Proper pet training is the key to a safe home

Letter
Sunday, February 11, 2007

The article "Rottweiler not the dog for families" is both interesting and sad.

The statistic quoted by UBC professor Dr. Stanley Coren was that Rottweilers make up 1.5 per cent of registered dogs, but account for 16 per cent of all fatal bites.

What would happen if the statistic was limited to dogs in regular families?

Irresponsible and violent people tend to select large, scary-looking breeds, and surely this skews the overall figures.

We own a Rottweiler, and she's one of the sweetest dogs we've ever owned or known.

She's especially fond of young children and is very gentle with them.

But she was also raised in a loving, caring home.

I wish more attention was paid to the circumstances leading to the dog's actions.

It's absolutely ridiculous that this case would be deemed "accidental."

Where's the responsibility and accountability?

A combination of proper pet training, appropriate child care, and a healthy and safe household environment is the key.

Apparently, a higher level of responsibility and decency is expected of household pets than of their owners.

Bryan and Julie Mitten, Port Coquitlam

CREDIT: Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province
Statistics appear to show Rottweilers are more dangerous than other dogs, but is that because their qualities sometimes attract a certain breed of owner who doesn't properly train them?