To worry about our new neighbours Staffordshire Bull Terrier .

[designergirl]

are they dangerous dogs? It's a puppy at the moment.

People moan on about dog shit, but so rarely about broken glass and skanky needles, and the fact that people shit in the bushes if there isn't a public loo. It is the PEOPLE who are responsible for the mess left behind, every time. If a child (or anyone else) runs away from a dog, the dog will run after them. It's a dangerous and stupid thing to do. Children ought to be taught to be safe around animals. If they're not, they will grow up with fear and misconceptions. A sad state of affairs surely? There are people out there who really ought to live in a compound where they think they are the only animals.

silentcatastrophe It's not good saying children ought to be taught to be safe around animals - some have parents who don't like pets or don't want to keep them because they are out all day or live in flats and are not allowed to (and abide by that as they should).Those children have the same right not to be harmed by a dog as any other and that means that the owners of the dogs must be responsible and if they are not the environment should be dog-free.

I know that I am pissing into the wind here against people who can't see the difference between children and pets - espcially the types who think of the dog as their baby. Ugh!

But Andrewofgg he is my fur baby.

You don't have to own a dog to teach a child how to be safe around one.

I am happy to let the dogs be, but they won't let my children be. A dog roaming around on it's own is a threat to everyone. But I do take on board the comments about helping my children get used to animals etc. Actually they are okay with a friends Labrador which is the gentlest animal ever. I know Labradors can bite, but we have known it for years and it never has.

There are laws to protect people against marauding dogs, but it's not going to get rid of a species of animal. Fear and ignorance are terrible things. There are bad dog owners. Indeed there are. But none-the-less, it is very sad when people cause accidents through their own ignorance. Especially when there is so much information available to alleviate it.

Awww, Crosshair, was it an easy birth?

Andrew, while I can totally sympathise with your frustration with irresponsible dog owners (which is shared by many who own dogs but try to do so responsibly), surely dealing with animals is a useful life skill, no matter what your domestic circumstances?

You may live away from the sea, and never go to a pool, but many people would regard it as sensible to teach a child how to swim. Other examples might be riding a bicycle, having good table manners and knowing what to do when eating in a restaurant, knowing how to behave in a place of worship/wedding/funeral even though you yourself might be a vehement atheist.

Even if you don't live in a rural area at the moment, or never visit the countryside it's possible your DC will come in to contact with a variety of animals as they grow, including dogs, cats, wildlife, horses and cows and possibly other farm animals such as chickens, pigs, sheep etc. I'd say it's an important safety consideration that DC should be taught how to recognise animals, and how to safely navigate past them to avoid being kicked/bitten/etc, along with the importance of not disturbing bulls, say, keeping gates closed in the country and so on. In many parts of the countryside, animals roam freely and even in urban parks, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of a nesting swan.

Of course, you and the OP have the right not to own dogs, be pestered by them or be threatened, but it's surely sensible to acknowledge that dogs (along with other creatures) will be encountered in daily life and knowing how to deal with them makes life happier and safer for all.

Staffies are like children. Brought up in a loving family with well defined boundaries and good discipline, they are lovely dogs. If they are left to their own devices and not disciplined, and ignored,they can be a real pain. Depends very much on the owners.

On the other hand, should I accept that criminals are a part of life and encourage my children to get to know them? There are elements of society I wish to avoid.

DorothyGherkins, when you say a real pain, do you mean dangerous or just boisterous?

Not animals per se of course.

Scuttlebutter you do make some good points though

Boisterous, I'd guess at. Staffies are child lovers by their very nature but can be difficult to handle for the inexperienced. The only dog that has ever managed to drive me to tears was a Staffy pup. I still adore them

You'd need to actively train a Stafford to be aggressive, it's just not in them to be nasty dogs. They love people too much. Even with active aggression training it wouldn't be easy, it goes aaginst their nature. It'd be like trying to teach a Terrier not to chase wildlife.

If that is so, why do they bite people at all as I've read about them in the paper, and e en if they get on well with children in their own family aren't they territorial about them so would attack anyone else they see as a threat?

When you read about a dog attack in the paper, it is only newsworthy because it is very rare. Most dog attacks against people happen behind closed doors, usually family or friends are involved. If a dog runs up to you or a child, the best thing to do is to stand still and turn away. If you run, the dog will think it is a game and that you are fair play. Dogs that run about aren't going to savage anyone. It sounds almost as though your fear of dogs is spoiling your ability to go out and enjoy your surroundings.

Designergirl, I don't think the criminal thing is a particularly useful analogy.

If getting to know burglars/muggers/rapists would reduce the likelihood of them harming you, then yes, I would want to get to know them. That isn't the case, so we teach children useful life skills like keeping doors and windows shut, not wandering round with wallets etc on display, and not taking short cuts through dark spaces late at night.

With dogs, the useful life skill to learn is how to interact with them, rather than being afraid of them, as the kind of things children do when they are scared - shriek, flap their arms, run away - are likely to be seen as invitations to play by a normal dog (which could scare a nervous child further), or possible irritants by an aggressive dog. Much better for everyone if children learn how to respond calmly to dogs if they are afraid, or play safely with them if they are not.

I find with some dog attack stories they use a picture of a staffy to represent an aggressive dog. Any dog can turn, deed not bread ect.

Tabloid headline:

"Child Drooled On By German Shepherd Dogs"

Unlikely, eh? And why?

Because it's not unusual and the mundane is not news.

My Staffie cross is a soppy old thing who'd knock you over with her over-exuberant tail but would not consider snapping at you. The Yorkshire Terrier that had a damned good go at mauling my cousin (lept out of a basket of all things and attached itself to her leg as she went past) was a different story.

Back again. OP, I agree that the dog warden should be called if the poor pup is allowed to roam, to protect the poor dog from its owners, I also feel that the social services should be called if the 5yr old is allowed to roam!
Your neighbours are not responsible dog owners or parents, and it does not matter what breed their dog is, it is at risk with them as owners. Mind you, it seems that it would be easier to protect the dog from abuse than a child.
I also agree with the advice about your DC running from a dog, I must admit if it was my Cleo (really "hard" name, isn't it) she is still only a pup, and quite bouncy and boisterous, and if she saw a child running, she would think they were playing with her.
I am aware of my (and any young dogs) nature to want to chase and play, which is one reason I keep her on an extender lead in public, and only let her off to play if she is in a suitable enviroment, as, when in play mode, her recall isn't all it should be. Give her a year or so, and she will be as good as our other two were.
I also always clean up after my dogs, and have been known to pointedly offer a poo bag to owners who have let their dog mess and haven't cleaned up after it. i don't wish my sons to tread in dog mess any more than anyone else does.
My children have a sensible attitude to all animals, they will not pet a dog unless they have asked the owners permission, they will not approach a stray cat the does not approach them, and are suitably aware of the danger that any animal, big and small, domestic and wild, may pose to them. This does not stop them from being total animal lovers, and makes them better and more rounded human beings IMHO.

Thank you. All your comments are very informative