High-risk dog breeds linked to criminal behavior

Look, we know some of you treat your pit bulls like fuzzy little babies in pajamas, but new research is about to make a lot of dog owners bare their teeth.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center dug through court records of 355 dog owners and found that people with "high-risk" breeds like pit bulls, rottweilers, and chows were significantly more likely to have criminal convictions than owners of Fluffy McFluffface breeds.

How much more likely? Hold onto your electronic training collars collars: Owners of cited high-risk dogs were 9 times more likely to have crimes involving children, 14 times more likely to have alcohol convictions, and 7 times more likely to have drug charges compared to people with licensed low-risk dogs.

There are many problems inherent in identifying certain breeds such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds as dangerous or vicious, and cogent reasons to identify the owners of vicious dogs as the problem and focus of intervention. However, the aforementioned breeds were the most frequently implicated in a review of 109 fatal dog attacks by Borchelt. For some persons, owning a dog that has a reputation for aggression is considered a highly desirable feature.

"But my pibble wouldn't hurt a fly!" you protest. And you're probably right! The researchers aren't saying every pit bull owner is a criminal or that these breeds are inherently bad. They're just pointing out a statistical pattern that might help identify households where kids could be at risk.

Even failing to license your dog — even a toothless golden retriever — turned out to be a red flag for other legal troubles. But owning a high-risk breed was the strongest predictor of criminal behavior, according to the Journal of Interpersonal Violence study.

"The high-risk dog becomes a deviant possession much like a gun or a stolen vehicle," the researchers wrote, in what is definitely going to become the most controversial quote of the study.

Quick, someone check on the rescue groups' Facebook comments. This is gonna get spicy.

Previously:
• Rescue pit bull pup performs perfectly for treat
• Momma cat nurses orphan pit bull puppy
• Dachshund + Pitbull: greatest dog breed ever
• Kitten-chasing pit bulls chew up minivan
• Dog shoots sleeping man