To think the dangerous dogs act needs amending

[chippy47]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-14331673

As the mother points out, a person can be arrested for an offence in their own home so why not a dog? Mental.

Managed to get kitten out, i had to remove the entire kick plate from the bottom to get to him.

Jolly, do you have a labrador? My lab is a litter tray raider too, in fact he eats anything!

Ceres this was a good few years ago and you were not allowed to foster if you had ANY 'dangerous dog' at the time GS's were on that list, along with rotties, Dobermans etc. As far as im aware they still are.

I could have owned any other dog and been allowed to foster, just not a 'dangerous' one, i did argue that my dogs, i had 2 GS's at the time, were not dangerous and were used to children, i also had 2 children of my own at the time. But i was told the dogs would have to go if i wanted to foster.

Strangely enough, i have bitten twice in my life by dogs, both times by Chiwawa's owned by someone else!!

Ceres just did a quick google

"Can i adopt or foster if i have pets

Pets do not usually present a problem when adopting or fostering, unless they are known to be dangerous. This includes certain breeds of dogs, which are known to have killed or injuried a child"

a couple i know have been foster carer's since the 80's, they have always had lots of pets- including german shepards. ( when one passes on, they get a new pup, etc) they've also adopted during this time too...if you still wanted to do it, i'd definitely challenge them over that.

Gittery, i dont have the 2 GS's anymore now, this was years ago. I now also have a 7 year old disabled ds, so fostering would be out of the question.

Perhaps things have changed now or perhaps i just didnt challenge it enough at the time.

the most dangerous thing about my rottie is his bottom gas! He likes to lie next to me on the sofa (on his back displaying himself naturally) then let rip, look at me with dusgust then slink off into the kitchen hehe

The only time I've ever been bitten was by a labrador!

I think it would be difficult to rewrite the DDA, but i'd prefer to see actions/behaviour detailed that were outlawed rather than specific breeds.

Westies are lovely dogs if the owners know what they are doing. If they don't, there is potential for them to be absolute little bastards. I see it with mine, there's a determined, defiantness to them. I had collies before. You taught them a command and once they knew what it meant, they obeyed it every time. The westies know the commands, they stop, they look at you, they think about it, and then decide whether or not they want to go along with your suggestion.

Cheer, my Lab is currently sat here with a kitten climbing over his head and attacking his tail, he is also brilliant with my disabled son, they are best friends, share everything, just goes to show its not the breed thats dangerous, its the owners

Also found on another Borough's website

"You will only be unsuitable to foster if:

You have a dog on the dangerous dog's list"

Im confused i thought the only dog's on the dangerous dog's list were the banned breeds ie pitbulls etc which are illegal to own anyway and had to be destroyed if you owned one?

I think there are some circumstances where you can keep a 'banned breed', subject to restrictions like keeping them leashed and muzzled in public?

Westies can be nice little dogs - but like many small breeds, they tend to attract owners who treat them like a baby or a toy, carry them around and don't bother to train or socialise or teach them manners, and they unsurprisingly end up with problem behaviours. There's one in our street that runs out of the house when I walk past with my (on-lead) Rottie, furiously barking and snapping at him - fortunately he's a big gentle soul so doesn't retaliate (beyond a growl once when little dog tried to bite his ear!). I know which one I'd rather have my child grow up with.

Regarding the original story - obviously it's terrible for that poor little girl, and while we weren't there and don't know exactly what happened, it sounds like it was preventable (as these sad incidents so often are) with a bit more sense and caution on the part of the owners and (maybe) parents (though in this case perhaps the parents aren't dog people and weren't to know). I would be wary about letting a child interact with an unknown dog like that, and some dogs can be a bit possessive or snappy with food or toys, so it's best not to have those things in the mix until you're confident it'll be OK. Ridiculous suggestion about 'arresting' the dog though , and while I do think the DDA needs to be changed, not in the way the OP is probably thinking of!

"a person can be arrested for an offence in their own home so why not a dog?"
That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.
People are aware they are doing wrong, dogs react to situations and (as another poster said) don't have the mental capacity to know they are doing "wrong".
Any dog can be dangerous depending on the situation and for this reason people should always behave responsibly around dogs, however well they know them.

Training, education, licences... How very, very, very much I wish all of these were compulsory for dog owners!"

I doubt very much, come to think of it that this would reach the irresponsible dog owners, dont you?

and i suspect it would be very difficult to enforce and police too and just not very practical?*

Yeah, but....
I get the impression that quite a lot of people buy dogs on a whim, then realise it's all a bit more effort than they're prepared for and abandon the dog.
I suspect that there are many more (ex-)dog owners who fit this description than full on nutters who are into dog fighting, etc.

So, yes, I agree that there will always be some people who don't give a fiddler's fart about criminal sanctions, and there are several areas where of course lots of people ignore them anyway (drugs, driving offences, less 'serious' offences against the person, DV... the list goes on...). But I think there would also be many more people who perhaps are just a bit irresponsible/unaware who need a little shove in the direction of responsibility...
And I suspect that the threat of being hauled in before the beaks might do the trick.
If that means there are less dogs abandoned, PTS, and less children/adults/dogs injured... (and less people stressing and upping the danger stakes through misplaced fear of what they erroneously imagine to be 'dangerous' dogs), then those would all be good things, I think.

Granted, it's unlikely to happen any time soon, but still...

claw, sorry if it sounded like i was having a go at labs, i honestly wasn't - i think they are gorgeous. the point i was trying to make was that labs have this andrex puppy reputation and yet they can bite, so, as you say, it is how the doggie is treated rather than any problem with a "breed".

we had labs all the time when i was growing up and one bit me, the other two were soft and smelly! (in fact, when william died the week before my wedding i was gutted and cut a ribbon off my wedding dress to be buried with him)

Oh no Cheer i didnt take it that way at all, was just saying that my Lab is a big softie, just like your Rottie, i couldnt imagine him biting anyone, although he is so greedy, he might eat them!

Tchootnika, yes thats true one of the GS's i got years ago was from a woman, 1st puppy she had ever owned and after 3 days she had had enough of him.

Apparently he didnt go a wee on the newspaper she put down, she didnt realise you had to train him to use the newspaper, she thought he would just know.

And he kept them up crying all night. She thought he would just come away from mum and be quite happy and sleep all night.

Come to think of it every dog/cat i have ever owned, as come from someone else who no longer wanted them for various reasons.

I would like to see an Act passed requiring all dog owners to be responsible, with clear instructions and sanctions. It would bundle up the whole tangle of laws on animal welfare, laws on breeds and dog control, by-laws and guidance into one.

It would prevent abusive breeding, irresponsible ownership and poor control.

It would make dogs' lives better, save the public a fortune and at least reduce the number of healthy dogs being killed in this country.

Responsible dog owners want this - so why won't the government take this seriously?

LineRunner - I agree.

Responsible dog owners want this - so why won't the government take this seriously?

I think it's thought that it would be too expensive, too much red tape, etc.
(As I understand it compulsory dog licences were abandoned for the same reason.)

I don't see why it couldn't in fact be viable - but then I'm an idealist...