Definitions every dog lover should be familiar with:

gen·o·cide
n. The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group.

BSL

Breed-specific legislation (BSL), is any law, ordinance or policy which pertains to a specific dog breed or breeds, but does not affect any others. The term is most commonly used to refer to legal restrictions or prohibitions on the breeding and ownership of certain breeds.

Restrictions on or the prohibition of ownership of American Pit Bull Terriers in some municipalities.
Restrictions on the availability of homeowners insurance for owners of many breeds, including American Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermanns, Akitas, in some areas [4].

Bully Breed

Any dog resembling dog standards for any of the following breeds: American Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Boxer, English Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge, French Bulldog, Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, Valley Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Bull Mastiff, and the Banter Bulldogge.

Aggressive Dog

Dog aggression is a term used by dog owners and breeders to describe canine-to-canine antipathy.
Aggression itself is usually defined by canine behaviorists as "the intent to do harm". Many dogs will show "displays of aggression" such as barking, growling, or snapping in the air, which are considered distance-increasing actions, those which intend to get the person or dog to move away from the dog. Some dog-aggressive dogs display aggression that is mainly defensive, and they will actually harm another dog only if they perceive that they have no other option. Yet other dogs may develop dog-aggressive behaviour due to medical reasons, such as hormonal imbalances.
Dog aggression is a common dog behavior, and can be seen in all breeds of dogs, although some dog breeds have a predisposition to display such aggression. The breed standard usually spells out whether dog aggression is common in the breed and to what degree it is allowed. Most of the terrier breeds and the bull breeds have a higher likelihood of developing dog-aggression upon reaching maturity. Individual dogs may or may not display the level of aggression that their breed standard suggests.
As well as breeding, a dog's experiences may affect his chance of developing dog aggression. A dog that is attacked as a puppy may develop fear-based dog aggression towards all dogs, or perhaps only towards dogs that resemble the dog that attacked him.
It is important to note that dogs that display dog-aggressive behaviour do not necessarily show aggressive behaviour towards humans. The two types of aggression are not necessarily related, and do not always occur in the same animal.

More coming soon!

Last Updated: Nov 22 2007