powerful, potentially life-threatening dogs

[Bjarnum]

AIBU to think people who own such breeds which then go on to kill/maim a child / pet/adult should automatically be prosecuted? With so many smaller weaker breed available ( which may well be snappy but who would struggle to inflict the ghastly injuries seen lately) WHY would you pick a dog so heavy and powerful that if they turn they would be unstoppable? Another child in the paper today maimed by his "best friend".

The only dog I have been bitten by was a West Highland terrier in a totally unprovoked attack on my brother and me.

No dog can be considered safe however much their apologists like to think so.

I've got 2 exceptionally gentle spaniels. They are NEVER left alone with my grandchildren, because I would never forgive myself if anything happened.

I personally think that anyone who has a dog that attacks a child should get a criminal record, and a custodial sentence. And a lifetime ban on keeping more animals. Instead, they get sad face publicity in local news and end up crowd funding for funerals.

@PegsandBags

Only properly trained working dogs and service dogs should be allowed and licensed. That is their job, dogs were not made to be domesticated as pets.

There is hardly room for humans let alone dogs in urban areas now. At least humans use a toilet and flush their poo away.

Dogs have been kept as pets since at least Roman times.

If you look at the fatality stats, it's mostly the same set of breeds. The research indicates that some breeds are more prone be to aggression than others, including Jack Russells (dog aggression). I say that as someone who used to own a JRT.

@PegsandBags

Xeno,

What is done with other working and trained animals who no longer make the grade?

Same for working dogs.

Which is what?

Put to sleep?

I would not want to live in a world where that is an acceptable way to treat our animal companions.
It is bad enough that it is seen as acceptable for greyhounds to be shot in the head for being a poor racer, without thinking about a potential guide dog being PTS because they could not be trained/ended up with an illness.

What IS the answer? Realistically?

I mean, we need one [an answer] but it's so easy to say ban this and ban that - but putting it into practice ... what does that look like?

Will we round up the dogs which are already in existence and take them away?
We could enforce castration ect. but again, how?
Dog licences - the decent owners get them, the dodgy ones wont. How do you enforce that?

@FourChimneys

The only dog I have been bitten by was a West Highland terrier in a totally unprovoked attack on my brother and me.

No dog can be considered safe however much their apologists like to think so.

Yes this.

I've only been bitten once and that was a Seyleam (sp?) terrier. My own mother's bloody dog!

Edith,

What about their shit everywhere though? It really is so disgusting. Even the Romans had sophisticated latrines for the humans.

@Laiste

What IS the answer? Realistically?

I mean, we need one [an answer] but it's so easy to say ban this and ban that - but putting it into practice ... what does that look like?

Will we round up the dogs which are already in existence and take them away?
We could enforce castration ect. but again, how?
Dog licences - the decent owners get them, the dodgy ones wont. How do you enforce that?

Rescues do what they can by not allowing potential adopters with children to apply for dogs. But then you get people moaning about that too. It is backyard breeders, and people selling their dogs on Gumtree etc with no homecheck/vetting that is the issue.

I think people should be made to have training on how to manage any animal capable of causing harm before being allowed to have that animal.

It'd never happen of course, but it would really help.

@IncompleteSenten

I think people should be made to have training on how to manage any animal capable of causing harm before being allowed to have that animal.

It'd never happen of course, but it would really help.

And also education on how to read warning signs. I know I will get flamed into oblivion for this, but teach your kids how to act around dogs too. No climbing over them, pulling ears etc.

@PegsandBags

Only properly trained working dogs and service dogs should be allowed and licensed. That is their job, dogs were not made to be domesticated as pets.

There is hardly room for humans let alone dogs in urban areas now. At least humans use a toilet and flush their poo away.

Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years.

You can hardly turn back the clocks now.

If you had to leave your child in a room with either a small, toy dog or an American bulldog which would you chose?

It depends on more than the breed.
If the American bulldog was already established in the home as the family pet.. then I would pick them over a toy breed that was a total unknown and belonged to a visitor.

@XenoBitch

If you had to leave your child in a room with either a small, toy dog or an American bulldog which would you chose?

It depends on more than the breed.
If the American bulldog was already established in the home as the family pet.. then I would pick them over a toy breed that was a total unknown and belonged to a visitor.

That’s not what pp is asking of course the established family pet with a sensible child who has been trained well around animals would be safer!

Imagine they are both strange dogs.

It’s fairly clear what one would do the most damage.

@MyWinterRose

I completely agree that dog owners should be prosecuted if their dog causes harm to a human or another animal.

I think we have reached a stage where this is needed for people to wake up and take responsibility for an animal they choose to have, it may make people think twice before buying cheap dogs over the internet with no history of their behaviour.

I also think dog licences should be brought back and people only able to buy from registered breeders, adverts for previously owned dogs banned and if people no longer want their dog they either need to take it to a adoption centre or have it put to sleep. In my opinion making dog ownership more difficult is the only way forward.

Well, that would be my old dog gone long before her time.

When the NDNs had chickens that attracted rats, she would leave one or two dead rats on the lawn most weeks. She caught her first rabbit when she was less than 6 months old and it was more than half her size, and I've no doubt she'd have harmed any cat she caught in my garden.

She was fine with children though, and with other dogs as long as they treated her respectfully.

Some breeds should be banned and rounded up and exterminated. Yes.

There's a woman on my area with an untrained American pit bull (the dog is pulling her around). I give her the dirtiest dagger looks every time I see her. I don't like her banned dog. And I can't stand humans like her.

There should be more done to stop complete dickheads from being able to get a dog of any breed.

I agree op

But people are stupid over dogs and ignore the news or the numbers of children killed by certain breeds

Many dogs will bite not many dogs attack to kill and thats what we read of again and again

There's a lot of aggressive and reactive dogs around. I don't know if that's just how some dogs are or rubbish owners. It's why I always wear thick leather boots when dog walking. If my little fluffy dog gets attacked I know I'd have to kick off the aggressor and might be injured.

Little dogs are nowhere near as dangerous as bigger dogs. But it's like saying do you want to get hit by a bus or a car - both can kill you.

@Suprima

So many disingenuous posters on here.

Of course large, muscled, athletic, strong jawed dog is going to be more dangerous.

I have a toy breed. He might nip and take off a bit of my face, or a finger- sure. It can happen.

A pitbull could rip your throat out.

I find the obsession with purchasing and breeding dogs that can be actual killing machines abhorrent. Especially seeing as they have no utility and tend to be kept in flats or with small gardens.

I don’t know any sensible dog owner which owns a bully type. I follow a few people on Instagram who have rescued these dogs and are good owners- but the people who illegally breed them and purchase them tend to be thugs who want the scariest dog possible.

You can’t legislate for it unless you can define it.

So we need a workable definition of which dogs OP is referring to, to meaningfully comment.

Which isn’t easy, scientifically or legally.

Maybe rules about any dogs living with under 5s would be worth discussing, and/or a legal duty to report more minor incidents that might serve as warning signs.

@PegsandBags

Edith,

What about their shit everywhere though? It really is so disgusting. Even the Romans had sophisticated latrines for the humans.

It's not a big issue where I live, as most of it is picked up or buried either by the owner, or by other dog owners.

It's really gross when it's left lying about.

@BemoreDerek

No dogs jaw 'locks', there is no physiological difference between staff/pit bull/rottie etc jaws and any other dog. Yes they are big and powerful and that obviously means they can do damage but the idea that bull breeds and similar have 'locking' jaws is simply not true.

My family have Staffies and while they are wonderful loving dogs they absolutely can 'lock on'. I witnessed 2 staffies fighting over a ball and when someone intervened lifting one dog away the other dog was lifted in the air and took ages to separate. So while I still trust our family dog I wouldn't she would never be any where near my DC until they are much older (10+) just in case.

Thinkingthinking, they're tenacious and will hold on, but there's no 'locking' mechanism, their jaws are no different to any other dog.

@SharpLily could you share the ‘death by chihuahua’ link please?

I don't understand why people are insisting those big muscular breeds make a suitable part of the community... they are to intimidate with the potential of being lethal. That's literally the only point to them. I would keep my baby away from any dog, but I would literally cross the road if I saw a muscular/pitbull looking breed coming our way.

Honestly, I would gladly see every pitbull PTS.