Teddy (left), and Sampson (right)

  • WamGams@lemmy.ca
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    6 months ago

    The world’s first ever police DNA program started in the UK in 2021, and it was created for dog thefts, not dog attacks.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-57578701

    And seeing that there is no national database of all precinct’s police reports, you will have to go to your police department and see for yourself that they are not even cataloguing the breeds per attack.

    As for your comment that there are 5 dogs that fall under the umbrella term of pit bull, that actually helps my original point that these lists are unscientific. Chihauhas aren’t lumped together with Mexican shorthairs when the numbers are tallied, neither is any dog lumped with their types. These lists also don’t break down which of the pit types are most responsible for the most attacks.

    1. because the numbers aren’t collected by anybody, meaning the lists are lying, and
    2. if the pit types were separated by their actual breed, the numbers would show an average or a slightly higher rate of aggression, not the majority of all attacks.

    I would also point out that almost none of these lists you read online include German Shephards, which is strange since they tend to be the only dog in the US that is commissioned as Police Officer and are frequently attacking people as part of their job. Further evidence that these lists are unscientific and politically motivated.

    • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      not a single police department in the nation DNA tests.

      So you made this statement without knowing if it was true or not as you go on to say that “there is no national database of all precinct’s police reports, you will have to go to your police department and see for yourself”.

      Bad faith arguments always end with “go and find out for yourself”.

      Can I ask what do you think the word breed means? It’s not a specific dog, it’s a term to describe a grouping of dogs (Shepards for example). And out of the 300 plus recognised groupings/breeds of dog, Pitbulls kill more than all of them combined. Even if you split it down to each sub-grouping, the dogs under the umbrella term “Pit Bull” still vastly outstrip all other dogs in attacks and fatalities.

      I would also point out that almost none of these lists you read online include German Shephards, which is strange since they tend to be the only dog in the US that is commissioned as Police Officer and are frequently attacking people as part of their job. Further evidence that these lists are unscientific and politically motivated.

      In this post I provided another commenter a breakdown of fatalities caused by dogs and the graph shows German shepherds specifically cause less than 3% of fatalities over 16 years. Meanwhile the 5 dogs that make up Pit Bulls are responsible for an average of 67%.

      • WamGams@lemmy.ca
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        6 months ago

        Again, there is no database of dog genetics that police maintain in the US, unless it was created after 2021.

        Meaning all the stats you have are based solely on media reports of dog attacks and not actual dog attacks.

        You can also contact the people compiling the lists. If they respond, they will admit that they do not track the rate of attacks committed by German Shepherds in the line of duty.

        We also know that Cane Corso’s probably attack a few people per year, yet almost every list excludes them… Because they are counted towards pit bulls.

        If you can provide an actual scientifically validated list, I am happy to see it. Otherwise your numbers are fiction and you know it.

        • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Again, there is no database of dog genetics that police maintain in the US, unless it was created after 2021.

          Many organisations provide data/breakdowns of dog attacks, just because there isn’t (or you are unable to provide) a centralised police data base that lists this information doesn’t mean the statistics dont exist.

          Meaning all the stats you have are based solely on media reports of dog attacks and not actual dog attacks.

          Again you are making assumptions here, can you prove this or am I going to be told to go and find out for myself again?

          Your original point was that the police don’t perform DNA testing so how can we know, but you have given me nothing that confirms that. I don’t even understand your point anymore; It’s like you are throwing shit at a wall and hoping something sticks.

          • WamGams@lemmy.ca
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            6 months ago

            Your sources are a personal injury law firm and a victim’s advocate website.

            Are they taking their numbers from media reports?

            Your first source says 60% of dog fatalities are from dogs with Pits in their bloodline…

            So mixed breeds are being counted as full pits for the sake of building a case?

            Which further confirms my statement that you do not have true scientific numbers to support your claims. Ambulance chasers are not scientists. I don’t think that needs to be explained to you.

            • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Ok so you cannot prove your original point and refuse to even discuss it. Got it.

              So mixed breeds are being counted as full pits for the sake of building a case?

              Can you define a pure breed pit bull? All dogs are cross bred, its why these umbrella terms exist. And because you can’t confirm a pure bred dog then all statistics about these animals should be dismissed. Additionally you are pinning your entire argument on a lack of a centralised police data base: as if they are the only authority regarding dog breeds.

              Such a reductive argument. I also doubt you read both my links considering how quickly you replied. My second one provides yearly breakdowns with incident listings and the source confirming breed, gender and causes for the attacks.

              Are they taking their numbers from media reports?

              Maybe read what was provided to you and find out for yourself.

              • WamGams@lemmy.ca
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                6 months ago

                So your argument started out as pits cause 60% of attacks to now being the 5 pit types, the commonly mistaken for Pitts, and mutts comprise 60% of attacks.

                These are two separate arguments being made. The first one is false, and the second one probably is true, bit you are presenting it as if it is the first argument.

                • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world
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                  6 months ago

                  So your argument started out as pits cause 60% of attacks to now being the 5 pit types, the commonly mistaken for Pitts, and mutts comprise 60% of attacks.

                  My argument never changed; Pitbull breeds cause 60% of attacks/fatalities. You just don’t understand what a dog breed is. You still think the dogs outlined in the articles I have linked are just mistaken for Pitbulls when they are pitbulls.

                  Meanwhile your argument was that cops don’t perform DNA testing to confirm what breed of dog is responsible for each attack. You couldn’t prove that, and when pressed for information you told me to go find out for myself when it’s your own point.

                  You then provided a link that stated 1 specific dog type is mistaken for other dogs, which had nothing to do with anything; additionally that link explained that multiple dogs fall under the pit bull categorisation (which I doubt you even read yourself).

                  You then provided a link from the UK (A country that has already banned large pit bulls, which makes me laugh as you are using them to defend Pitbulls), but per your own words it was not relevant to the discussion as it was related to tracking dogs, not confirming which breeds were responsible for attacks; continuing your trend of pointless links.

                  And then you rambled about all evidence being irrelevant as you could not find a centralised police data base. As if they are an authority on dog breeds in the first place.

                  You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what a dog breed is and what constitutes a Pitbull. And when I provide information to help your understanding you don’t even bother to read past the first few lines.

                  • WamGams@lemmy.ca
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                    6 months ago

                    Your own source, an attorney’s office, is who states that mutts with pit in their genetics are part of that 60% number.

                    This is your own source.

    • MostRegularPeople@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      The American Temperament Test Society tests aggression in dog breeds in controlled environment. Participants self select, so there’s that, and ultimately I think the test says more about the owners than the dogs. Nonetheless, per the ATTS , the american pit bill terrier passed 87% of the time while the Australian shepherd only passed 83% of the time.