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.

[dreamofwhitehorses]

I actually think those that are so ready to defend these sorts of breed and turn up to say ooh I've got one, and they are a big softy, have some responsibility for lulling potential owners into a false sense of security about having large powerful dogs, of whatever breed, in family homes. This poor family have been destroyed, but somewhere along the line must have got reassurance that having a large breed of dog in a home with a small child wasn't a risk. Legislation and education is needed, but at the moment these parents should be allowed to grieve without hurtful comments.

[tethersend]

Questioning why anyone would have such a powerful animal around their children is not 'blaming the dog'. Or even 'blaming the breed'.

Dogs have no moral compass. Nobody is advocating holding them criminally responsible or trying them in a court of law, so talk of 'blaming the dog/breed' is erroneous. Sharplily puts it very well; when a powerful dog bites, it does more damage.

[SharpLily]

My Doberman is invaluable as a guard dog, useful where we live - not on a chavvy estate, incidentally, but in the middle of nowhere. When he warns people off, they run and were an intruder stupid enough to challenge hi it wouldn't end well.

My brother in law has two Staffies and has been broken into twice. The Staffs appear to have done nothing more than wag their tails in welcome.

Stereotyping by breed alone is about as realistic and effective as racial discrimination in humans.

[MaidOfStars]

I think the OP's point is being missed - if you want to have a dog around small children, and accept that any dog has the potential to bite, why would you not choose a breed that you have a chance of defending your child against, should the worst happen? Yeah yeah, the best way to avoid a dog attack is training/care/etc, but surely you allow for contingencies?

Agree with those who say that it isn't breeds that define what is a dangerous dog. Security/police dogs aside, the breeds associated with higher numbers of "civilian" dog attacks changes over the years, as different breeds become fashionable/cool/etc. But things that don't change so much, and associated with attack-prone dogs, are male owners in their mid-twenties, dogs kept tied/enclosed and unneutered dogs.

[Wallison]

Yes, really. The number of hospital admissions for dog bites is going up year on year. In the year up to 2012 there were 6,500. Just in one year. Of those, over 1,000 were children. I think that's evidence of a pretty serious problem and while it might be nice for dogs to be able to run around, their wanting to do so should not take precedence over public safety.

[DropYourSword]

I'll be in the minority here, but I don't think it always is the owners. I really think there's a split between nature vs nurture. I have friends who own a GSD. They have spent ridiculous amounts of time and money on their dog, read every book they possibly could, joined extensively researched puppy training courses, are in constant contact with the breeder etc. Their dog is still, to me, an accident worrying to happen. He is an aggressive dog with dominance issues and they just won't accept it. But it isn't due to any "laziness" on their part. They really do try their absolute best and put so much work into it. Doesn't make them good or experienced dog owners though.

[LIZS]

Very tragic for the lo and her family. :( Agree with you gunslinger . No dog should be kept in such a confined space. If she was ill I wonder when it was last exercised.

[sonlypuppyfat]

We had a Springer Spaniel a wonderful dog with my DH but when he went out the dog used to turn on us growling and snapping he bit my DS that was the last he was put down no rehoming him for him to do it to another family. And another thought when I was a child people only had cross breeds and you never heard of any problems like this, when I looked at my old dogs pedegree there was so much interbreeding no wonder dogs are half bloody mad.

[EldritchCleavage]

It's surely a bad idea to have big dogs that need lots of exercise in often small, crowded family homes. Especially if they are left in there all day while people are at work.

No idea if that was the situation in the recent reported cases, but it is common near us. Those dogs must be under a lot of stress that will build up over time, particularly if training is not very good, and it will all come out eventually.

Whether or not the breed affects how likely the dog is to attack (don't know) the more powerful the animal (particularly jaw strength) the more damage it can do. Kack Russells can inflict damage but not as much or as quickly as a pitbull, I'd have thought.

[Wallison]

Dogs aren't people, you know. They really aren't.

[KnickersOnOnesHead]

I think you are forgetting the important thing that most of those attacks have happened in the family home!! So, what do you suggest? Dogs banned altogether? Dogs muzzled in the home?....

[tethersend]

Agreed, dreamofwhitehorses. It seems almost to be a badge of honour owning a huge, powerful and potentially dangerous dog and waxing lyrical about how soft and playful it is. It's all a bit Siegfried and Roy.

[EldritchCleavage]

Jack Russells, obviously. No idea what a Kack Russell is but it sounds very messy.

[wm3010]

I am not a dog owner but I agree with frustrated. My ils have always had black labs, and they were always of the soppy cuddly type. However, they can be surprisingly strong despite not being traditionally thought of in that way, and a few years ago my ils became aware of an incident local to them (France) where a similar black lab had killed a child. It had previously been a loved and trusted family pet. All dogs are potentially dangerous, and whilst I accept the physical danger might be slightly less from a small dog I think it could do a lot of damage to a small child.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

I dont think there has ever been an actual case of a cat smothering a baby....it's an old wives tale and yes, of course, shops are going to play on that as it ups their revenue.

Totally agree with the poster who says that it is the size of the dog which determines how serious the injury is rather than those sorts of dogs attacking more.

How tragic though :(

[Scheriously]

We had an English bull terrier when I was 10 and now have a Staffie cross. My dad trained, trained and trained the hell out of the English bull terrier and he was the most obedient dog ever. Wonderful dog, you could put your arm in his mouth and he would just patiently hold it open. Very calm and sweet, but hated other dogs.

This Staffie cross we have now is being trained by me and DH. So far going well. They take a lot of fine and energy, and some owners just don't bother with this.

[sonlypuppyfat]

tethersend are they the magicians with the tiger? I remember that.

[Mckayz]

I don't and won't ever agree that all dogs should be muzzled. On a lead in a park maybe but not bloody muzzled.

Plus as Knickers points out. Most dog attacks happen in a family home.

[Polyethyl]

People always blame the owners in these situations. So often I've heard people say that Staffies are nanny dogs and it is only stupid ignorant owners that cause problems. And I'm sure in the majority of cases that's true. But.......

Princess Anne is a knowledgeable and experienced dog handler. And her bull terriers have killed the Queen's corgi, bitten a house maid and attacked two children in windsor great park. So if princess anne can't control bull terriers I'm dubious about other people's claims about their dogs.

[SharpLily]

Funny, I have a long term love of Dobermans. I grew up with the breed, my family have bred and shown them, we have a long history with them. I know my breed. I do my research, I learn my dogs, their behaviour, their reactions, and I am a very, very careful owner. At the moment I have an old boy who was a rescue and was abused, but that was a long time ago now. I trust him 100% around my husband and I but am currently pregnant, and when our baby is born I know that he will be wonderfully protective - however I will never leave the two alone. Once his time is up, he will be replaced by more Dobermans and, although I always, always go for rescue dogs when possible, I will not do so with a young child in the house.

You ask why I would go for such a breed but it's like asking what I see in my husband - you wouldn't see the same thing. Any devoted Doberman owner will tell you they've never seen such affection, such loyalty, such intelligence blah blah blah. Seriously, I could bore for England about their virtues but I don't believe it would accomplish anything.

[frustratedandfailing]

Yes bubbles, because companies in business for profit never ever prey on peoples insecurities to make a sale.....I did quite a bit of research myself on the subject and talked to vets....it is possible that a cat might climb into a cot because of warmth but I'd be interested if you could actually find a proven case of it

[MaidOfStars]

SharpLily - it sound like you have you read Malcolm Gladwell's essay on dog breeds and human profiling?

Article here

[jellybeans]

YANBU i wouldn't risk it.

[BrianTheMole]

I think the OP's point is being missed - if you want to have a dog around small children, and accept that any dog has the potential to bite, why would you not choose a breed that you have a chance of defending your child against, should the worst happen? Yeah yeah, the best way to avoid a dog attack is training/care/etc, but surely you allow for contingencies?

^ Absolutely this.