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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wish dangerous dog breeds and all breeds closely resembling them were banned in UK?

431 replies

DustOfALongSleeplessNight · 21/04/2015 15:59

There are so many nice friendly breeds, why chose a breed that was developed for aggression and fighting? I know individual dogs have different temperaments, but if they were selectively bred for bull and bear baiting, how can they make good pets?

Pit bulls (illegal in UK) are frequently kept illegally and passed off as Staffy-crosses until the police find them.

I think they should ban all dobermans, rottweilers, staffordshire bull terriers, malamutes, huskies, german shepherds and any other dog with aggressive genetics, plus all the breeds that closely resemble them. I frequently see these breeds in local park, off the lead, running amongst small children!

OP posts:
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FreudiansSlipper · 21/04/2015 22:06

As I said before any dog attack where a child has died is going to be reported in the news

So many dogs are badly treated, will be antagonised, neglected not just particular breeds

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 22:06

Like talking to a brick wall.

Whensmyturn · 21/04/2015 22:10

It may well be the owners that are at fault. I don't really care who is at fault. I want to reclaim our parks. I'm sick of trying to find a park where I feel my children and I are safe. I dont feel it's safe to ask the dog owners to put their dogs on a lead. If they don't like it then all they have to do is set the dog on me. I think that's probably the point for some of these dog owners. Many dog owners are fine. I don't care. I want something done so I don't have to face this danger with my children.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:11

Children play though don't they? They squeal and run and shout and do lots of unpredictable things. How can any of that be safe around such big, potentially aggressive dogs? Any dog can be dangerous but the big strong ones are bound to be more dangerous- they have so much more power.
Are people genuinely saying here that every dog that has ever attacked a person has done so because of a bad owner? Really?

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 22:11

So many dogs are badly treated, will be antagonised, neglected not just particular breeds

Yes, but NOT AS MANY AS SOME BREEDS. IE, STAFFIES.

People with interest in dogs have observed correlation between nobheads favouring a breed, and the number of attacks from said breed rising.

You have been given statistics that demonstrate labradors involved in attacks yes?

You yourself have observed that staffs seem to be involved in a higher amount of attacks?

Now which dog is seen as the 'hard dog' and is favoured by people who walk the streets with them unleashed, getting them involved in dog fights, pumping them full of drugs to make them bigger?

Oh yeah, the staffs.

kali110 · 21/04/2015 22:11

I'v been around dogs all my life.
Only dog that ever bit me was a yourkshire terrier!
Yes there are a lot of staffs in the rspca, because theyre a powerful dogs. Unfortunaty seems lately a lot of young immature lads ( by me and peopke i know atleast!) have them for status and don't treat them right!
Staffies are wonderful. Two of my friends have one. Lovely dogs.dopiest things Smile
The staffy is nicknamed the nanny dog!
They are excellent for families!
Try doing some research first and don't believe all the lies that are also told about these lovely dogs.

richthegreatcornholio · 21/04/2015 22:12

They are not comparable at all. Children are our future. Pet dogs (at least in towns) are at best a nuisance and at worst a menace and they are jsut not needed.

If there was a choice to be made between saving my dog or your kids from a burning building then I'm afraid there'd be no hesitation whatsoever.

SingingHinnies · 21/04/2015 22:13

Have a read of this, because of people's ignorance there are thousands of staffies taken away and killed for looking like pit bulls, dogs who have done nothing wrong other than measure what a pit bull is deemed to measure, because owners haven't got the money to fight for them they are killed.

Have a look at DDA watch and look through the gone album, dogs killed for nothing who haven't set a foot wrong. Millions of people own staffies who havent put a foot wrong, been raised properly but could be taken if someone decides they don't like the look of them and ring the police

Heres one Bruce

JohnCusacksWife · 21/04/2015 22:14

Talk of banning entire breeds is stupid. Having said that thought there are breeds on your list that I would never have based on my own personal experience. I've had two bad experiences with very aggressive GSDs - as a result I'm very nervous of them and you can't have a dog you're scared of. I'd also never have a Staffy. Although the Staffies I've met have all been lovely with humans they have, without exception, been unpredictable with other dogs and that puts me off massively.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:17

Kali, do you feel that Yorkshire Terriers are the only dangerous breed then? All others are fine then??

PacificDogwood · 21/04/2015 22:18

kali, the only dog that every bit me was a pekinese Grin - not cool, I know….

Whensmyturn, it is just terrible that you are made to feel like that about having your kids and other people's dogs in a park together - I feel lucky that that has not been my experience.
Because of irresponsible and inconsiderate dog owners I am strongly in favour of a dog licence that gets enforced - there should be a fee, all dogs microchipped (I know that's coming anyway) and then this should be checked on and enforced, up to and including removal of the dog from the owner and bans of keeping dogs.

Owning and living with a dog is such a life-enriching experience that it makes me v angry that some people spoil it for all of us - I go in to people's houses as part of my job and, as stated above, I love dogs, I am comfortable around them and I know how to meet a new/strange dog: and still I have to ask people to control their yapping, jumping up, disruptive dog. They seem totally oblivious.
I ring a door bell, dog inside goes ballistic, owner opens door and say 'Oh, it was open, you should've come in', I say 'Well, I was not sure the dog would've been happy', owner ' ach, he's fine, just wanting to say hello'.
WTAF

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:18

Kali- lies?
August 11th 2010 - Girl, 7, savaged by another Staffordshire Bull Terrier
A seven-year-old girl suffered horrific injuries to her eye after being savagely attacked by a dog. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier bit into Maleeka Smyth's head then dragged her around like a doll.

Her right eyelid was ripped and surgeons had to insert a tiny tube into her eye to rejoin the tear duct in a five-hour operation. Her mother Vicki Smyth, 32, said the dog's attack also grazed Maleeka's eyeball and shredded a muscle which allows her to look upwards.
She said doctors are confident that her sight has been saved but she will face months of tests to assess the full damage.
Vicki said: "She could have been killed. She told me what happened and said the Staffy just jumped up at her and bit her. She was absolutely terrified.

SideOrderofChips · 21/04/2015 22:19

ODFOD

Most dangerous dogs ive known have been the smaller 'cuter' dogs.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:20

More lies Kali?

February 25th 2010 - Grandmother has 100 stitches after being savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier
A 90-year-old lady was badly scarred after she was mauled by a dog.

Margaret White, of Sidcup, almost lost an ear and had to have more than 100 stitches. She was visiting a sick friend, Susan Molden, in Chislehurst, when she was savaged by the Staffordshire bull terrier last Friday.
Mrs White said that when she knocked on the door, Mrs Molden's young granddaughter answered it and the dog came charging out and attacked her. Help did not come until several minutes later when the child's mother, who had been in the shower, pulled the dog away.

SansaUndercover · 21/04/2015 22:20

Singsongsung I would say one of the dangers of bigger dogs is that they are obviously far more likely to hurt someone by accident- a mastiff jumping up at you is clearly far more dangerous than a toy dog doing the same thing. That said, I have met plenty of small vicious dogs I would not necessarily want around children either!

I don't think every dog attack ever is due to bad owners either- although it depends what you mean by a bad owner, I guess. I think some dogs (especially terrier breeds which were originally bred to kill "vermin") do have some innate aggression. However, a knowledgeable, sensible owner will do their utmost to train their dog and keep it in situations which are "safe" whereas a clueless owner or one who likes the aggression will make the situation far worse.

I actually do think people who say there is no such thing as a bad dog do minimise the risk somewhat- All dogs have the potential to be dangerous, especially if they are in pain or scared. I think, sometimes, people not acknowledging this is part of the problem.

I agree with the links on this thread, knowing signs of stress and subtle signs something is wrong is massively important.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:21

Even more lies...

November 4th 2009 - Dog attack girl has 17 stitches
Another child, 8 year old Courtney Charlesworth was attacked by another Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
An eight-year-old girl has had 17 stitches in her face after being mauled by the family dog.
Courtney said she was "very frightened" during the attack. Courtney Charlesworth (pictured to the right), was stroking the 'family' pet at her home in East End Park, Leeds, when it suddenly turned on her.
Her mother said she was "very lucky" not to have been blinded as one bite narrowly missed the schoolgirl's eye.

SingingHinnies · 21/04/2015 22:22

Read how ridiculous this one is Police dog identified as type

MrsDeVere · 21/04/2015 22:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 22:24

singsong bore off with the copy and paste jobs. She didn't say there weren't any attacks, she was talking about lies perpetuated that centre around them being inherently evil demon dogs.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:24

I agree Sansa that it's irresponsible to pretend that any breed of dog is not dangerous. To suggest that a strong, powerful dog is a 'nanny' dog is crazy- particularly when you spend 30 seconds googling the damage so called 'nanny' dogs have caused.
I don't want to have to learn the signs of how to judge a dog is dangerous. I want dog owners to keep their dog on a lead and well away from my children.

Singsongsung · 21/04/2015 22:26

Are you not concerned about the content of those pastes Grey? I would imagine it takes a fairly aggressive dog to cause such harm and in none of those cases were the dogs the product of a bad upbringing.
I could post more- there's hundreds on line unfortunately.

SingingHinnies · 21/04/2015 22:27

Singsong you could go on all night, for everyone you post i can post another breed but i won't as its boring and doesn't really serve any purpose other than posting various articles of people mauled and killed by various breeds of dogs, doesn't do anything to address why they attack/kill or how to stop it happening. There are 100's of links regarding people attacked by dogs, the links on staffie's are easier to find as they are normally in the national press not the local press

fattymcfatfat · 21/04/2015 22:28

sing and plenty of dog owners will agree when I say we want your children to behave appropriately around our dogs. it is all well and good blaming The dog but what do you expect an animal to do if you go over to it and start prodding and poking it? would you do that to a Fox?
as for the what's the point comment that I made upthread it was a joke about my uncles quite lovely dogs!

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 22:29

Of course I'm bloody concerned, and how the hell do you know about their upbringing?

I can list a thousand cases of dogs that aren't staffs that have caused damage - but it wouldn't be of any worth because erm.. all dogs can attack. Aren't you concerned about those too, or do you ignore them because it doesn't fit in with your rhetoric about evil staffs?

I'm at risk of repeating myself here because you and others are ignoring the points made.