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I'm not sure about other countries but Australia is bringing in a new rule about dog breeds. They plan to get rid of dogs like pit bulls and rottweilers because they just assume that if one pit bull is aggressive the whole breed must be. Personally I can't believe that they are actually bringing in BSL. It's so wrong! What do yous think about BSL?
Update : Thank you to everyone who answered! I'm glad all who have answered agree that it is wrong. I just wish there was some way to prevent BSL happening! All those poor dogs who don't have a choice whether they live or not. They'll kill breeds they consider dangerous but they give people who have murdered and done horrible things a second chance! I have seen many pit bulls, staffies, rottweilers etc who are very kind and gentle with people and babies. Like most of you have mentioned it's not the dogs fault it's the owners.
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i am 100% for bsl ... and to the people saying it does not work, in canada, where there is bsl, bites are down so it is working ... and in canada, dangerous breeds are not immediately euthanized, they must be spayed/neutered, must be muzzled in public, and must have a fence that will contain them where they live out their lives ... hardly harsh rules for dogs that can and will kill other people's pets (and people more and more often too, including their owners !!!) ... the building i live in banned pit bulls from living here, get one bleeding heart on the strata council, pit bulls now allowed ... pit bull moves in and within one month it had already almost killed another tenant's dog ... so that pit bull and owner are evicted, pit bills again not allowed, and the rest of the building with dogs can breathe easy ... twenty five years not one dog on dog incident EVER until one pit bull moves in ... there is absolutely no need for anyone to own a dog as a pet that is more like a weapon, you never know when it will go off ... and you may have got all the 20-something black and white opinions posted here, but when put to actual votes with actual adults (miami-dade most recently) bsl challenges remain in place ... maybe when you grow up and mature and have had more real life experience with pit bulls, your naive attitude might change ...
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It doesn't work. You need to target the irresponsible owners, not the breed. I live in Denmark where the Pit Bull and Tosa have been banned since 1991.
What happened? Illegal import of poorly bred Pit Bulls from puppy mills. Add to that that these dogs could not see a vet, could not be insured or registered as is required by law here, could not attend training classes.
And it increased the attractiveness of the breed to the people who absolutely shouldn't own such a dog - usually young men with a giant chip on their shoulders and something to prove to whom Pit Bull was awesome because it was so dangerous it was illegal to own one!
Another side effect was that these people then looked towards other breeds to fulfill their needs, American Staffordshire Terriers, Kangals, Fila Brasileiros etc. All dogs purchased for their "meanness" and often poorly socialized and lacking training.
Another group of owners that entered the scene were young girls out to prove that these breeds were just misunderstood angels and that there are no typical breed traits. "It is all in how the dog is raised" and "Everything can be cured with love". Of course once these dogs matured, then some developed breed typical traits and for some that meant dog-dog aggression or high prey drive, and next thing they know their dog is on the front page of the paper, and all they can do is to stammer "But it never did anything like that before!" and "It plays with my baby nephew! This is a sweet and gentle dog." - absolutely clueless about the difference between dog-dog agression and human-aggression. Or that if a dog is gentle with a baby, it does not mean that it will not kill the neighbour's pet rabbit.
The culmination of this was a ban of further 11 breeds in 2010. The result of this so far? A ridiculous amount of "labrador-boxer"-mixes that just happen to look like some of the breeds on the banned list. And since it is the owner that must provide the evidence that the dog is indeed legal, then there have been many cases of dogs being confiscated and put down - and of course this just shows how much these people love dogs because they are supporting the production of illegal puppies that will have a high risk of being put down, and risk their dog's life every time they take it out in public. All it takes is a police car driving past at the wrong moment.
If this trend is continued, then soon, the only dogs it will be legal to own will be pugs and miniature poodles. Already now there are additional breeds on the observation list that might be added to the banned list at a later date.
The good part about the revision of the dog law is that they increased the fines. They should have done this a long time ago. If there is no consequence for breaking the law, then people will continue to do it. A slap on the wrist also rarely works as a deterrent.
Actually there was nothing wrong with the existing dog law and if all dog owners had followed the law, then there would not have been all these cases of dog attacks, and it would not have been necessary with BSL, but hopefully now where the fines are big enough to hurt people's wallet, they will think twice before letting their dog run off-leash when they cannot control it etc.
Bottom line is that it is not the breeds that need to be targeted, but the irresponsible owners of the breeds.
BSL is alive and kicking in the UK, and yes, IT'S ALL WRONG. And further, we have a huge grey area now because people have been trying to get round this legislation re Pit Bulls, by breeding them with Staffies. So any Pit-Bull/Staffie type dog is being targetted now too.
I'm horrified that the Rottie is being banned in Australia. Breeders/followers must be weeping!- I do not think it is good. It has been proven the most aggressive dog breeds are small breeds. A dog is not born with killer instincts towards humans it is the owners that make the animals that way. I have worked at many shelters and have seen fight dogs be rehabilitated into great loving pets. I have been around so many pits and Rotties and all they do is want to love and make everyone happy. It just makes me sick. Instead of outlawing these babies they need to get more strict about breeders and owners of dogs. Let me tell you I had a rescued pit and a 100% pure breed show line yorkie and guess who was aggressive with Children and other animals. The yorkie. She is my love but being 5 pounds she is way more aggressive than any big dog I have had. It's my fault because I tried to humanize her and baby her instead of showing her I was I charge. That's what people have to realize. I'm sorry I could go on and on about this but it's just unjust!
- Its a shame. And sadly, it is ignorant behaviour and lack of education that has lead to this. I work with rescued Rotties and have grown up with rescued Rotties. They have had some problems but with time, training and education of the people who are around the dogs they significantly improve and end up being great pets.
In addtion we have scientific evidence that states that humans can predisposed genetic make up that makes them psychopaths, sociopaths, etc. Should we ban them too? We dont because apparently they can be rehabilitated, so why cant a dog be worked with if it does have problems as well???
Should have been Owner Specific Legislation! 
BSL is inexcuseable. Australia has a paranoid policy towards pet animals in general which is sustained by the prevaling idea that quarantining everything will keep bad things out.
If people vote for dog-hating politicians at local and state level then BSL is one of the consequences. I make it a priority to research politician's views on dogs before voting and will vote someone else even if they may not be in my preferred party.
Personally, I believe that it was a flawed concept from the beginning. And is a poor excuse to take the easy way out in dealing with incompetent owners and irresponsible breeders.
i think it's completely ridiculous and a bad idea. It's the owners who is the cause of these problems not the breed. I work at a kennel and have meet many dogs that are meant to be aggressive and i am yet to meet one who is. they need to bring in tougher laws on the owners instead of the dogs. it is just as likely for any dog of any breed to attack as a matter of fact i have not been bitten by a big dog but i have been by a few little dogs. so i agree it is wrongSource(s):
kennel worker- SEEMS THEY'RE AGAINST BSL.
