Posted on May 5, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

Alexandra Semyonova: Heritability of Behavior in the Abnormally Aggressive Dog

Vintage illustration of different dog breeds, Henry J. Johnson 1880.

View Analytical Paper
DogsBite.org was recently introduced to a variety of works by internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova -- born in the U.S. and educated at John Hopkins University and University College London. Semyonova writes with breathtaking honesty about issues that matter the most: the reality of selecting for aggression and the repeated denial by humane organizations and dog breeders that such selection bears no hereditary significance.

Semyonova's 8-page academic paper explains, in easily understandable terms, the roots and results of selective breeding. Semyonova states in the opening sentence, "Probably everyone understands that all dog breeds we have created are a result of our own manipulation of inherited physical traits." Semyonova continues, "Once the discussion started about perhaps banning breeds that, as a breed, have a high tendency to attack and kill, everything got confused."

Semyonova's paper clears up this confusion by discussing how it is possible for behavior to be inherited in domestic dogs.

The paper begins by delving into the "physical conformation" of the dog, the shape that best suits the task the dog has been bred to perform, as well as the "behavioral conformation" of the dog. Both aspects are the result of generations of selective breeding, which is why a poodle can be taught to herd sheep but will never out-perform a border collie in the task. "We have bred certain things into various breeds genetically and thus irrevocably," Semyonova candidly states.

"Physical and behavioral conformation mean that you cannot breed out behavior and keep the dog the same shape," Semyonova states. "Form follows function – you can’t have a dog whose entire body and brain are adapted to executing the killing bite without having, in fact, a dog who will execute the killing bite." - Semyonova

The next two areas talk about "selecting for abnormalities and/or pathologies" and "selecting for abnormal aggression." Semyonova distinguishes the difference between normal dog aggression (normal coping responses in a particular environment) and abnormal aggression (high arousal and aggressivitiy in a safe environment). Two studies are cited in these areas, Peremans (2002) and Van Den Berg (2006), that investigate the role of brain function and heredity in aggression.

The combination of these studies shows that through selection for "aggressive performance," breeders have in fact been selecting for specific abnormalities in the brain. In essence, instead of excluding abnormally aggressive dogs from their breeding stock, Semyonova points out that, "breeders focused on making lineages in which all the dogs would carry these genes (i.e., dogs which would reliably exhibit the desired impulsive aggressive behavior). They succeeded."

The concluding section discusses "form follows function." For example, it is by no mistake that dogs selected for "killing" (the pit bull, dogo Argentino and others) are characterized by exaggerated jaw muscles and the willingness to attack in the absence of species-specific signs. Additionally, the environments for which these behaviors were selected (the fighting pit and escaping slave) are so extreme that there is no appropriate context for them in normal life.

"It’s also not realistic to pretend that impulsive aggression is not pathological. The environments (the fighting pit, the baited bull, the escaping slave) for which these behaviors were selected as an adaptive response are so extreme that in fact there is no appropriate context for these behaviors in normal life." - Semyonova

Through discussion and citations, Semyonova carefully maps out her central argument, which is the assertion by humane groups and dog breeders that aggression is not heritable in domestic dogs. This assertion, she writes, given emerging research "is no longer tenable." Furthermore, it is time to stop letting owners and breeders of these dogs deny that they could have known the dog would execute a serious or deadly attack. It is time, instead, to hold them responsible and liable.

Semyonova, A, Aggressive Dog Breeds: Document nr. 1; Heritability of Behavior in the Abnormally Aggressive Dog, The Carriage House Foundation, November 2006.

About Alexandra Semyonova

	The 100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs Alexandra Semyonova's book is credited by the editor of Animal People as, "The most astute book about dog behavior that we have reviewed in 23 years." Semyonova's book is available for purchase at Amazon.com and several other websites.
	Nonlinear Dogs: A Website Dedicated to Telling the Truth About Dogs From the Nonlinear Dogs website, one can review selected pieces of works by Semyonova including: The 100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs; The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog; The Deaf Dog Manifesto and others.

Internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova was born in the U.S. and educated at John Hopkins University and University College London. Author of the pioneering academic paper, "The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog," she works with dogs and their owners on a daily basis and worked for ten years as welfare inspector for the Dutch SPCA until she was fired in 2010 for telling the truth about pit bull type dogs. More writings »

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

NYC Housing Authorities Ban Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans

Vicious and Threatening
New York, NY - On the heels of the U.S. Army (a federal institution) banning dangerous dog breeds from all U.S. base housing facilities, the New York City Housing Authority (a city, state and federally funded institution) followed suit. As of Friday, pit bulls, rottweilers and dobermans are banned from all city housing projects. Residents who currently own these breeds can keep them as long as they register their animals in the next 48 hours.

According to their Fact Sheet, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the largest public housing authority (PHA) in North America. NYCHA's housing program has 177,976 apartments throughout the city in 2,618 residential buildings. NYCHA has 12,260 employees serving 173,731 families and 402,370 authorized residents. A total of 633,637 people, about 1 in 13 New Yorkers, are served by NYCHA's Public Housing and Section 8 Programs.

"If NYCHA were a city, it would rank 19th in population size in the United States, with New York City ranked first."

New York City Councilman Peter Vallone, who has unsuccessfully lobbied state legislators to ban pit bulls, said, "Finally someone is realizing that these potentially dangerous animals have no place in a confined urban space." City housing officials said that residents urged them to ban the dogs that they claim are too "vicious and threatening." A pit bull owner was cited in the article as well, who called his 6-year old pit bull named Chopper, "his baby."

The article also quoted the New York City-based ASPCA. The ASPCA decries breed-specific laws as "discriminatory," yet launched an advertising campaign last October that "specifically" targeted blacks and Latinos to help reduce the number of unsterilized pit bulls and rottweilers. The ASPCA also pushes pit bull adoptions and distorts the dangers of pit bulls to the American public, but does not distort these same dangers to shelter workers.

07/03/08: 2008 Dog Bite Fatality: Henry Piotrowski, 90-Years Old, Killed by Two Pit Bulls
06/02/08: ASPCA Pushing Pit Bull Adoption: Adopt-A-Bull Contest

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills 11-Month Old Child in Eastpointe

"Sneak Attack"
An uncle of the Eastpointe boy who was killed Wednesday by the family pit bull urged parents to "get rid" of pit bulls so they or their children don’t become the next victim of a fatal attack. "There’s no good to come out of these dogs," Terrence Lovejoy said during a news conference held at the Eastpointe police station. Like many other victims, he also added, "[This] does not have to happen to anyone else." The family had raised their 5-year old male pit bull from birth, Lovejoy said.

Lovejoy said his brother and sister-in-law, who are in their 40s according to police, have been married about 17 years, and had tried for years to have a child. He said, "God blessed" them with a son. They were preparing for his first birthday party on May 3. Lovejoy described the attack in the following way: "The dog "didn’t growl, didn’t bark," just walked over and grabbed the child, who was standing on a bed," reports the Detroit Free Press. The boy's father shot and killed the dog.

The father used a registered 45-caliber handgun. He also had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, police said. The father fired eight shots at the dog, police said. Lovejoy said the pit bull was kept in the house and was familiar with the couple and the child. Lovejoy called the attack "a sneak attack the dog did on my nephew." Eastpointe Police Lt. Leo Borowsky said the case remains under investigation. There is no record of the dog attacking anyone before, he said.

No Warning Signals -- Just Attack

Documented evidence shows that due to selective breeding practices for the purposes of dogfighting, pit bulls attack "unpredictably" and often fail to communicate intention prior to an attack. Specifically, there may be no growl, bark or direct stare -- just a "surprise attack." Please read page 133 from The Ethology and Epidemiology of Canine Aggression, by Randall Lockwood. This evidence was used to uphold the City and County of Denver's pit bull ban.

In addition to a lowered threshold for attack and higher pain tolerance in many fighting animals, selection for fighting has apparently resulted in the disruption of normal communications in individuals from recent fighting lineages. Under natural conditions, the aggression of wild canids is held in check by a detailed set of postural and facial signals that clearly indicate mood and intent (Fox, 1971a; Schenkel, 1967) In addition, aggressive encounters are normally ended rapidly, when one individual emits the appropriate ‘cut-off’ behavior, such as infantile vocalizations (whining, yelping) and submissive displays (Fox, 1971b). Dogs from fighting lineages have been under selective pressures that suppress or eliminate accurate communication of aggressive motivation or intent. It is to a fighting dog’s advantage for its attack to be unexpected. Many accounts of such attacks on people not that the incident occurred ‘without warning’. Similarly, once initiated, such attacks are often not ended by the withdrawal of the opponent or the display of the species-typical submissive behavior. Combat involving fighting dogs can continue for several hours and separation of the animals may require the use of a “parting stick” to physically pry the animals apart. - Randall Lockwood

Additional Information:

"One City's Experience Denver: Why Pit Bulls are More Dangerous and Breed Specific Law is Justified," by Kory A. Nelson, Municipal Lawyer, (2005)
"Dog Bite Prevention for Law Enforcement Officers and Other First Responders," by Randall Lockwood, PhD, Tawzer Dog Videos (2004)
The Care of Pit Bulls in the Shelter Environment," by Leslie D, Appel, DVM, ASPCA (2004)
"Do's and Don'ts Concerning Vicious Dogs," by D.A. Clifford, DVM, MPH, PhD, AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust (1993)

04/23/09: Fatal Attack Investigation Unfolds
Police have not identified the 11-month old boy who was mauled to death by his family's pit bull or the child's parents. The attack occurred in the 22000 block of Nevada about 2:45 pm Wednesday. Neighbor Ron Baumgartner, 57, said he was home when he saw the police speed up to the house. "I saw her with her head in her hands, going berserk," he said of the child's mother. He added that she stood on the porch and screamed, "The dog got the baby by the head, by the head!"

Baumgartner, a longtime resident of the area, said the couple -- whom neighbors refer to as Earl and Felicia -- rented the house about a year ago. He and other neighbors said the couple was told they couldn't have children, so they were excited when they learned Felicia was pregnant. "It was a miracle child," he said. He also said that the couple "watched that kid like a hawk." I can't believe that dog got near that child, Baumgartner said. Police continue to investigate the boy's death.

The Detroit Free Press article depicts a "Beware of Dog" sign on the couple's fence. According to the city's online code (Section 610-11), pit bulls are declared "vicious." in Eastpointe.

04/22/09: Father Shoots Dog After Attack
Eastpointe, MI - A family's pit bull fatally mauled a 1-year old child and the boy's father killed the dog, officials say. Eastpointe Fire Chief Danny Hagen said the only way they were able to get the dog to release the (child) was to shoot the dog. The dog locked onto the kids head, Hagen said. The child's father used a handgun to shoot the dog when it attacked the baby. Police Detective Lt. Leo Borowski said the dog was not licensed in the city. The incident is still under investigation.

The names of the boy and his father have not been released. It is unknown if charges will be filed.

Report: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008

Seattle, WA - On April 22, 2009, DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks by creating common sense laws, releases its first multi-year report on U.S. dog bite fatalities. The report covers a 3-year period -- from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008 -- and analyzes data gathered from 88 dog bite incidences that caused death to a U.S. citizen.

The report documents dog breed information, property information (where the attack occurred) as well as dog bite victim age information.

Download Report | View News Release

Report Summary

Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this 3-year period.
The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13).
Pit bulls are also more likely to kill an adult than a child. In the 3-year period, pit bulls killed more adults (ages 21 and over), 54%, than they did children (ages 11 and younger), 46%.
In the 21-54 age group, pit bulls were responsible for 82% (14) of the deaths. The data indicates that pit bulls do not only kill children and senior citizens; they kill men and women in their prime years as well.
Between the ages of 0-4, the study reveals that 14% (12) of the fatal attacks involved a "watcher," a person such as a grandparent or babysitter watching the child. Of these attacks, 75% (9) involved a grandparent type.

Fatal Attack Victims (88)