so sad for the pit bulls.

[darkandstormy]

of course I am sad for those attacked by dangerous dogs.However also breaks my heart to see these abused dogs, themselves victims of the thugs and street scum.Wish someone would come up with a solution someway somehow to resolve this. I know I am as an animal lover not unreasonable feeling like this, not so sure the dog insurance scheme would change things as the scumbags just won't pay, us responsible people will.

Great article bubbles, I have to say, after posting in this thread my opinion on staffs have definitely been changed (still not on pitbulls though). It's been fairly eye-opening. I still agree with article when it says

"What they all have in common is they are big and strong," says the RSPCA's chief vet, Mark Evans. "A smaller dog could be just as aggressive but there is less chance of it being a life-threatening attack."

And so I will still probably be mindful when around these types of dogs but I don't think them to be devil dogs who attack unnecanymore and that's something right? Thanks guys for the education

bubbles-fantastic article,just wish all mnetters would take them time to read it.

I am a vet and have dealt with lots and lots of dogs over the last 15 years. One of the best ways to see how aggressive a dog is is to try to look into a painful ear/ wiggle a sore leg, so I reckon I'm fairly experienced in the field of dog aggression!!

My experience leads me to be completely relaxed around staffies. I have dealt with hundreds and never been bitten (or felt in danger of being bitten) once. Yes, they can be agressive to other dogs, but they are rarely people-aggressive.

I rarely (never) see pit bulls. probably because the type of people who own them don't care enough about them to take them to the vet . It is monstrous what is done to these dogs in the name of sport, really horrendous. For that reason alone, I am glad they are banned- it is no kind of life for any dog, and their underground breeding has pretty much rendered them unfit for pet-owners, unfortunately. There is lots of evidence that aggression is hereditary- about 10 years ago there was an upsurge in aggressive male golden retrievers, which were traced back to the same sire, so you can't say categorically that it is "the owners, not the dogs". Some dogs are nuts from puppyhood onwards, and end up PTS despite having loving owners who try everything. Some owners are idiots, otoh.

I do feel truly sorry for the things that pitbulls endure in the name of "sport". Yes, I would ban them- for their own sake

Its a shame that any breed should have a needless reputation bought on by being adopted as a status stmbol by mindless thugs.
My staffy is one of the sweetest,gentelest dogs I have ever met,however I would not leave him and any child unattended,lets face it any dog is an animal that can turn in a minute.
My dc,s are all older and all worship him and he in turn them.

I won't have any other breed of dog apart from a Staffie.

I have a friend who won't come to my house just because I have a Staffie (she isn't afraid of dogs)

I agree the owners are horrific but they do choose these dogs because it takes very little to make them vicious

NoddyHolder have you read the link above? It takes a great deal to make a Stafford aggressive. It's just not in their nature, hence they end up getting dumped in the masses by eejits who wanted a guard dog and ended up with a living cuddly toy.

However being that they are people pleasers, they can be trained to show agression, but it's certainly not easy and you have to know what you are doing. Many of these yob types wouldn't know how to train a goldfish to swim, let alone a dog.

I have seen a programme where the yobs said it didn't take long to get them from normal to killer I am completely for some sort of regulation.

A killer to what though? People or other dogs?

Yobs have to tendancy to exagerate to make themselves look 'good'.

The best sort of regulation in my mind would be to make irresponsible breeding illegal AND ENFORCE IT.

Insurance against dog attacks isn't much help to anyone(except the insurance industry!) Working out how to prevent them would be a more logical approach.

If the idiots had to pay £600 plus for a well bred dog because there was no alternative, they would probably think twice before, a) buying it in the first place and b) risking it being fatally injured in a fight.
Puppy farms play a big part in all of this. The Kennel Club could sponsor a national ad campaign to help teach the public how to recognise a puppy farmer. And a 'Dispatches' style TV program, like the one which exposed the health in some of the pedigree dogs, could do alot to help as well.