Dangerous dogs

[Poppyseed14]

My neighbours' cat was killed this week by two dogs outside our local shop. They were on a lead but being held by the owner's partner who wasn't able to control them. Think American Bully XL types. They take part in those training sessions where they are trained to attack the guy in the padded suit. Not a banned breed in the UK though larger and stronger than a pitbull. A few days ago an adult in Rotherham was killed by the same breed and her partner sustained life threatening injuries trying to get the dog off her. That was their family pet. I know it's all to do with the owners more so than the dogs themselves but I cannot get these awful situations out of my head. The death of the cat has shaken the local community as he was a well known and very much loved local character but it could so easily have been a child instead. And the owners will continue to endanger people and pets. No AIBU just venting really. Feeling so sad for my neighbours, they are understandably devastated.

I do yes and I would happily welcome licenses to own these dogs as they are falling into the wrong hands and becoming hated dogs and as I stated my girl was attacked by a lab I told her to stand down and she sat at my feet why this lab was barking in her face and snarling poor girl was petrified so they aren’t all the same my dogs have there own space and are never left unsupervised with my children cause you can never trust a dog my nans Jack Russel has bitten five people now

My miniature poodle is still recovering after an unprovoked attack by an off lead Bull Mastiff. This was 1 of 3 that the male owner was exercising OFF LEAD.

This man owns 8 dogs, 3 Bull Mastiffs, 3 Dogue de Bordeaux & 2 labs.

He exercises 3-4 of them at a time OFF LEAD. Even if he had them on lead he wouldn't be able to safely restrain that many. Even a single one would be a struggle.

No way in hell they were under control!

After the trauma both my dog and I went through during the attack I would prefer ALL these bloody huge types of dogs to be controlled by licence in the same way wolves, lions, tigers etc.

They are not safe as pets.

These types of dogs with their genetics and their maladaptive training are loose cannons. Able to inflict massive damage at short notice and quickly, doubtful an owner could pull them off. The ''cropped'' (amputation with no anaesthetic quite likely) ears add to this volatile cocktail as they inhibit how the dog can signal its emotions and intentions. Makes me sick people can do this to an animal.

Some pretty stupid humans have got us into this situation. They are not pets, and were never bred as such in the 1st place. They should be on licence at the bare minimum to my mind. I honestly think that to these numbskull owners they are like walking around with a loaded gun on display - on the street and online. Though there are equally dim people who have them whatever class/backgorund. Toddler got killed near here recently after a family dog of bully breed turned on a child at a (lovely, well off) farm.

People just shouldn't have them in the 1st place. We have to look at risk benefit for society and for the dogs themselves, its a roaring trade and many change hands for a lot of money, cruelly injured (some of their ears cut off) by unscrupulous breeders here/abroad. Feel sorry for the dogs as they are the victims in this, as well as (obviously) those killed or maimed by them.

Its a sorry situation all round.

www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/dog-bite-same-force-lion-7098437

''In the right hands, the Cane Corso is a well-behaved and loyal working dog but its characteristics can amount to danger when not properly trained or stimulated.

Males can grow to stand at 27.5 inches at the withers and females to 26 inches with their muscle-packed mass tipping the scales at 8st 5lbs.

According to several dog-based websites such as Dog Time and Trending Breeds, Cane Corsos are best suited to experienced pet owners who have large, securely fenced yards.

Without sufficient stimulation in the shape of jobs, space, exercise and training, Cane Corsos will likely tackle their boredom with destructive behaviour. The online magazine continued: "Don’t expect him to buddy up with everyone he meets: He has no interest in people or other animals outside his family, but those within the family will have his undivided loyalty and protection.''

@onedayiwillmissthis totally agree, not safe as pets some of these very large heavy breeds with immense bite power. It is not far off to say it's like walking round the shops with a tiger in tow. No idea what it might do, no idea how to restrain it (or them!!) if it does. Crackers.

Knew someone with a bordeux and a child, he just seemed like a soppy dog who loves cuddles. Also know someone with a corso, but seems to be being trained well erc. Yes, off-lead in fields ATM as she is a puppy and being trained recall etc.

I was attacked and bitten by a Great Dane. It was massive and ambushed me while I was cycling, clamped its jaws on my thigh and pulled me off my bicycle. I felt like I’d been run down like a deer! Still a bit traumatised by it and have tooth puncture and scrape scars. When it relaxed it’s jaws and released to take a second bite, I punched it in the face, scrambled to my knees and got my bicycle between me and the Great Dane. I then used my bike as a metal fence to keep it off…pivoting as it circled around me snarling and snapping through the bike frame at me. I was screaming “HELP DOG” over and over and eventually a farmer (the owner) came running over and put the dog on a lead. I called police and my DH to take me to A&E. The dog wasn’t PTS in the end because the farmer had said to the police the Great Dane was hormonal as she’d just had puppies a few days earlier and I’d cycled right past where she’d had her litter in a shed at the edge of the field so I’d triggered her maternal instinct and she was the most gentle of dogs, wouldn’t hurt a fly it’s only cause she thought I was a threat to her puppies. So the farmer got off with a fine and instructions to ensure the Great Dane was always properly inside a secure fence in future.

@Discovereads that's horrific. You must have been terrified. Nothing to stop the dog doing it again either.

It was a harrowing experience. I still love dogs though, have a border collie been around dogs my whole life. But I also respect dogs too, watch for stress signals, keep them calm and on an even keel if you know what I mean as they can be dangerous. I never cycled that route ever again. Just kept thinking that Great Dane was sitting waiting for me and potentially with a pack of Great Dane puppies with her. I know it’s silly, but I had told myself if I went back, that dog would come bursting out again but with several slightly smaller versions of herself and while I handled one Great Dane, an entire pack would be the end of me.

Your dog could have been attacked by any breed of dog though. A poorly trained and uncontrolled sighthound would probably go for a miniature poodle if given half the chance. Even a lab could cause it great damage if if wanted. A German shepherd most definitely could. I believe you should be able to walk your dog without having to worry about it being attacked by an out of control dog just like I think I should be able to let my cat out without worrying about dogs. Did you report it to the police? I expect the police weren’t interested once they discovered it wasn’t technically a banned breed. Focusing on breed is such a red herring. We need legislation that draws attention to the responsibilities of owning a dog and we need proper sanctions imposed against the owners when they fail to control their animal. If people were held accountable there would be a lot less out of control dogs out there! And for the record I love dogs, not so keen on the owners though.

I think any dog that cannot be restrained by an average strength adult needs to be licensed. Because any dog that is out of control and cannot be bought under under control, is a potential danger. And the larger/heavier the animal the higher the risk of fatal injuries.

This is CCTV footage of the dog that killed 10yr old Jack, captured days before that tragedy occurred. The dog is shown out of control despite being leashed, lunging and in some cases making contact and biting passing pedestrians which the owner is dragged around after it, effectively powerless.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.lbc.co.uk/news/man-and-woman-jailed-after-dog-named-beast-savaged-boy-10-to-death/

To my mind, it’s not that far away from
having a lion on a lead. Some specimens are of comparable size, weight power and bite force. They should be more tightly regulated to reflect the increased risk they pose when not peripherally trained and controlled. That’s if it’s even possible to actually control one who doesn’t want to be - which is doubtful imo. They are big enough and strong enough that they can do whatever they like and you will have not a hope of doing anything about it. So really - how ‘under control’ are they if they are only under control when they feel like it on their terms? Answer - not at all.

It might be on a lead, might even be muzzled, but do t kids yourself for a second that you have any control over that animal. You don’t.

Oh my goodness. I watched the footage and it’s just harrowing. The men in that video are just as, if not more, frightening than the dog imo. Who stands on random street corners with a massive and poorly trained dog lunging at folk like that? Like what the actual fuck? Using the dog to look hard and intimate folk. That’s your problem right there. If they were penalised and prevented from engaging in such behaviour I bet they wouldn’t even be interested in that dog. But there is no real sanction for being an irresponsible dog owner, the legislation is outdated and needs reformed. By focusing too much on breed we are going backwards and not forwards.

That was kind of my point - I don't imagine that there are many people out there who could hold two XL bullies, whereas many (most?) people could hold a greyhound sized dog if it was safely leashed.

Yes the footage is chilling. It was also reported by neighbours that this same dog had attacked a cat days before it attacked Jack Lis.

The RSPCA wants to get rid of the banned breed list and have licensing. They say the banned breed list gives a false sense of security because people and police assume if they breed isn’t banned, then it’s a “safe” breed when in fact any dog can be dangerous. They also say it’s wrong to say “there are no bad dogs, only bad owners” because not all dangerous dogs that cause fatalities were poorly treated by their owners.

@CaptainThe95thRifles absolutely agree.

You said in your previous post that she killed a squirrel. Was this in your garden or in the park? You seem fine with it but what if it had been a red one? Would that still have been acceptable?

I don’t think you should get to pick and chose which animals your dog is dangerously out of control around. It should be in control all
the time.

It was nearly 11 years ago when I had not long got her.

I haven’t read most of the thread, as these threads usually descend into chaos.

I would say that an off-lead dog that kills a cat is likely to be a prey-driven breed, or else an aggressive dog.

I’d say that a dog that kills a cat, whilst on lead, is obviously not able to be controlled by its owner(s).

Sadly, I’d also say that both my comments are bollocks! Because owners of all breeds will provide an argument - many of them blaming cats for being free-roaming.

I have/have had both cats and dog - at the same time. So I have no allegiance either way as both are amazing pets. However, I feel that the weight of responsibility leans more towards those that own dogs. Unfortunately, I can’t see a day where responsible dog ownership is commonplace. There will always be these types of attacks because some (not all) owners will never take the time to train their pup, or will take on a breed with no consideration as to whether their home is right for them.

As an aside, I don’t agree with breed bashing. I agree with calling out the idiots that irresponsibly own the current favourite “flavour” of dog. For those “old” enough, am sure you’ll remember the vitriol towards Dobermans, Rotties, GSDs etc over the past few decades. Yet hardly anything nowadays.

FFS - dogs don’t necessarily know the difference. Babies/toddlers/children might not be covered in fur - but they are unpredictable in their movements and their crying/shrieking can set some dogs off at short notice.

It’s why, with my dog, I never had squeaky toys in the house. She was a giant breed, known for being great with people, but I never wanted her to associate squeaking with grabbing and chewing. Probably OTT in the opinion of some. She had plenty of quality chewing material, just none of them squeaked!

Person after my own heart. You have the perfect set-up.

I had two cats and one dog. I only got them after I ensured that my set-up was right for each of them. I’m not a fan of totally indoor cats (excluding FIV or, obviously, cats that show no inclination to go outside - of which there are many who honestly have no interest). Equally, I’m not a fan of totally free-roaming due to dangers of the road and everything else.

A cat-proofed garden is great.

Over the years, this counter-argument has been done to fucking death. Please come back with some reliable links to cats (the domestic kind) that have killed humans.

This - every action needs a reliable command from the owner and a reliable reaction from the dog.

Aaww, I loved your PS! Just a small tip for any horse interactions you may have in your future life. Some (not all) Shetland’s can be bitey little bastards! And some Shire horses will always be gentle giants.

I think this thread is proving the fact that all animals should be respected. If you’re the owner, then keep them under control.

If they pulled the owner over then they were never under control. Surely that isn’t hard to understand?