Yes. Owning a dog and having small children in the home is an arrangement that requires responsible adult behavior. Experienced pet owners know how much responsibility and work are required to choose the appropriate dog to bring into the home and neighborhood where children are present. Dogs do not automatically know what behavior is expected from their owners. And owners may not know how to properly raise or socialize a dog, or may choose not to appropriately socialize a dog. There are dog owners that intentionally raise a dog that is not well socialized. That is why the incidence of dog bites is so prevalent. A majority of dog bite incidents occur because the dog owners did not fully appreciate the necessity for educating themselves to the proper methods of raising, socializing and supervising the dog.
Two statistical values remain unchanged – the number of deaths by canine homicide and vicious attacks. remain fairly stable year to year, but one factor does change – and that is the dangerous breed of choice among those irresponsible dog owners that socialize dogs for home protection and intimidation. The bad owner-dog complex is usually the denominator in vicious dog attacks and canine homicides, regardless of which breed is most popular in a given time period.
