Ability of the public to recognize dogs considered to be dangerous under the Dangerous Dogs Act in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom (UK) canine aggression became an issue in the 1980s, prompting the enactment of the UK Dangerous Dogs Act (1991) which prohibited four breeds or dog “types”. The Act faced opposition based on the ability to correctly identify prohibited dogs. This study distributed an online questionnaire to the public and those who have worked with dogs. Respondents’ abilities to identify the four banned types from other breeds was assessed, along with their ability to distinguish pit bull terrier types from similar dogs. Identification of banned breeds (F1,20 = 57.746, p < 0.001) and bull breeds (F1,20 = 9.293, p = 0.006) was significantly lower than other breeds. Recognition of pit bull terrier types as compared to similar types was generally poor, although people in a dog-related profession could correctly distinguish more pit bull type dogs than those not in a dog profession (U = 46164.0, n1 = 187, n2 = 575, p = 0.003). The findings suggest that public ability to identify dangerous dogs is poor. This may impact upon societal perceptions of dogs more widely