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I agree w/your latter P, to an extent.

You must remember that dogs are INDEPENDENT LIVING CREATURES, w/minds and bodies they operate THEMSELVES. It's not a perfect analogy to firearms. No matter how excellent you are w/picking dogs and training them, you cannot control them 100%.

Which leads to the disagreement w/the 1st P. MOST dogs are basically good, or can be adjusted to the safe range, but a very few are NOT. They are just BAD. It's GENETICS, it's not ALL environment, despite the pablum from so-called dog-lovers who molly-coddle their dogs w/treats and silly "methods" which declare all dogs want to please (usually the same people who renege on their poor methods declaring "all dogs are good" by cringing at the thought of a "pit").

There are plenty dogs who will never, ever be trust-worthy and stable, and only some who would be if you had 5 years of virtually non-stop attention to pay them.

You must remember that dogs are INDEPENDENT LIVING CREATURES, w/minds and bodies they operate THEMSELVES.

But they are ANIMALS. We have a tendency to look at them as little people in fur outfits (THe DIsney-ization of nature), but they exist in a world all their own. We also forget that they are descendants of wolves, who behave in a pack mentality. No, it's not a perfect analogy to firearms, but it's not a bad one, either.

That's why I don't believe that some dogs are "Bad," based on the inherent definitions of BAD and ANIMAL. They do not have the psychological complexity to act with an intentional malice of harm. THey are animals. THey rely on instinct and force, and no matter how much we try to make them into little humans, we cannot fully attribute human behavior to them.

I believe this is the essential heart of dog attacks. We can't believe that our precious little "children" would harm anyone.

The problem is, then, that the animals' needs are not being met. Human owners are not putting the dogs to use in ways they were bred for. Some dogs need to work. Some need to attack. Therefore, rather than "Moddle-coddling" (as you incorrectly suggested I want), I suggest they be put to use in such ways. If pit bulls are bred to attack, use them as police dogs or put them in the military. I do believe that dogs are trainable, but maybe not ALL. (Is "moddle-coddle" a word?) But how do you differentiate the ones who are from the ones who aren't? Should we wipe out an entire breed? What about mixed breeds?