@TotallynotJessica__dup_32908@lemmy.blahaj.zone

Post #617868

2026-03-10 21:37 UTC

You’d need to compare it to the number of each type of dog in those statistics. Even then, it wouldn’t tell the whole story because people who buy dogs with bad reputations often buy them for roles where they are more likely to bite like guard dogs. And EVEN then, you also need to consider that dogs who cause worse injuries are more likely to show up in the data because when they do bite it gets reported. I know I didn’t go to the hospital when a Chihuahua didn’t even break skin. Pit bulls undeniably are more dangerous by virtue of their size and strength, but how inherently dangerous they are based on temperament is harder to determine. I’m always skeptical of breed essentialism because it’s so close to human eugenics and scientific racism. We do not have as much control or understanding over nature as we think we do, and our misplaced confidence in our abilities causes harm and keeps us from actual solutions.

Replies (1)

@TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 2026-03-10 21:51

And EVEN then, you also need to consider that dogs who cause worse injuries are more likely to show up in the data because when they do bite it gets reported. I know I didn’t go to the hospital when a Chihuahua didn’t even break skin. That’s literally the point. Every time someone supporting pit bulls brings up “but chihuahuas are aggressive!!”. Yeah, no shit, probably even moreso than aggressive pit bull breeds like the American Bully. I used to have a hamster who would make me wear a gardening glove because he would bite my finger every time I tried to hold him. I’d rather have my finger nipped 500 times by a tiny little hamster than have my child mauled to death one time. You are describing the point. The fact that these bites are severe enough to show up so frequently at the hospital is the problem.

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