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Originally Posted by blueallie
Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years. Lions and tigers are NOT!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65
Domestication doesn't remove basic instincts.
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Very true. We have to remember that animals don't have a moral compass, they don't have an understanding of right or wrong. Please don't argue that your dog knows it is wrong to pee on your floor, etc., that is a learned behavior, not a moral judgement on their part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PQ
The argument that the smaller breeds don't get reported as much but bite as much is weak. Just plain week. What's your point? We are NOT talking about a lady (or people in general) who got 'bit'. We're talking about when the dog MAMES ANS KILLS HUMANS.
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I would imagine that dog bite statistics come from medical facilities, so there are not going to be as many reports of a dog that nips someone on the hand and when you squeeze on it really, really hard a drop of blood comes out. It's going to be just as you said, serious injuries.
I'm not judging any dog breed here, though I have had this conversation with my sister who is a member of the AVMA and has been a small animal surgeon for nearly 20 years. While she had nothing to say about injuries to people, she stated that more injuries than any other to small animals came form bull terrier breeds. I believe her quote was "I'd rather have genital herpes than a pit bull".
I'm pretty libertarian in most of my views, so I say if you want any kind of animal at all, go for it. But I personally wouldn't have any kind of animal in my house if I had small children. I am certain that the vast majority will never harm a hair on their heads, but I'm not willing to gamble on the small number that will.