To be concerned at the rise in number of dogs being used as a status symbol?

[AMAZINWOMAN]

Lately, I have seen more and more teenagers walking around with pitbulls and rottweilers. In shopping centres, on trains and just in streets and parks.

I know most dogs are nice and that it is the way the owners train them that cause them to be destructive and dangerous. However, some of the owners look rough!

Last night a pitbull was sniffing around me and started jumping on my friend and the owner was just saying "No" and "get down". The dog wasn't taking any notice of its owner and carried on.

Luckily my friend isn't scared of dogs but I am. If I was alone then I would have been terrified.

I just seem to be seeing more and more of these "accessory" dogs as a status symbol of being tough. I'm getting concerned about it.

if they had a pitpull then its illegal,call the police,more likely it was a staffie,dogs have been like this for many years.

I must say I envy you your expertise OP. I wish I jad your skills and training.

Sorry... I wish I had your skills and training, OP.

Funny, Dooin, I had a huge wave of yawns overcome me a moment ago. I managed to stifle them as I congratulated tbe OP, but it was a close thing.

Val
Look people, if you put dog in the title, Val will come onto your thread and own you. Degree of owning varies along with OP's level of thickness. This OP was granted mild sarcasm. Lucky so far

they need to bring back the licence all very well trying to see th nice side but the bad just outweighs the good now - our rspca is chock full of staffs

PMSL... pink. :o

Me? Sarcastic? As if!

As an old woman a 40-something year old I'm still getting to grips with the concept of "being owned" but I think I've cracked it now, thanks to you.

SEA rescue is chock full of Staffies partly thanks to numpties who think they're Pit Bulls and can't tell the frigging difference.

Other reasons are primarily the vicious circle of a bad press/misinformation/ignorance of the breed, including those who believe all the hype and "won't let Tarquin even visit someone if they have a Staffie", backyard breeding and a misguided belief on the part of the general public in breed specifics.

The RSPCA, incidentally, is on a ratio doubtless less full of Staffies than the majority of independent all-breed rescues, owing to their tendency to kill healthy dogs which they consider "unhomeable" or who have been in their "rescues" too long.

Yes I probably looked pretty rough walking my rottweiler this morning, am not at my best in the mornings, maybe the OP saw me .

I really doubt you're seeing pit bulls all over the place, like everyone said much more likely Staffies. And Staffies are nice dogs and a popular choice with families (where I live at least), which is probably why you see so many teenagers walking them.

I can't tell the difference betwixt a Staffie and a pitbull so I reserve judgement.

I rather like Rottweilers though.

I passed a chavvy looking guy earlier with a Staff on some baling twine. No kidding. His dog was friendly, sniffed my dog, the guy smiled, we passed and went on our way.

People avoid me while walking the German Shepherd who is very elderly, relaxed and docile. However when I walk the manic young Chinese Crested they seem less terrified, dunno why.

I'm interested in the comment about "the rise in number of dogs used as a status symbol". Historically dogs were 'used' for three reasons - work, companionship, and status. So I very much doubt there has been a "rise" in the latter. I'm also pretty sure (yet without scientific proof) that the ration of good dogs to bad dogs and good owners to bad owners has probably remained static too.

sorry, that should be ratio, not ration. Mind you, ration kind of works :)

My son took the dog for a walk last night but it can't have been him as our dog doesn't look anything like a pit bull, or any bull terrier for that matter.

As an aside there is a little bull terrier type of dog that I see occasionally when walking my dog who is absolutely gorgeous and very friendly.

Maybe people should only be allowed out with 'these "accessory" dogs' if they carry them in a handbag.

I've only ever seen one pitbull, he was in Turkey where they are not banned.

He wasn't on a lead
He was taken into a bar where there were children playing
My children stroked him

And this is by far the worst bit......

He licked their hand

I know what you're trying to say OP and so what if you cant tell what a pitbull looks like

But I have to say, I personally have seen a lot less teens with dogs lately...well compared to a couple of years ago anyway.

"SEA rescue is chock full of Staffies partly thanks to numpties who think they're Pit Bulls and can't tell the frigging difference."

WHY are rescue homes full of Staffies though? I assumed it was because they were originally bought by meatheads who want to walk around with a 'hard' looking dog, but then can't look after them properly so they end up being abandoned?

Isn't that the OP's point about being concerned about the rise in status symbol dogs? (Assuming that she has confused pitpulls with Staffies).

Staffords are harder to rehome than cute fluffy lickle doggie woggies. Because people look at them and instantly assume they are savage beasts.