account for the higher rates.

[bailey]

We have higher premiums for younger drivers because we know they are prone to have more accidents. We have statistics on certain breeds of dogs with higher levels of dangerous/deadly attacks than others. If a poodle bites my ankle and I have to I can kick him off my leg. If a Pit Bull bites I can't get his jaw free without help. That's not just a fantasy but a fact. Both dogs bite but one is definitly more of a danger to both adults and children than the other upfront. Now both can have repsonsible or irresponsible owners that lead to additonal problems with the dogs. However, once again it's easier to get away from the poodle than the Pit Bull should something go wrong.

As a dog owner we are all in this boat because people don't take the time to be responsible owners. They buy more dog than they can handle. They buy dogs that need more space than they physically can provide for them where they live and thus the dogs end up in too close a space to other dogs and humans thus leading to more incidents of contact and thus more chances for dangerous interactions that can result in dangerous attacks and deaths.