To think there should be more controls on dogs and more banned breeds

[Merryclaire]

Just seen on the news that another young child has been killed by dogs - that must be at least 4 this year in the UK - there have been a number more that have thankfully not been fatal. Always seems to be (most often) a US bully or sometimes a husky. Why are there not more dog breeds being banned (especially the bully)? And why is there not more noise about dog ownership rules in general being tightened up?
For the record I have always liked dogs but these regular child attacks scare me.

I agree that the owners do need to be prosecuted. But even on here people defend them.

That toddler who was killed recently, the dog had been acquired from somewhere less than a week before, and when someone said that the parents had been irresponsible and should be charged with manslaughter the response was “they’ve lost a child, isn’t that punishment enough?” Thing is, if they hadn’t been so irresponsible they wouldn’t have lost the child.

There is a difference between a dog which snaps or growls because eg. The kids are crawling all over it/pulling its fur and its ears, and a dog which goes for someone. And the amount of posts when someone says “my dog bit x,” which say “get in touch with a decent trainer and train it.” Or worse, “rehome the dog to someone who doesn’t have children” as if passing the problem on is the responsible thing to do.

The reality is that there will always be aggressive dogs, and we don’t always know whether they are until they show their traits. But the only answer to an aggressive dog is that it needs to be put to sleep.

Yep. All dogs. Like I said it’s a fantasy not going to happen 🤣 wish it would though!

That’s a bit like me popping on one of the threads about war in Ukraine saying I hate war and wish for world peace.
Meaningless and irrelevant.

Nice bit of ableism there.

Then those dogs should be humanely put down
The sentimentality and cognitive dissonance over dogs is insane. Dog owners have no problem with other animals being put down. They will feed raw meat and bones of other animals to their dog all day long and still profess to be animal lovers. Bonkers reasoning

I walk mine over vastly empty fields too. But I’m not arrogant enough to assume that I will never come across another animal or person who could be terrified by a dog off lead racing towards them.

perhaps with your rude and entitled attitude you’re part of the problem.

Superb post.

Perhaps LolaButt should have bolded the bit where she said her dogs have shit hot recall?

But the posters dogs have recall?

I had dogs with kids under 5. I aren't a irresponsible dogs owner and my kids have been raised knowing how to treat and act around dogs.

Most dog food are a result of human meat consumption so your argument doesn't stand.

i think the ‘dogs are natural’ poster encapsulates the problem. What she doesn’t realise is that if people didn’t want to buy dogs, the breeders wouldn’t breed them and the rescue centres would put them down. They are not natural at all. Dogs exist due to choices made by the people that own them. Nobody else. The people that own them need to keep them well away from everyone else. We should have to make any accommodations whatsoever for your lifestyle choice.

As for the person who lets them off in fields, why is this any better? People like to go running in fields too without being hassled by your dogs! If you want to exercise your dog off a lead, get a garden. If you can’t afford a garden big enough, don’t get a dog. It’s very simple indeed!

Why can't people read?

Dogs are allowed to be exercised off lead in appropriate places as long as they are under control. Not everyone who has a dog cannot control it

Along with it, we should stop feeding the shit on insta and the like, where dogs are portrayed as something they are not.
I've lost count of the times I've seen things like photos of how a dog and a child are good friends - when the dog's body language is screaming "get me away from here".

So much this. I've seen so many videos of "cute" toddler and dog interactions online where the dog is clearly a very long way out of its comfort zone. People are not seeing very clear body language from the dogs such as yawning, lip licking, tense body, whale eye, panting, looking away and appeasement licks (often described as a sign of the dog being loving). Then when people comment on the videos explaining the body language they get told they are being a "Karen" and that they don't know what they are talking about. People really need to educate themselves especially if they are going to own such large, potentially very dangerous, breeds.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7esJvJF-_lA

While it is true that any breed of dog can bite, I think it is important to acknowledge that different breeds have different inherent behaviour. When you choose a dog, think about what that breed was bred for in the first place and what behaviours were required of the breed, for example, Staffies have a history of bull-baiting and dogfighting vs a cavalier king Charles spaniel which was always a lap dog.

Here is a list of the dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in the UK:

Jack Russell
Rottweilers (2)
Alsatian
Pit bull terrier
Bull terrier
Rottweilers (2)
Doberman
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Bulldog
Rottweilers (2)
Pit bull
Rottweiler
Rottweiler
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier + Jack Russell Terrier
Alsatians (2)
Pit bull
American Bulldog
Neapolitan Mastiff
Pit bull type
Bordeaux Bulldogs (2) + American Bulldogs (1) + Mongrel (1)
Jack Russell Terrier cross
Bullmastiffs (2) + Staffordshire Bull Terriers (2)
Presa Canario x Bull Mastiff
Bulldog type or Aylestone bulldog[6]
2 Pit bulls
Pit bull terrier
Alaskan Malamute
German Shepherd police dog
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Bulldog
Lakeland Terrier cross
Pit bull cross
Staffordshire-pitbull cross
Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross[6]
American Bulldog or American Pit Bull Terrier or Mastiff-bull dog[6]
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
German Shepherd
Staffordshire Bull Terriers (2)
Large bulldog-cross
Unknown
American Bulldogs (2)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Mastiff cross
Chow Chow-cross
Staffordshire cross
American Bulldogs (2)
American Bully[89]
XL Bully
3 British bulldogs
Husky
American XL Bully
Rottweiler
unknown

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Kingdom

'My dog has perfect recall'
That's what they all say, until it doesn't

I agree problems are often down to the owners, but for everyone saying terrible ones should be banned from having dogs, how would you enforce it?

After all most of the knuckle dragger types who want an aggressive "status dog" aren't exactly amenable to persuasion and may even consider a ban a challenge, so they're hardly going to think "Oooo better not" just because of what some legislation says

I don't know why the video link didn't work...

Id ban most the dogs on this list

The law is this. Anyone can instruct a dog owner, anywhere, to put their dog on a lead The problem is many dog owners won't do it and so the law is consistently broken

A solution might be that all dogs must be on a short lead in all public places. This would be clearer

What’s your definition of “shit hot” recall though? Do you have your eyes on your dog at all times? Do you call it back immediately as someone gives into view? If so - in my extensive experience - you are very much in the minority. There’s not much point in having ‘shit hot recall’ if it is not used!

Show me where?

That is a ridiculous solution and it will never happen. Thankfully.

I have argued with you about this countless times before and guess what? I still walk my dog off lead. You saying 'dogs should be on lead at all times' will never ever change my mind.

Owners who don't have control over their dogs should of course keep them leashed or go to an enclosed space.

My dog is 10. He has never once failed to recall. I in fact very rarely need to 'recall' him as such as he doesn't need to be shouted back to me. He has zero interest in others. Be them adults, children, other dogs or wildlife.

His focus is entirely on either me or dp. Or his ball if we are playing fetch

And if i saw you in any public place and asked ed you politely to leash your dog, would you comply? Or would you break the law?

...that was a question for allthingsservethebeam

It’s possible to walk a dog across fields without it being dangerously out of control though.

I run my dog in our local park. There is a children’s play area but there is also a park area which is popular with the local dog walkers.

My dog’s recall is exemplary, and he has a bell on his collar so I know where he is at all times.

Recall can absolutely be perfect but it should be reinforced, and not only when you need the dog to come back because it’s harassing another person or dog. I recall my dog numerous times on a free run purely for the purposes of reinforcement and to reconnect with him while he’s out.

He absolutely wouldn’t be allowed to run up to anyone, but if anything I have problems with children running up to him. Because he’s a guide dog people automatically just think that it’s ok to run towards him, and I have a vivid memory of a child running up to my dog in the middle of a street and throwing its arms around him, while the parent laughed and said “aww he’s so cute, my little boy just loves dogs and can’t resist cuddling them.” Had she not had a small child with her I would have had a lot more choice words. But as it was I just explained to the little boy that you mustn’t just run up to dogs like that because you might frighten them, and because not all dogs are friendly.

Dogs absolutely shouldn’t be allowed to pester people. But equally people need to respect the fact that they’re dogs and to leave them alone when they’re not theirs.

Show me where I would be breaking the law if I am out with my dog playing ball or whatever, nowhere near anyone else, and someone had to approach me to tell me to put him on a lead.

That situation would never happen