— — Last month a child in Lockport was viscously attacked by a pit bull. The incident — and two within a week in Schenectady —  has renewed a debate about aggressive dogs and how to handle them. The most popular idea seems to be regulating the dogs, but there have been other ideas: some have called for an outright ban.

While regulation appears to be a good idea, there’s no guarantee that it would succeed. There’s the chance that regulation would be overturned in court, it could wind up being too costly and ineffective, and human interaction could be as much to blame — if not more so — than the dog.

I’m certainly not an expert on dogs, but like most people, I rely on my knowledge and experience to form my opinions and make my decisions.

As a kid, I had a dog, a good ol’ mutt. He had the friendliest disposition for a dog I’ve ever seen. And boy, could he chase motorcycles. I always wondered what he would have done had he caught one. To me, mutts are fantastic dogs.

When I was 11 or 12 I was bitten by a dog. It was an Airedale Terrier. I was with a friend and we were visiting his neighbor. Like kids will do, we ran when we left. Apparently the dog sensed his owner was in danger, and he sank his teeth into my right leg. According to the American Kennel Club, “the Airedale has a sweet disposition, but when challenged, is not afraid to stand up for himself.”

Fine. I still don’t plan on ever having one as a pet.

One problem with regulating pit bulls, is an assumption that it is the only dangerous type of dog. It isn’t.

Looking at various web sites, there’s also mention of the German Shepherd, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and the Doberman. Others include the Sharpei and Labradors. In Germany, the Mastiff, Bull mastiff and Rhodesian Ridgeback are among a secondary list of dangerous dogs.

And then there’s the rottweiler.

The rottweiler, Doberman and, to a certain extent, the German Shepherd were the three breeds of which I was mindful not to upset when I was growing up. They had reputations, much like the pit bull has today. Pit bulls began to get a bad name in the mid 1980s after a series of attacks in Los Angeles garnered national media attention.

A website operated by Kenneth M. Phillips, an attorney who specializes in dog bite cases, offers plenty of useful information and appears to be written as neutral as possible.

“The disagreement among experts, and the dearth of recent statistics, were two of the reasons why an appellate court for the State of Ohio ruled in 2006 that a pair of breed-based dangerous dog laws were unconstitutional,” he writes on the site, dogbitelaw.com.

A 2002 Australian report on dog bites around the world found some interesting numbers. For example, statistics on dog bites or attacks in 245 German cities between 1992-1996 found that “mongrels” far and away were responsible for the most bites, nearly 2,400.

Of course, statistics can be misleading. While pit bulls account for many of the 65 dog bite deaths reported in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010, there can be outside factors. One person died indirectly from the bite, through a virus transmitted to him.

No animal is predictable, no matter how much time and effort is put into its training.

Regulation would add to the confusing jumble of laws and codes that already exist.

“Any breed of dog can bite, and research suggests breed specific legislation does little to protect the community from dog-bite incidents,” reports the American Humane Association. “(Prince George) County in Maryland spent more than $560,000 maintaining pit bulls (not including payroll, cross-agency costs and utilities), while fees generated only $35,000.”

Then there’s human interaction. How the animal is brought up has an effect on the dog’s disposition. The American Veterinarian Medical Association reports dog bites are preventable through training and responsible pet ownership. “Unfortunately, many attempts to control dog aggression have been misguided and ineffective, including breed-specific legislation.”

Treat the dog poorly on a daily basis, it’s far more likely to become aggressive. The same could likely be said about the two creeps who stomped a Chihuahua to death in the Town of Tonawanda on Tuesday. A little 10-pound dog is not an animal to fear.

Regulation could also force people who want aggressive dogs to turn to a different breed. If they want a mean Fido, they likely won’t care if it’s a pit bull or a German Shepherd or a Labrador retriever, much like a person who wants to kill with a gun can use a rifle as easily as a hand gun.

Don’t regulate the dogs. Educate the owners.

John Hopkins is the night city editor of the Tonawanda News. His column appears Thursdays. Contact him at john.hopkins@tonawanda-news.com.