Yet another person killed from a dog attack.. what is going on

[icelolly12]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-64254413

Something needs to be done...reports of dog neglect taken more seriously, harsher prison sentences... any other ideas?

Awful, awful way to die, and makes me think twice about passing dogs off lead on walks.

Some of the stuff I've read today has been so far fetched!!

The media definitely doesn't help sharing the tiniest bits of information and causing a panic, people need to think with their brains a bit more before they jump to their own conclusions

And the dogs most likely to kill you are big, strong, powerful dogs.... i highy doubt that she was killed by eight bichon frises

Depends on your definition of 'big'

I read the online for the gossip , but this caught my eye

www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11632189/Gentle-giants-Heavier-dogs-significantly-likely-aggressive-study-finds.html#comments

I don’t know why people are talking about rape. What a daft comparison. Rape is a totally separate and complex issue.

We are discussing dogs that are big enough to cause significant injury or death if they snap and attack. We can begin to sort this horrible problem out if we had a few strict laws. At the very least we could lessen the amount of attacks happening.

1. Dog licenses
2. Muzzle and leash all dogs in public
3. No more that two dogs walked by one person at at time.
4. we should seriously look at curbing the ownership of working dogs in the general public. It’s cruel and most people don’t need this type of dog.

I would be extremely surprised if all the seven dogs attacked the walker. Far more likely it was one, maybe two/three.

I agree - and it is very possible overexcitement which has got out of hand, too. It seems that this poor lass fell, or was pushed over by the dogs. This is also dangerous - the instinct of most dogs, even when playing, is to grab and worry "prey" (for want of a better term) on the ground. Then when screaming and panicking starts the dogs get even more adrenaline-fuelled and things go from bad to worse and real aggression kicks in.

As you say - FOUR is an absolute maximum, and even that should depend on the breeds involved and their temperament, and how well those particular dogs get on with each other.

As you point out, young dogs, anxious dogs, tend to panic and distance themselves asap if there's even a hint of trouble.

I'd be interested to know the breeds involved, too, and how often they were walked together - if there was any conflict etc between them.

Apparently a Leonburger was one of the dogs she had. I haven’t actually heard if this dog before.

Whether they are more or less likely to be aggressive is one thing, the capability of causing death is another.

The list of dog breeds causing fatalities is quite telling: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Kingdom

Yeah, I can see the average young Andrew Tate loving, Pitt Bull owning thug giving a shit about dog licenses , muzzles and respecting no dogs signs in parks.... That will work.

As I said , no such thing as dangerous dogs, just dangerous dog owners....

I agree with dog licenses and making it an offence for dogs not to be leashed in the streets and only allowed off leash where designated in areas of parks (like they are now).

This is what the RSPCA have said on fatal dog attacks

The RSPCA said it wants to see a change in the law to reduce the focus on particular breeds.

Samantha Gaines, of the charity, said: "We very strongly oppose any widening that prohibited list of dogs, because that breed-specific approach to protecting public safety is ineffective and fundamentally flawed.

"We want to see the government reform the Dangerous Dogs Act. We want to see breed-neutral legislation that is focused on early intervention and preventative measures, coupled with interventions, such as education."

If I had had a big breed dog client like this, they’d have been walked solo. Or with one other. Certainly not as one of 8!

They are VERY big, but not normally a particularly aggressive breed. I've met a few on walks and they are quite laid back as a rule

There used to be an old guy in our town (was a bit of an attraction when he sat outside a cafe with them all) that had several Leonbergers - they're absolutely huge.

I don’t care about the cause. I just want to know that I won’t be attacked and bitten when I’m on a walk.

What is your proposal for men then @FrownedUpon ? Because presumably you don't want to be attacked and raped when out on a walk either?

@LordSugarTits I will reiterate what I said once more for the hard of understanding.

those kinds of people are NOT the ones I was referring to when talking about licensing and responsible dog ownership.

I should have thought that would be blatantly obvious.......

Very odd comments on this thread from people defending big dog breeds. I don’t think anyone is arguing that small dogs cannot be aggressive but an adult in their 20s is not going to be mauled to death by a Yorkshire terrier. I would support restrictions on ownership of dogs over a certain size/weight.

@Banbigdogs2023 so muzzle & leash all dogs in public.

Who will enforce this?

I've just said on another thread- been waking my dog for 20 years every day. Never once seen a police person whilst walking. (Woods, open land, coast, hills, mountain)
My dog is off lead when appropriate, and always comes to whistle or call.

A law saying all dogs must be muzzled or on lead all the time is not enforceable. So useless.

People just need to stop getting dogs. They might be nice to have but they have a high carbon paw print and they are a luxury the planet cannot afford. We are in a climate emergency.
Obviously there should be exceptions for assistance and working dogs.

And what happens to all the dogs? Or do you just let them go extinct and sod the ecosystem?

No.

Why would the disappearance of non-working dogs adversely affect the ecosystem?

Dogs are not going to magically disappear

I actually fear for the sanity of some posters

I don't know, but it would be very interesting to find out, maybe lock them all in a warehouse for 72 hours?

This thread has been a depressing read.

SO many posts jumping to conclusions - certain breeds, dogs from kennels/breeders breaking free, dogs from “certain” types of families. CBA to list any more of the assumptions.

It is awful what has happened, my condolences to the family and friends of the victim, plus any witnesses. But threads like this, throwing speculation and condemnation around don’t help. Why the heck can’t people wait until the actual facts are known?

It obviously sounds worrying with regards to how many dogs were rounded up. But it is sounding like some of them had run off. It is sometimes recommended that, if your dog is being attacked, it is better to drop the leash as it gives them more control of their situation. I am lucky enough not to have been in this position.

I am shocked to see a Leonberger mentioned in the latest headlines, though it’s not clear how it was involved. I’ve seen a few people above say that they haven’t heard of them. They are a classed as a giant breed, originally from crossing New Foundlands and St Bernard’s. They were bred as a “companion” breed, so not as guard dogs or for hunting etc. They are known as being very gentle, no prey drive, not vocal (very minimal barking). Their nickname is Leon-on-Bergers as, when this sit beside you for a cuddle, they like to lean against you - if you’re not prepared for it then watch out!

There were many posts earlier on calling for automatically banning big breeds. This is ridiculous. How often do you hear of fatalities regarding New Foundlands, St Bernard’s, Leonbergers, Dog de Bordeaux, Afghans, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, etc?

There definitely needs to be some kind of action, but banning large breeds is not the answer. I’m not sure dog licenses are either. Definitely stronger sentencing.

This type of thread will always, understandably, attract two types of people. Those who don’t like dogs/encounter dogs owned by irresponsible people who impact on their lives. And those who are responsible owners, research the right breed, do the training. So opinions are always, understandably, going to clash.

You are never going to get the true “dickhead” owners on here. The ones who breed badly, use their dog for status, operate their lives without a care for the law or society.

I would just ask for a very small measure of not demonising all big breeds automatically.

Also, with regards to large/giant breeds, people often have misconceptions.

Sometimes, they can be “easier” to care for than smaller breeds. Because they are so big, they mature more slowly than smaller breeds. Their bones take a lot longer to fully form, so you need to be very careful with how much exercise they get, jumping on/off furniture, using stairs etc. Through their life, they often require less exercise than smaller, more energetic breeds.

Responsible owners with giant breeds generally are very aware of how big their dog will be. So teaching manners is an absolute must - no jumping up, no barging out the way, etc.

I think some owners of smaller breeds don’t put the same effort in. People think “aww, look at that cute little dog running around like a loon”. No, it’s not cute, it’s a pain in the bum with no manners!

"But threads like this, throwing speculation and condemnation around don’t help. Why the heck can’t people wait until the actual facts are known?"

Because even if this is a different situation there's a discussion to be had? It's usually a case of "same old story"