Bites worse than bark

Beware the labrador - and even the bichon frise.

When it comes to dog attacks on humans, the culprits are not always the breeds we tend to vilify.

Lee Exler, of North Shore City animal control, said labradors and labrador-crosses - usually seen as dopey family dogs - usually top the area's bite statistics.

"All dogs are wolves in disguise," said Exler. "The only difference between labradors and pit bulls and rottweilers are people's perceptions." And the owners that own them.

Because people perceive the labrador to be harmless, they will step over one on a doorstep, for example, he said.

"Humans, in their stupidity, will put them in that situation where they will bite."

They don't read the body language of dogs... nor would they know how to! Doggone Safe is one programme that does teach kids and their parents what to look for. Here in Christchurch, Naked Dog Training offers this programme.

(... full story)

In Hamilton, labradors and lab-crosses were involved in more attacks than all but two other breeds - pitbulls, German shepherds and related crosses. Remember too, that there are more labs in society than pitbulls GS and their crosses... or am I wrong in thinking this?

But it's not just big dogs whose bite is worse than their bark.

A bichon frise was classified as menacing under the Dog Control Act after it ran from its owner's property and bit a passerby on the calf in Auckland in 2007.