Deed Not Breed: Judging Dogs by Behaviour, Not Breed

Understanding the Deed Not Breed Principle

The phrase "Deed Not Breed" reminds us that a dog’s behaviour and actions should be the primary factors in judging its potential danger, not the breed itself. Contrary to popular belief, no dog breed is inherently aggressive or dangerous. Aggression and problematic behaviour typically stem from the dog’s upbringing, environment, training, and handling, rather than genetics alone. Puppies are not born aggressive; early socialisation and responsible training play an essential role in shaping a dog’s temperament.

This approach is a response to breed-specific legislation such as the UK's Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which prohibits several specific breeds including the Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. While protecting public safety is important, focusing exclusively on breed can mislead people into thinking other breeds are harmless. In reality, any breed, whether a small Yorkshire Terrier or a large Bull Mastiff, can show aggression in certain situations.

Why Breed-Specific Legislation Falls Short

Breed-specific laws aim to restrict dogs perceived as dangerous, but such legislation has several limitations. It is difficult to identify a dog’s true breed just by appearance, as many breeds look alike or mixed breeds can resemble prohibited types. For example, a dog may be mistaken for a prohibited breed like a Japanese Tosa when it is in fact a friendly Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Such errors can create false security or unjust consequences.

Furthermore, focusing on breed ignores the behaviour of numerous other dogs not on the banned list. Hospital admissions for dog bites in England have more than doubled over recent years, showing that bites can come from any breed or size. Responsible ownership, including proper socialisation, training, and supervision in public spaces, is essential to prevent attacks. However, irresponsible owners who ignore these responsibilities pose the real challenge.

The Role of Responsible Ownership and Education

To tackle dog attacks effectively, promoting responsible ownership and education is critical. Responsible owners microchip their dogs, ensure they are properly trained and socialised, and manage them with leads and muzzles where necessary in public. This helps create safer environments and builds community trust.

Education campaigns about dog behaviour can dispel myths related to breed and aggression, helping owners and the public understand that socialisation, training, and environment are key to a dog's behaviour. Proposals such as requiring breeders to have licences and puppies to have passports before going to new homes could increase accountability and help reduce irresponsible breeding and ownership.

Challenges in Enforcement and Insurance Issues

One challenge to behaviour-focused legislation is enforcement. While microchipping is compulsory for dogs in the UK, there is no way to visually verify if a dog is chipped. Without effective enforcement, irresponsible owners may flout laws regarding dangerous dogs.

Insurance providers also vary in their policies, sometimes denying third party liability coverage for certain breeds regardless of their actual behaviour. This inconsistency can unfairly penalise good owners of breeds perceived as dangerous while providing coverage for less well-behaved dogs of other breeds.

Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach

Rather than breed-based bans alone, a balanced approach that evaluates individual dogs based on their behaviour offers promise. This would promote fair treatment of all dogs and encourage owners to prioritise training and socialisation over breed prejudice.

Everyone who loves dogs must consider how to protect pets and people effectively. Through education, responsible ownership, and sensible laws focusing on individual behaviour, we can work towards safer communities and happier dogs.

For support and more information, organisations such as Deed Not Breed UK offer valuable resources and advocate for fair treatment and responsible ownership.