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.

AS pointed out earlier though, these dogs are most likely to be highly socialised, even if they are not trained.

They are taken out a lot and meet lots of people and thus are far less likely to be dangerous than the poodle the old lady down the road walks occassionally.

Whenever you hear of an attack on person it is never in the park by some random dog in the care of a teenager. I wonder why that is considering there are so many of them and they are all so dnagerous?

Exactly, Dooin.

If I remember rightly, when there was a tragic spate of toddlers killed by dogs a while back, they were predominantly owned by family members.

It's also incredibly difficult to train a dog to attack on command - but to hear some people talk, you'd think it's impossible to leave your house without risking a hoodie yelling "SIC 'EM BOY!" and ending up with a Staffie hanging off your nose

dangerousdogsact.com/25/staffordshire-bull-terriers/staffordshire-bull-terriers-under-attack/

I'd be surprised OP if it WAS a pit bull, and no offence intended but I'd bet my bottom dollar that you (like most folk) can't identify a pit bull terrier easily in this test

i picked the dogo argintino

Fifi, i think they are also a banned breed...

Yeah they are but i thought it was a pit bull when i done the test..