Great Dane now on the attack - please can we do something? *Distressing content warning*

Maybe society should stop pushing the idea that dogs are perfect for young families. They're animals and people should start understanding what that actually means.

I do agree with this.

I understand and agree with dog owners needing to understand their own dog's body language but we cannot rely on this as a solution to these problems.

I grew up with dogs and really like dogs (I'm more of a cat person and small pet person though tbh) but I don't have a dog because I have DC and I don't want them at risk.

I am growing more and more fearful of other peoples' dogs. The expectation shouldn't be on the general public who may have no interest at all in dogs, and children who cannot be expected to understand animal body language, it should be on owners.

I'm an animal lover and it does pain me to switch my side of the fence from "it's an owner problem" to "it's also a dog problem".

This, especially the last paragraph.

There’s a park near here where dogs are supposed to be kept on leads, but they rarely are. When my DD was a baby we had dogs jumping up on her pram which really scared me, and then when she was a toddler they ran up and jumped up at her a couple of times, almost knocking her over - she was petrified of dogs for a while due to this. Dogs need to be muzzled as there are too many irresponsible owners.

You should be ashamed of yourself for minimizing that poor child's injuries

I have dogs as colleagues ( yes really)

We work together, but they are not to be stroked/petted. They are working dogs.

Even so, I worry when they have to sniff young kids/babies. You just never know.

@YouTarzan Wtf, have you seen the picture without the bandages on?

Yes. Dogs should be kept under control by their owners. It's not up to children (or their parents) to read the dog's body language.

Great Danes are huge and often aggressive. If somebody wants to own one they should not let it loose in a shop.

If a man came up to you in the street and gave you a few scratches with a knife would you still just dismiss it as easily

In the last 3 weeks I’ve had the following experiences : been jumped at by a large dog while running - I felt it’s claws on my neck , seen my friend leave her puppy on a sofa in a restaurant , seen dogs running free and paddling in nature ponds in a nature reserve with signs up asking they stay on lead (due to ground nesting birds which I could hear) and out of the ponds , seen a deer run across the path in front of me being chased by two dogs while the owner called their names ineffectively. The simple solution to most of it is that dogs stay on lead in public places

Hopefully that dog will be destroyed shortly.

A friend took on a dog recently. It was being rehomed as the family had a new baby and it was showing 'guarding behaviour'. She doesn't have children herself but regularly has visits from friends and family that do. It became immediately apparent that the dog is aggressive to small children and now she's posting on FB trying to rehome it again. I came under a lot of criticism for suggesting that the dog should not be rehomed at all.
In my opinion once a dog is aggressive to humans it should be PTS immediately.

The amount of people you are treating dogs like they are children is astounding.

I know a couple of people who treat dogs as if they are human, with human feelings.

Thats really bloody confusing for a dog. They need to be treated like animals, not humans.

But there are people who don’t bother to learn about the breed they have, dog behaviour, signs of stress, on and on and on.

Instead, well meaning people buy a dog, treat it like a child and wonder why it’s unstable and unhappy.

I absolutely was not appologising for the dog by suggesting lack of exercise btw. But I do think all factors need consideration if this is to be avoided. What can be done differently going forward.

This is very unusual for a Great Dane and the article states there is an investigation , which could indicate rhe little boy did something to make the dog react, it was extremely foolish of both the owner and the parent to leave them alone unwatched.

Fair enough, hadn't seen all the pics!

Chill out with the angry face. Jeez.

Noone on here is, as far as I can see, arguing to let angry dogs roam free. What they are saying is that not all dogs need to be muzzled and locked away.

Absolutely, there's no respect for the dog as an animal at all. It's all about owners wanting to treat their dogs like children when they're not at all. It's cruel tbh.

All dogs should just be banned full stop. Or at the very least owners should have to apply for some kind of license. Horrible fucking things. I genuinely think it's messed up to keep animals as pets and the problem is they're absolutely everywhere now with no training and not even treated like an animal.

Dogs add loads to children's lives:

1. how to understand dog body language so they are safer around dogs while out and about
2. empathy and how to care for something
3. dogs provide unconditional love which is especially valuable for moody miserable teenagers who feel like everyone hates them. It helps them learn to regulate their emotions.
4. dogs are a fun playmate for younger children

Noone is saying that people without dogs don't learn these things or have these experiences.

I don't let strange people touch my dog. She is very friendly but I don't know how they will do it, whether she's having a bad day or whether they may accidentally hurt her. Not worth the risk. I've had a fair bit of stick about it though including from someone who wanted to pick her up! I've been called mean and unfriendly. No. I am protecting all of us. She does not need to meet strangers.

Parents should not allow their children to approach strange dogs. I don't touch strange dogs. I am a dog trainer and do not even touch the dogs I teach unless they elicit it and/or I know them very well. I can also read their body language.

It works both ways. The vast majority of our pet dogs are incredibly tolerant living in a world they don't understand. Enormously so. But they are not public property and should not be treated as such.

I have been bitten three times. Once by a farm collie as a child, once by a chihuahua when I was running and once by a pug who went for my dog.

I'm an animal lover but honestly I find myself disliking dogs more and more. Everyone and his wife got one during in the pandemic and they're treated not as dogs but as human children, taken out and about absolutely everywhere with their owners. There's a very popular Sunday morning market near me and it is HEAVING with dogs, no exaggeration. They get under everyone's feet and I can't believe they're enjoying themselves more there than they would left at home for half an hour. It's ridiculous, no wonder bites are on the increase.

oops links not allowed.

Bit of doggy positivity.

Dog saved his owners life, unfortunately the owner didn’t return the favour.

"Parents should not allow their children to approach strange dogs. I don't touch strange dogs. "

This. We have the softest gentlest little cavapoo. Appart from normally puppy mouthing when she was young she's never even show an indication to nip anyone. But I hate when a toddler approaches her and starts pulling at her while she's stood on her lead minding her own business (which happens a fair bit because she's small and cute). Generally she just gets happy and licks them, but i In that sitaution I can't guarantee that she won't feel scared and try to protect herself. I am always shocked that parents allow, and sometimes even encourage, their kids to do that. It's really dangerous.