Oh FFS I thought these dogs had been banned

[Caligula]

Why do people insist on having dogs who are generally agreed to be dangerous? I know any dog, any time, can attack given the right circumstances, but some dogs are more famous for it than others, and some people will still insist that their rottweiler or pitbull type is a lovely old softie. Well guess what, they all are, until they attack, otherwise you wouldn't have them in the house. Here's yet another horror story and every time I read one I vow I'll never take the kids to the park again.

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4763119.stm\boy hurt in dog attack}

It's ridiculous. Where I live the chattering classes all own "hard" dogs. May be something to do with the old saying about men with fast cars & willy size. The harder the dog......
The Staffie is the dog of choice. I know that, mostly, they ARE lovely softies but I'd never let one near DS or my gorgeous soft timid greyhound/whippet cross dog.

does my head in. I don't trust any dog nowadays around my child, although a sleepy old labrador in a friend's house is a fairly safe bet - but some dogs are definitely bred for aggression. They should bring dog licences back , and make it more difficult to own a dog at all, but i guess too much bureacracy.

Agree Iklboo.

Alot to do with the owners IMO. This thing about having a "hard" dog. Shouldn't be allowed.

we have a staffy, not because he is a 'hard dog' but because we wanted a dog that would protect us. He is a big softie but is still very bouncy, he is only 8 months old and just been netured so he should calm down now.
A lady down the road from my mum had a pit bull terrier, and he did attack a neighbour's kid :( I remember the dad hitting the dog with a broom and it wouldn't go away. I think he was put to sleep.

I so agree, dog walking was supposed to be a good relaxing form of exercise for me,but i tell you my blood pressure must be sky high ,i am forever having to ask other owners to call their dogs as they wont leave my pathetic specimen alone.Was worrying today infact about th etime when my ds will be allowed to walk the dog alone,and th efact that as ther are so many untrained potentially v harmful dogs round here he wont be able to.I agree about dog licensesbut inreality it would be like car tax/insurance-all decent folk would get it ,all scum wouldnt....

I also avoid parks because of this kind of thing. There was a story in the Evening Standard a few days ago about a Staffordshire bull terrier mauling another dog to death on Hampstead Heath. Apparently this dog has struck before and it's owner "a woman with two young children" had let it off the lead. According to the paper it has also attacked swans and other dogs. Scary. Makes me want to drive everywhere.

we had the most beautiful collie/terrier cross when i was a kid. He let me pull him about and was so lovely. I remember when i was about 11 the front door was open and this bull terrier just appeared from nowhere and ran into the porch, and leapt at our dog. I put my arm in the way to protect my dog, and he punctured my arm to the bone. He also punctured my dog's neck. My dad had to hit his head to get him off. Lovely looking dogs, wouldn't trust them ever.

My family have always owned large dogs and are very responsible dog owners.
stories like this agrrevate me more than i can even put into words as the owners were probably to irresponsible to try and socialise it properly.

any dog can be dangerous. yes some breeds are naturally bred for certain jobs and so can be more agressive.
as i say my family own an American Buldog and a Bull MAstiff. they are both the dopeist most gentle animals you will find but i have walked them both where we have come across people with other more socially acceptable dogs who try and rip their throats out.

there are many occasionas where they have been attacked and teh owner just carries on walking along shouting for them to come back. the dog ignores then and on one occasion i ende up having to kick this dog in the belly in order to try and get it off our dog.

i of course reported the owner immediatly to the local warden who did precisly nothing!

but i also agree about large estates or low income area's seeming to have a very large amount of these "hard" dogs.

It is so hard to police any legislation which bans certain types of dogs. If you ban, say, pit bulls, people just start breeding a slightly different type of dog and can escape the label pit bull.

Most dogs are lovely. However, certain breeds have been developed because of a particular tendency. Pit bulls and the like were originally bred as fighting dogs. Just because people now choose them as family pets doesn't mean that that inbred characteristic is just going to disappear. It will manifest itself in some shape or form at some point in their lives.

I don't let my children walk my dog alone. I know that other dogs will approach and then the situation becomes totally unpredictable as you just don't know how the two dogs will react. Mine is not aggressive, but, if attacked, will fight back. There's no way I could put my children in that situation, so, no matter how often they beg to take the dog out, I won't let them unless there is a responsible adult with them.

Most dogs who attack have irresponsible owners, ime.

my friend's mother has a dog who bites, its a cross breed thing and horrible. when she takes the children around the dog has to be locked away. yet her mother insists the dog is fine, that he only bites if you make a "sudden movement", that he's "really loving if you get to know him" and that her daughter is paranoid insisting he's kept away from the children!! the daughter liked the dog originally until he went for her but her mother just wont listen, insisting he was "only playing" when he bared his teeth and snarled at her, until she pulled him off! fgs. some owners are delusional imo.

Bang on about irresponsible owners Freckle. My dog used to be hounded to death by an absolutely horribly aggressive Labrador. The owner had absolutely no control over the bloody thing yet would happily let it off the lead to attack other dogs. And my dog being the (as usual vilified regardless [yawn]) Staffordshire Bull Terrier (who incidentally has just had a lovely gambol with his two pals Poppy the Yorkshire Terrier and Norman the Wheaten Terrier. I don't let him off the lead often, but he gets on with these two so well) But I digress, but can't leave it before I say you got a Staffy to protect you Sparkly? You'll be waiting an awful long time then! They don't do guard dog. That said, they are often considered Nanny Dogs as they will protect your children
Caligula - I agree in respect to dogs controlled under the Dangerous Dogs act - I am aware that people are breeding them and calling them "American Bulldogs" but admit to them being pitbulls on the sly. I find this outrageous. I think there should be a greater penalty for people that breed/own these dogs if the dogs cause harm.

Freckle - happily the law does allow for the above - I think the term "type" is used. If it is agreed that the dog is of the "type" then it is a dangerous dog regardless of a breeding slight/sleight(sp?) of hand

my parents have an americna bulldog and i can confirm this is a genuin breed who is different from a pitbull.

i dont know if there are people out there who try and palm off their own dangerouse breeds as lesser know breeds like this and if so it is unfair.
I had a rottie who was always treted with contempt by my neighbours. one would even throw thigs at him over the garden wall.

i know people have preconceived idea's of breeds and i agree there are many who have earned that label quite rightly. but there are some who, like mine wouldnt hurt a fly. we also had a westie who was undoubtedly king.

its a shame that the irresponsible few spoil it for the magority of dog lovers who enjoy these breeds

it is the owners who are irresponsible, however an irresponsible owner with a chihuahua is less of a danger than one with a rottweiler

the main risk from staffies that are well brought up is that they are so heavy and bouncy that they will fell a small child with enthusiasm

spot on Zippi, on both parts. I usually put my dog outside when being visited by small kiddies otherwise there is a danger they might get flattened, licked to death or both.

Exactly zippi. Any dog can turn, but being turned on by a poodle or a rottweiler can literally mean the difference between a painful but small injury or a really serious injury or in rare cases, even death for a child.

Squarer, it was more for the reputation that Staffys are a hard dog I know he will protect my kids to the death. He is very bouncy and can knock over a small kid in one bounce, so he is shut away when we have small children here. My kids are 4,5 and 8, and he is great with them. The other day he did see someone or something in the neighbours garden, he was barking, growling and his back went up, which is something he has never done (though I actually think it might have been my cat lol )

All too often I see weedy kids hanging on to powerful, aggressive dogs.
They clearly would not be able to do anything at all if the things broke loose and went for a child / another dog.

I know what you mean Rowlers, My 4 year old loves to 'walk' my staffy around the house and garden but we don't let her hold his lead outside, purely because if he ran she would be dragged along behind him.

Lol Sparkly - my dog used to mistake my old cat for another local Tom (loves cats, just not in his garden) and you could see my poor old cat stiff with fear as Oz bore down on him like a steam locomotive then realising who he was knocked him over and washed his belly for him
I met someone once who's son had Aspergers and was picked on by other kids in the village. She bought a SBT for him, knowing that they are as soft as grease with people, but have a reputation based on their looks and several cases of bad press/ignorance, and funnily enough he no longer suffers the abuse from his peers. Shame his mum had to do it for the reasons she had to, but I see them occasionally and he dotes on his lovely dog.

Rowlers - that makes me wince too.

I think Staffys are lovely, I see a lot of them around town and want to take them all home with me (especially the 2 staff puppies at the school ) My staffy is ill atm, so he is feeling all sorry for himself.

I love them too (can you tell? )- I think I am known to another Mumsnetter as "The Staffy Botherer" after a day trip to Bakewell

The other day he darted out the house while I was putting out the rubbish, he ran staight into the lady's house 3 doors up. Luckily she had a staffy herself and she knows that they are friendly, I was so Thing is he is only 8 months old and already huge.. so people are a bit wary of him.

I will admit that I was a bit worried about getting a staffy (Dh wanted one for years) because I had heard bad things about them, but I met the parents, and read up on the net about them, and now he is here, i love him to bits (expect when he farts (he stinks) and when he chews up my stuff)

You and me both then - Dp wanted a Staffy desperately and I was terrified of dogs and the thought of a Staff filled me with fear - but I started to read breed books on them (no internet in those days!) and realised it was just because I didn't understand the breed history. I do now, and I really hate the bad press they get - but people will always believe the stories in the press and there is not much you can do about that - just be a responsible staff owner and that's about it.
I came across a Staffy Rescue site once and it linked to another site which detailed the horrific torture that some people subject staffs to when they realise they do not do guard duty. Staffy abuse is on the up and up as more and more of the dogs are taken by people who think they will physically protect them (after reading stories in the papers). It just makes me so sad.

Oh, and by that I mean specifically gang members/drug dealers (same thing) when I refer to people who assume staffs will protect them btw