Lindsay Hopper Historic Selective Breeding has led to Canine Breed Discrimination and Stereotyping Aquila – The FGCU Student Research Journal Volume 3 Issue 1 (2016) DOI 10.24049/aq.3.1.2 © 2016 Hopper Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 OPEN ACCESS Aquila - The FGCU Student Research Journal Historic Selective Breeding has led to Canine Breed Discrimination and Stereotyping Lindsay Hopper Florida Gulf Coast University, College of Arts & Sciences, Fort Myers, FL 33965 Faculty mentor: Nicola Foote, Ph.D., M.A., Florida Gulf Coast University, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Social Sciences, Fort Myers, FL 33965 ABSTRACT Although human discrimination is taboo, dog discrimination proliferates. This article will examine how it is rooted in the history of selective breeding. As canine breeding has evolved, society has come to expect certain characteris- tics and qualities of each selectively created breed. As a result, entire breeds are often held subject to preconceptions based on anecdotal incidents, and the prime example of such are Pit Bulls, who are subject to wide scale discrimi- nation, as they are prohibited in cities across the country and are subject to stereotypes based on isolated incidents. Other breeds, besides Pit Bulls, that suffer from the same misconceptions are German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers. This article is an exploration of the progression of breed discrimination through the examina- WLRQ RI OHJLVODWLYH DFWV QHZVSDSHU DUWLFOHV FDVH VWXGLHV DQG FDQLQH VWDWLVWLFV 7KH H[DPLQDWLRQ FRQ¿UPV WKH SUHV- ence and widespread advancement of canine breed discrimination and stereotyping across various aspects of society. Key Words: Canine Breeds, Stereotyping, Discrimination, Selective Breeding, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shep- herds, Doberman Pinschers INTRODUCTION against these breeds in legislative acts, breed restrictions On October 9, 2000 in Los Angeles, California a six week in insurance contracts, and adoption from animal shelters. old baby girl was mauled to death by the family’s Pomera- This story of breed discrimination started hundreds nian dog (Los Angeles Times para. 1-3). Pomeranians are of years ago when humans began selectively breeding YHU\VPDOOGRJVRIWHQZHLJKLQJQRPRUHWKDQ¿YHSRXQGV dogs. Breeds were created to perform certain tasks in KRZHYHUWKH\DUHVWLOOPRUHWKDQFDSDEOHRILQÀLFWLQJVXE- society, including, but not limited to, aid in hunting and VWDQWLDOELWHZRXQGV /RV$QJHOHV7LPHVSDUD <HW herding. Selective breeding led to the breeds known to- despite incidents such as this, other breeds are typically day, those characterized by their size, appearance, and singled out as aggressive, intimidating, and vicious. These behavioral traits. Larger breeds, such as those previous- breeds include Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, ly mentioned, were bred for their size, strength, loyalty, and Doberman Pinschers. On the webpage titled, “Dan- and aggressive attributes. Humans purposely created the gerous Dogs” on DogsBite.org, for example, Pit Bulls and breeds that are now negatively stereotyped because of the Rottweilers are singled out as the most dangerous dogs dogs’ chosen characteristics (Ostrander 7-8; “Dangerous in the country (“Dangerous Dog Breeds” para. 1). Such Dog Breeds” para. 1-2). However, it was not the breed- breeds are often subject to breed discrimination, whereby ing alone that led to this discrimination. The roles these they are assumed to be dangerous, without any evidence breeds play in society led people to associate them with about the behavior or temperament of the individual dog. VSHFL¿F QHJDWLYH WDVNV VXFK DV 3LW %XOOV DV JXDUG GRJV The “Dangerous Dogs” page, for example, includes how for drug dealers and German Shepherds as military and to report these breeds to the authorities as “problem dogs” police dogs (Carmody para. 2-4; Holland para. 3-4). Bite regardless of whether they have or have not bitten some- statistics are a source often utilized by those who aim to one (“Dangerous Dog Breeds” para. 8). Another example defend their negative outlooks on these breeds; howev- of breed discrimination is Miami-Dade County’s Pit Bull er, the statistics are misrepresented and misunderstood. Ban, which forces many owners to give up their pets be- %LWH VWDWLVWLFV RIWHQ UHÀHFW WKH VHYHULW\ RI WKH ELWH UDWK- FDXVHWKH\FDQQRWDIIRUGWKH¿IW\WKRXVDQGGROODULQVXU- er than the actual quantity of bites. For example, a study ance required by the city in case the dog bites someone conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Preven- (Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-17.1 - tion (CDC) on human fatalities from dog bites, conclud- 7KHVHRUGLQDQFHVLQFOXGHWKHGH¿QLWLRQRID3LW ed that the “inaccuracy of dog bite data” contributed to %XOOWKHUHTXLUHGFRQ¿QHPHQWRIWKHGRJVLQWKHRZQHUV¶ ZK\WKH&'&IDLOVWRVXSSRUW%UHHG6SHFL¿F/HJLVODWLRQ KRPHV HYLGHQFH RI ¿QDQFLDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ UHJLVWUDWLRQ (Holland para. 31). Pit Bulls, as a breed, are blamed for and enforcement (Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinanc- most attacks when the individual dogs who perform the es Sec. 5-17.1 - 5-17.7). Indeed, society discriminates attacks are almost always those who have been victims 15 Hopper DOI 10.24049/aq.3.1.2 of abuse and maltreatment. This was proven in a study recognized through this DNA means that there are four conducted by the research director for the National Canine distinct groups, and time periods, where dogs genetical- Research Council, where, in the majority of dog bite fatal- ly split from wolves. To put the difference of DNA se- ities, the dogs were subject to “poor ownership/manage- quences into perspective, human DNA is only one percent ment” practices, such as being chained outside (Holland different from that of chimpanzees, so the one percent para. 12). Through the use of legislative acts, newspaper difference between dogs and wolves is vast. DNA differ- articles, case studies, and canine statistics, the informa- ences develop through species evolution over thousands tion presented will explore how historic selective breed- of years. Therefore, the one percent difference puts the ing led to canine breed discrimination and stereotyping. divergence of dogs from wolves, and their domestication, Research concerning selective breeding is as old as DV HDUO\ DV RQH KXQGUHG WKLUW\¿YH WKRXVDQG \HDUV DJR the practice itself, dating back hundreds of years. The It is often assumed that breeds arose simultaneously original divergence of dogs from their ancestral wolf with the domestication of dogs; however, this is inaccurate. populations is not well documented. The fossil record of Many claim this because dogs are depicted throughout this original divergence is also blurred due to the simi- human evolution, from the ancient Roman and Egyptian larity in bone structure between the original dogs and manuscripts to seventeenth century paintings, and these wolves (Ostrander 5). While the beginnings of breeding depictions often resemble modern breeds (Ostrander 7-8). are not well-documented, the origin of breeds are. Breeds However, these depictions do not actually show different became isolated and distinct groups beginning in the breeds because breeds must be genetically isolated from mid-nineteenth century, and they progressed to the over one another. That did not happen until the mid-nineteenth three hundred breeds recognized today (Ostrander 8). century. Genetic isolation through reproductive separation Breeds were selected to contain certain characteristics is not a new concept, but when it comes to the origin of that were passed down through their genes. These genes, breeds, it is a fairly recent trend. Breeds are distinguished DV ZHOO DV WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV WKDW GH¿QH WKH EUHHGV DUH by very small genetic differences, and these genetic dif- well-documented and widely accepted (Ostrander 8). ferences are possible because of how diverse the ancestral While the origins of breeds, and the breeds themselves wolf populations were. While the breeds became repro- have been researched, the connection between them ductively isolated from one another, each breed still con- and breed discrimination has not been fully explored. tained the ancestral wolf genes. This explains why there There are many newspaper articles, legislative acts, can be so many unique dog breeds. In the development and statistics that depict canine stereotypes. Newspaper RI GRJ EUHHGV WKH YDULDWLRQ LQ WKH < FKURPRVRPH GH- articles and statistics on this topic illustrate society’s creased. The diversity decreased in dog breeds because promotion and demotion of widely applied stereotypes it is much easier to control and select males that contain (Gayle para. 7; “Pit Bulls are just about the Nicest Dogs the particular characteristics being sought after. Males are there are” para. 30; Smith para. 3). Stereotypes are be- used when selecting for particular traits because a single coming more apparent which is evident in legislative male can be used to breed with many females over a sin- acts, as well as insurance and housing breed restrictions gle year, producing a large number of litters that possess ³3XEOLF +RXVLQJ $XWKRULW\%UHHG 6SHFL¿F 3ROLFLHV´ his distinct traits (Ostrander 8). As the practice of selec- “Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances”). This pa- tive breeding progressed, the distinction between breeds per will examine not only the origin of breeds, but the grew as their gene expression started to differentiate. development and contemporary occurrences of the dis- Distinct breeding methods have been recognized and