to not understand why people have these types of dogs in their homes

[FunnysInLaJardin]

I've heard the arguments for and against keeping pit bull/mastiff type dogs and just don't understand at all why anyone would keep a powerful muscular dog as a pet in a family home. Yet another sad news story today in a village just down the road from my home village.

This isn't a AIBU really, just a 'why do they do it'. Is a pet really worth the risk? There are so many other dog types to chose from. I don't understand at all.

Laws do need to be tightened on breeding but they also need to be tightened on ownership. The two things correlate imo

I haven't read this thread completely . I do however have an opinion i wish to share. When i was younger i was attacked by a neighbours dog it bit my face and very nearly took my nose off. I was a very lucky girl to have kept my nose and nowadays the scar is barely visible. The dog was a small dog i do not know the breed.

However i grew up and decided i wanted a dog when i was 16 (my parents asked all the neighbours to bring their dogs round after i was bit to show me not all dogs are evil so that i wouldn't be scared). I was allowed a dog on the condition i did my research on the breed. I chose a Mastiff i have never really liked small dogs since the attack so wanted a large breed.

My mastiff was the most loving dog in the world and was house trained and lead trained from the moment we brought her home. She was also taught not to go near my face as i have a habit now of jumping if a dog comes near my face unexpectedly.

I think these dogs get a really bad press. I also believe that its the owner not the dogs fault. As in every specie though you can get evil dogs, just like you get evil cats i know many of these and evil humans.

Its about knowing your animal, in the month leading upto her death she jumped easily when touched and she wasn't expecting it so i stopped letting her out. However prior to this she use to sit in the cul de sac i live in with all the neighbours kids playing with her and would only bark if a stranger came into the street so we all knew someone new was there.

My mastiff was also attacked by a stray collie dog and she just lay on the floor and didn't retaliate. I tried my best to get the collie off in the end it took my dad kicking the collie off her to stop the attack.

So my opinion at long last is that all breeds are capable of attacking, its how their brought up, that makes a difference.

the very fact there are banned breeds surely implies that some breeds are worse than others.

otherwise why ban any?

It can't ever be the dog's fault, a dog is not responsible for it's behavior, its not capable of self reflection.
that's why we don't have courts for animals

I know lots of responsible owners of big breeds.

I can still definitely understand why some people are nervous of breeds like that it seems reasonable enough to be more apprehensive about a big strong animal that can potentially do terrible damage if it chooses to.

Obviously whether or not I think a dog like that should be kept with a child doesn't take away from the sympathy I feel for this girl's family.

NotYo - that's a very controversial subject with too much to go into on here, but in a nutshell it's because the legislators believed that those particular breeds had been specifically bred for aggression because they were meant to be fighting dogs, whereas other breeds were bred for function. Even where this included functions such as guarding, that's not the same as indiscriminate aggression.

"the very fact there are banned breeds surely implies that some breeds are worse than others.

otherwise why ban any?"

It was a knee-jerk reaction to a few incidents, the ban is now 20 years old and hasn't helped at all...instead of looking at the breed of dog, legislation should be about stopping indiscriminate breeding and irresponsible ownership.

We got a puppy last year & whilst we have trained her & put done real effort & money into her (she is brilliantly behaved) I would never 100% trust her to be around my youngest child without us in the room.

We have crate trained which is great for peace of mind if I need to leave the toddler & the dog in the same room alone.

I also agree that I wouldn't have a dog I couldn't over power.

When DS2 was on a plastic surgery ward a couple of years ago there was a teenage girl there having been attacked by her boyfriends family dog. The boyfriends mum was in intensive care having had an artery severed by the dog in the same attack. The girl knew the dog & it had been a family pet for years. You just cannot 100% trust any dog.

"their owners are, in general, as thick as fucking shit"

Yep

the very fact there are banned breeds surely implies that some breeds are worse than others.
Not necessarily. In the Seventies, Dobermans had a bad reputation. In teh Eighties it was Rottweilers. In the Nineties, Pitbulls. The common denominator? The popularity of the breed in that time. The more dogs there are of any one breed, the more bites there are by that breed - be it Labradors, Poodles, Collies, whatever. It's also hard to avoid the fact that certain breeds, rightly or wrongly, attract a lot more attention and investigation, and are unfortunately in the hands of bad owners too often.

Spain, for example, takes its dangerous dog laws pretty seriously but hasn't experienced any drop in attack statistics since implementing legislation, which includes the banning of certain breeds.

I mentioned the thread because it was relevant
It really wasn't. Show a bit of respect.

I wouldn't trust any dog with a young child. But I do think with the type that lock their jaw the injuries can be potentially more serious. Also bigger dogs and the very strong working breeds. If a little dog bites you can shove it off quite easily.

so really what it comes down to in answer to my OP is that some people like these types of dogs and are willing to take the risk and have them in their homes.

That answers it really.

Yes OP.

Shame it's quite often not the owners but their children (and others) who get hurt though

No, it's not just about liking a breed and taking the risk. Those that are responsible have thembecaise thy like them AND have the time space money etc to look after them properly. They research the breed and train them , Get them nuetered etc.

And they take precautions that every dog owner should. Ie never leaving them alone with a child. Ensuring they are socialized.

It was a rescue dog, apparently, and I think the owner was mad to get a rescue dog of an indeterminate breed.

I know on MN every time someone mentions wanting to get a puppy a load of posters pile in and insist the poster gets a rescue dog. I know many, many rescue dogs are absolutely lovely, but you can't be too careful. You don't know why an older dog has been rehomed. It might be something "trivial" like excessive barking, or it could be something far more serious that has not manifested itself at the rescue centre. With a puppy, it might look cute and furry and friendly, but you don't know its parentage. And also the area is relevant. In an area where people have a tendency to own pitbull-type dogs, then the chances are a puppy will be of that type.

No dog is 100% reliable if provoked. But it's sheer madness to invite an unknown quantity to share your home if you have children there.

It was a rescue dog, apparently, and I think the owner was mad to get a rescue dog of an indeterminate breed.

I know on MN every time someone mentions wanting to get a puppy a load of posters pile in and insist the poster gets a rescue dog. I know many, many rescue dogs are absolutely lovely, but you can't be too careful. You don't know why an older dog has been rehomed. It might be something "trivial" like excessive barking, or it could be something far more serious that has not manifested itself at the rescue centre. With a puppy, it might look cute and furry and friendly, but you don't know its parentage. And also the area is relevant. In an area where people have a tendency to own pitbull-type dogs, then the chances are a puppy will be of that type.

No dog is 100% reliable if provoked. But it's sheer madness to invite an unknown quantity to share your home if you have children there.

Ok I worded that really badly. Obviously the ideal is for nobody to be injured by a dog.

but Giles that is what it boils down to. You cannot eliminate risk with all the socialising and training in the world. So it is a managed risk

Whoops.

Also those absolving the dog of blame - I'm sure the criminally insane can't be held responsible for their actions, but all the same every effort is made to ensure they are not wandering the streets or able to assault or kill people because it's not their fault .

Why did the rescue centre think it was appropriate to rehome this dog to a family with young children?

Rescue centres round here have very strict age restrictions and identifiers e.g. guard dog only or suitable for older children etc.

I have had rescue dogs all of my life and they are invariably damaged and unpredictable - regardless of the breed. Actually the worst attack I have ever seen was by a pair of long haired dachshunds and the sweetest dog I have ever had was a Staffy.

Horrifying story and my heart goes out to the family.

The problem is that for all the work some of us do to be responsible dog owners, there are so many out there who don't, and it's usually children and dogs who have to pay the price.

I'm with you op. I do not understand why anyone would choose to keep a large, powerful dog in a small home. I don't understand why people who live in flats don't choose to keep small dogs.

Smaller dogs need less space; it's easier to give them the exercise they require; they are easier to control.

I've read all 10 of these pages now and there are some really fair points. Thank you, mumsnet for not jumping on the staffy-bashing bandwagon.

Dogue Du Bordeax welfare (if this dog turns out to be a DDB) have a very strict rehoming policy and DO NOT rehome with children under ten. They do this because they are really keen to keep the good reputation of the breed. They are one of few KC registered rehoming charities.

If we're placing blame, it was whoever let her have the dog in a small flat with a small child. Any decent rescue would have run a mile - or suggested getting a different pet.

so really what it comes down to in answer to my OP is that some people like these types of dogs and are willing to take the risk and have them in their homes.

Sounds about right.