All those who don't like dogs leaping up at them while they're out, look away now....

[TsarChasm]

Here

And at a 12stone dog too! It'd have totally flattened a child.

I agree with you Ruty

I've said it on at least 3 threads on MN alone recently.

Dog ownership (well, actually, IMHO - any animal!) should require a licence.

Comments like nancy66's are totally out of order and totally prejudiced. NOT all dogs are out of control and NOT all dogs are manky.

But, if this had happened to me / my child, I'd be totally naffed off that the owner wasn't responsible. He was and he should be held accountable.

The great dane in the news story knocked over and broke the ankle of a fit, athletic bloke.
If it had have been an OAP or small child, the damage could have been a fair bit greater.
It's amazing that the owner is ruled as not accountable.

As I said earlier -if you take out insurance for vet fees, liability is included. If everyone was required to take out insurance (which for a cross breed can be as low as £10 per month) it would go someway to addressing this.

Licences are pretty rubbish. They only cost a few pence and they were never checked. IF you HAD to get insurance you dog could wear a special tag (like some countries have for rabies vaccs). That way it would be immediately visable for dog wardens, police and even traffic wardens to see.

I just thought - even though we have to go through stringent tests etc to drive a car - millions are still killed worldwide arent they?

What a beyooootiful dog.

Thats all i have to say, sod everything else

I am agreeing with an awful lot of what people are saying about dogs needing licences and insurance. I love dogs and it just annoys me to see so many badly trained and badly behaved dogs becoming a nuisance to society.

Having a dog is nearly the same level of responsibility as a child but people buy them and then just let more or less do whatever they want.

I'm not against dogs off leads but I am against untrained uncontrolled dogs off leads which seems to be the case here. I jog and i walk my mum's dog (yorkie so no chance of jogging with her!). I've been attacked by dogs - bounding up and trying to bite my legs. Owner told me it was my fault for jogging (in a field with a sign saying all dogs to be on leads). I rarely let the yorkie off the lead because she has been attacked by bigger dogs. I would have no problem paying for a dog licence like there used to be.

Licencing, insurance and compulsory dog-training (or should that be owner-training) would seem to be the way forward - and given how much of a Nanny state we live in, it's surprising that the Government are willing to let something go so unregulated!

We are considering getting a dog - this would be a first for me, and there's no way I'd consider undertaking this without getting the proper training for me and my dog so that the dog was properly obedient, as Riven has said, and anyone it met was safe.

And much as the idea makes me heave, I'd pick up the poo.

"And who's going to round up all the sheep? If all dogs are on leads at all times? "

ROFL

I do think dogs often need more training - I agree with liscences.

I have decided to take my dogs for more training. Riven - your post made me think. My little dog does respond instantly. My Greyhound doesn't- She does eventually. I think I will take her for more training...

Haven't managed to read all of the thread yet

Nancy66 there was an accident in our village earlier this year when a car swerved to avoid hitting a cat which dashed out in front of it, mounted the pavement and hit a mum and child in buggy....

I'm pro dog (and pro cat) and would think the world was a sad place without pets but I do think we need some kind of responsible ownership scheme. I do believe it is the minority spoiling things for the majority.

Licensing and insurance might be a step in the right direction but would, probably, have little impact on dog attacks.

The sort of people that own dangerous dogs are not the sort of people that are going to bother getting a licence.

Look how many scum drive around in uninsured and untaxed cars.

Riven... I'm really torn about your post...

there are a couple of dogs around here whose owners don't feel the need to put on leads 'because they are so well behaved' but it drives me mad.

my (extremly soft) chocolate labrador will get anxious if approached by another dog when he's on a lead.

My dog is well behaved, but only off a lead if he's in a safe area, out of the way of the general public - I don't know of ANY dog who is THAT well trained.. Even a guide dog is trained to relax once the lead / harness is off.

I do wish people would stop being so black and white about the whole thing. It's impossible (and unreasonable) to say that dogs must be on leads all the time unless they are so disciplined it's untrue!!, but there SHOULD be designated dog areas and owners SHOULD have to take full responsibility for thier dogs.

Well, I suppose all dogs are different.

my dog often(usually actually) holds his own lead in his mouth, but walks by my side and obeys ALL commands when 'on the lead' - doesn't cross roads until told to, will listen to everything I say, but once he's 'off' the lead, that's a different story. I'd still say he's well behaved, but I couldn't honestly say he'd obey me first time unless I screamed like a banshee made it obvious I needed him to come back immediately but then, he'd still never 'run and jump' at someone...

Oh, and I should mention that I have the misfortune to own a dog whose name is DOOFUS.

You try hollering DOOFUS across a busy park / play area. ANother good reason to keep him on a lead unless in open countryside!!!

One of the things all dog owners should be able to do with their dog is the instant down.
honestly if all dogs could do this it would stop a bit of heart ache.

example.. dog starts to run toward somebody or run toward a road etc.. a long distant down/stay from owner. could stop the dog for owner to then walk over and put a lead on.

but I do agree with insurance/ training etc that others have bought up.

imo dogs should be on leads if you can't get an instant down stay and an instant recall.

And although dogs need to run, a lot of owners could run with their dog, or cycle or use a mobility scooter ( loads of older folk round here zip about on their scooters with mutts running next to them! etc.. you get my jist.

Can I just ask:

Can we have a straw poll?

How many mums on here can honestly say their kids would obey them immediately when playing in a park?????????

Very bloody few, I'd say!!!

yes, a reasonable level of control over a dog is required (as is a requirement that the dog is not aggressive / yappy etc) but this idea that unless the dog falls to the floor the minute it hears the command is plain daft.

I'm equally against any dog owners who tell parents that they should teach their kids not to run away from dogs... so I'm not tryin to be OTT in favour of dogs, but FFS, my dog is 6YO, he's not going to learn to drop the floor like a sack of spuds at this point in his life, but that doesn't make him some aggressive / overbearing animal who must be caged and muzzled from this moment on!!!

No, never - he's acutally the softest dog ever and is scared of most dogs / people, so tends to steer clear unless he knows they are friendly.

FWIW, I took Doof to 'socialisation' classes - where (I kid you not) he had his tail pulled / ears pulled etc., I do think it really did him a lot of good. He once had a child come up to him and pet a claxton horn thing off in his ear and he just hid behind my legs (strangely, that mother had ZERO control over her child, but I wonder what she would have said if Doof had reacted differently????)

he's grown up with kids, though, my DSDs and now DS, so he's very soft and gentle.

How can you possibly link a child's behaviour with that of a dog? .

It's dogs that jump up or come charging at you that the owner have no control over (or don't seem to care) even when calling them, is the type of thing that I have concerns over. Old dogs or ones that walk past without so much as a snifter in your direction are perfectly fine.

What? So you are honestly telling me that you've never

• had your feet / ankles mashed by a scooter / bike with an outofcontrol child on it
• Had a football kicked at you (whether accidentally or on purpose)
• Had a child run over to you / your dog while the mother screams no at the child (and the child takes ZERO notice)

ALl three of the above things have happened to me, while I've been out with my dog. In all three instances, my dog ignored what was going on... but in all cases, the CHILD was the one out of control but it would have been the DOGs fault for reacting.

If my dog had
*snapped at the child who rode into him (was trying to do a fly-by-stroke!!!!)

• run off (and probably burst) the football that a child KICKED AT HIM *Had licked / slobbered on the child that ran up to him

THe DOG would have been blamed, but in all cases, the dog was under perfect control and it was the CHILDREN who were to blame / not under control.

Why not have a blanket ban at bringing children out in public unless they are under control?

Actually, before this decends into a fight / slanging match, I would like to say that I'm being flippant with that last comment. All that is needed here is some compromise.

Dogs, when in parks / public places, shouldn't run up to unsuspecting members of the public... but others using the park should also be mindful that dogs are allowed to be there.

IMHO, it's cyclists who I have the worst view of. They'd run down kids AND dogs!!!

1, Nope no smashed ankles here (it will probably happen this afternoon)

1. Possibly can't remember when though

1. Not applicable as don't have a dog.

1 & 2 are unlikely to cause significant disfiqurement that a dog bite could.

1. I would say this happens when a parent stands chatting to another and is only keeping half a cocked eye on the dc. Unlikely for my children to run up to a dog due to "dog history".

I bet you kiss your dog Haribo don't you? .

My ex's mother used to let her dogs kip on the bed and smothered them in kisses. Urgh

Fimbo on Thu 02-Apr-09 14:10:04:
My ex's mother used to let her dogs kip on the bed and smothered them in kisses. Urgh

You wouldn't like my house, Fimbo

(FWIW, though, I still can't let the dog 'kiss' my DS. I just can't do it. I thought I'd be fine, but I just can't let him lick my son, knowing what he licks outside of this house [yuk emoticon] so I DO understand that there are LOADS of people who don't share the love (IYSWIM!!)