As new research suggests that dogs’ brains are being radically changed by selective breeding, and as the UK Government prepares to add the Bully XL to the banned breed list, some people are questioning if certain Bully XL breeders have selected on qualities that made the dogs more likely to kill than other breeds.
So we ask you, our readers, to weigh in on the debate: should we accept that some dogs are ‘born to be bad’?
Some says that breeding for aggression from specific bloodlines plays a role in increasing aggression within a certain breed population, with dogs genetically predisposed to it. Others don’t think there is proof enough of this having happened, and that the it may be a case of self-fulfilling prophecy – someone who buys a pup specifically from a bloodline said to be aggressive will train that pup for aggression.
With the onset of more breed-specific legislation, should we accept that some dogs are ‘born to be bad’? Tell us what you think here, on Facebook, or by writing to editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk.
Regrettably, they possess a breed history and purpose that cannot be overlooked. The notion that a complex living organism can be treated as a blank slate, and that love alone will eliminate its inherent genetic predisposition for potential harm, is particularly implausible for an animal reliant on instinct rather than intricate intellectual and emotional reasoning.