Dangerous dogs

[CruCru]

I think that the owners of dogs who attack / bite people should be prosecuted as if they themselves had attacked the person. Caveat: by attack / bite, I mean with the obvious intention to cause harm, not that thing dogs do when they put their mouths around someone's arm in play but do not bite down.

I love dogs and find it sad that so many people seem to be frightened of them. In particular Staffies, who are usually very nice dogs. I think this is made much worse by irresponsible dog owners who don't make sure that their dogs are friends to the world.

AIBU?

[DialMforMummy]

Well, intend will be hard to prove. There are animals. So I guess YABU.
All dog owners should be responsible and understand that some of us don't like their dogs being "familiar".

[Janoschi]

Though I'd add that I have issues with folk who get too 'familiar' with my dog. She's a gorgeous muppet of a hound but is a rescue dog with an appallingly abusive past. She hates people (grown ups) charging up, bringing their faces right up to hers and staring her in the eyes. This happens 3 or 4 times every bloody day. She freaks. The idiots then tell me I have a scary dog. By freaks I mean she backs off barking, nothing dangerous.

Just wanted to point out that for every bad dog owner there's an equally stupid member of the general public.

[thekidsrule]

i think over the last 5-10yrs there has been a huge upsurge in pitbull crosses etc,so the dangerous dog act dosent seem to have worked from what i see

i know it is difficult to prove that they are a pure breed pit,but theres also plenty of young males training there staffs to be very muscular,treadmill training,hanging of trees to create a likeness to a pit through a staff,makes me bloody mad what some are doing to these highly likeable dogs

back to your ?????? yes the owner should take responsibility if the dog attacks without provacation but that would be hard to prove

[Birdsgottafly]

There are laws in existance such as, using your dog as a weapon, or having an out of control dog, these should be built on and utilised.

The law you suggested would be unworkable.

[MyLittleMiracle]

I think there should be a law in place that if a dog does or has ever shown any form of aggressive behaviour, i think they should be muzzled for safety, and i do hate it when people take dogs that are agressive to childrens play parks and let them off the lead! It is just plain stupidity. I love staffs and ALL DOGS, to be honest, i think it being a DANGEROUS BREED is a load of BULLSHIT, its the owner who makes the dog, and its heart breaking when people have to have a perfectly gentle and loving dog put down cos of their breed, i mean how would people feel if they saw them and said, oh yep they have that colour hair, eyes etc so they must be killed? Its the same thing. I am sorry but the law does need to be stricter!

Just my personal opinion and if people dont like it, tough, these are innocent animals, and i actually knew a pit bull when i was growing up, her name was Ellie, and i used to sometimes walk her for her elderly owner, and she was a soft as anything, you could do anything with her!

[thekidsrule]

but some breed of dogs are naturally more aggressive than others,isnt that why some years ago were used for protection etc,same as a springer being good on shoots etc

if the dog is a banned breed as a pit is in the UK it shouldnt be in this country,but we all know they are and alot of the time to the wrong people,in my opinion

[midori1999]

I'd love to know where all these Pit crosses are and I'm amazed that people are expert enough to recognise them tbh... given that experts in this field struggle with it.

Hiding thread as it will make me very angry I suspect...

[thekidsrule]

we must live differrent lives midi,i can assure you they are about and its a problem,guess we live worlds apart

yes its very difficult to say for deffo they are pits,why do you think there is a problem banning them,alot arent pure

walk round a local woods near me theres plenty of "training" going on,thats on top of seeing stupid lads walking about,bragging about their dog and how "ripped it is" and the dogs "hench" it does go on

harnessing dogs to industrial bins to pull and gain strengrth,ive reported but its a long process if they dont move beforehand

poor dogs that deserve better,so yes if somebody was attacked the owner bares responsibility but the law dosent always come good

[Birdsgottafly]

It's the same in my area.

I cannot let my GS out in my path because the lads set their pit/mastiff crosses on any other animals they encounter.

Some parks are no go areas for innocent dog owners. There is alot of illegal breeding going on, these dogs have no regard for people, even their owners, in the way that other dogs do.

[troisgarcons]

Top ten most aggressive breeds:
1.Dachshunds
2.Chihuahua
3.Jack Russell
4.Australian Cattle Dog
5.Cocker Spaniel
6.Beagle
7.Border Collie
8.Bull Terrier
9.Great Dane
10.English Springer Spaniel

[2shoes]

I agree op, I am amazed about the amount of Staffs I see around, they seem to be a status symbol now,
they are beautiful dogs, one of the best breeds as long a s the owner understands them. I some times wish you had ot pass a test to have a dog, just to prove you understood it.
when we got our second staffy, the breeder did test us(we only realised after.)
sorry went of tangent then, but I do so love Staffs

[2shoes]

and yes there does seem to be a lot of pit bull types around as well, too big to be a staff,

[troisgarcons]

The top ten least aggressive dogs:
1.Labrador Retriever
2.Rhodesian Ridgeback
3.Poodle
4.Greyhound
5.Whippet
6.Brittany Spaniel
7.Siberian Husky
8.Golden Retriever
9.Havanese
10.Portuguese water dog

[Birdsgottafly]

There has been three child deaths in my city, by illegal breeds, i don't understand how you could have one of these time bombs in your house living with your child.

Unfortunately the police have that much to worry about, that this problem is ignored, like most 'low level' crime, which, where i live is now anything that doesn't involve firearms.

[thekidsrule]

is that list world wide troisgarcons??

i do love the ridgeback,beautiful dogs mind i like most dogs just not some dickhead owners,lol

[MmeLindor.]

There certainly needs to be a change in the law, because right now it is a bloody mess. Did you see the programme on a couple of weeks ago about "dangerous dogs".

It wasn't the dogs that should have been put down, but the owners.

I have noticed more pitbull/staff type dogs around (until recently I lived abroad and so notice changes when we come home).

I don't think that your idea is workable, OP because you simply cannot prove intent when a dog bites someone.

[thekidsrule]

think op has vanished

[troisgarcons]

I just slung in 'Uk listed dangeroud#s dogs' and that was the most innocuous site. I have seen a similar list compiled by the Dept of Statistics regarding postemen being bitten! Tho that (if memory serves) contained yorkies, pekes, scotties - the small breeds are far more visious. However, if by number rhater than percentage ... there will be alot of those little dogs owned this the numbers higher.

Ridgeback - lad has one near me - soft as feck it is! Then on the other hand, in the 70's the Met Police bought one in from RSA and it was absolutely trained to within an inch and was a killing machine

Dogs are all about the owners. 99% of hte time I'd play with a staff. I just wouldnt go near one with a sterotype chavtastic teenaged boy as an owner. That makes me judgemental.

On the otherhand experience tells me that GSDs/Alsations are never to be trusted and should be kept well away from - and I never go near temperamental yappy toys breeds either

[thekidsrule]

oh and thank god other posters have seen what ive seen and noticed, i was begining to think i was the only one that sees the gritty side of life sometimes,

[thekidsrule]

troisgarcons,think along the same lines

[troisgarcons]

I do apologise for my typing -I've got varifocals and I've not got to grips with them yet

[Birdsgottafly]

There were lads stealing dogs in my area and putting them in a lift, in a high rise with a camera to film their pit crosses killing the other dog.

Thank goodness the police took that seriously and set up cameras to catch them, they only got a fine (which they won't pay) and a life time ban on keeping pets (which they now ignore).

The lads use these dogs as weapons and to threaten people to keep their mouths shut about what they are getting upto, to the level that they threaten other people's children with them.

You need to see these breeds to realise how scary they are.

[thekidsrule]

bird,i know makes me weep how cruel and evil some people are

[thekidsrule]

your right about using them with meances,somebody told me one of the reasons there are more of these breeds with young men as they use the dog as a weapon rather than carry knives as if there caught with a knive there in trouble with the police,not so with a dog

makes some sense if you know what i mean

[Dontuhavtv]

This list changes all the time- poodles were dangerous at one stage. In fact two poodles attacked a census collector. I've got a I springer spaniel bcs they're supposed to be great family dogs!!