Dog Control

[grandadofsix]

Following the death of a 3 week old baby at the teeth of a small terrier something more needs to be done by the Government to stop these tragic dog attacks of death and injuries to small children. Although of course absolutely necessary to arrest and charge the owner, it is not enough to put the criminal blame onto the owner this does nothing to control dogs because dogs react on instinct, a dog does not think. A dog attacks, the owner is arrested, the dog is destroyed but a CHILD IS DEAD.
The law must be that all dogs should be muzzled in public and muzzled in private if a small child is present, a loose dog indoors without a muzzle cannot be stopped by its owner from attacking. My daughter when a toddler was mauled on the face by a relative's Jack Russell, myself and other adults were close but had no chance of stopping this sudden and unprovoked vicious attack by the dog which appeared to be lying resting on a sofa.
It is the absolute responsibility for dog owners to ensure their dogs cannot attack defenceless children whether in the public or private environment.

MehsMum I think ways of distinguishing BYS's from decent, low-turnover breeders could be found. Legislating for compulsory health-checks on all parents and pups, how many litters per bitch a year (checkable via compulsory chips) and funding dog wardens better so they can actually monitor things properly would be a good start.

Something needs to be done. The rescue situation in the UK is at breaking point, dogs are too easy to come by and too easy to get rid of. I take your point about gene-pools etc, but that isn't such an issue since the introduction of pet passports and it would take a very long time for us to reach a situation where dogs were in short supply. As long as people can go on listing endless litters on Gumtree etc to turn a quick buck the situation isn't going to improve. Control needs to be put in somewhere and it needs to be legal and enforceable. I'm not saying I have all the answers, but a quick look at the listings shows the sheer numbers of poorly bred and raised pups changing hands every day and the vast majority of those will not have had the necessary health-checks or a suitable start in life.

Fwiw, my one and only pedigree was from a one-off litter. We were on a waiting list with the breed club for about 18 months before we got her and simply it would't have entered my head to go and buy one from Gumtree etc. (We need a situation where no-one thinks it's ok to just head off to the free-ads and buy a puppy that's been bred without the necessary care and thought or a home already lined up.) The breeder was a million miles away from a BYB, she was so careful and conscientious she scared the pants off me! As a result of all her hard work we ended up with the most well rounded, healthy, sociable dog we've ever had, which was precisely why we chose to go for a pedigree that time (we had her after the fearful rescue I mentioned in my last post and I desperately wanted a dog I could take anywhere and that would actually enjoy being sociable).

Sorry should have said. The two breeders you mentioned wouldn't be classed as BYB's if they weren't just in it for the money and put the needs of the dogs/pups first and had homes already lined up, plus provided life-time back-up, which it sounds like they did/do.

A small child being bitten when walking past a dog resting on a sofa is not necessarily an 'unprovoked attack' - chances are the dog was feeling territorial and felt threatened by the close proximity of somebody else.

I am not defending the dog, but I for one do not believe in 'unprovoked' attacks; there is a provocation which makes sense to the dog even if it doesn't to humans.

I agree that better legislation is required re the keeping of domestic dogs: compulsory chipping, insuring, training etc etc AND all of that actually being enforced. A law without enforcement is useless - there is a law about not letting your dog foul public spaces and that does not seem to be working if the pavement out site my house is anything to go by….

Compulsory muzzling is a hugely impractical suggestion and IS detrimental to dogs if they were to be muzzled all the time.

I agree with 'education, education, education' - first and foremost for dog owners but also for anybody else: how to approach a dog (or more importantly how NOT to approach a dog) and an understanding about how dogs 'work' - they don't think 'human'.

Grandad have you actually asked why these dogs are muzzled in public, I think it would surprise you if you did. The vast majority are muzzled because they eat shit that causes stomach upsets or bowel obstructions. The next biggest category would be rescue dogs who are aggressive to other dogs.
Sadly on a weekly basis I see the kind of person who brings up a dog incorrectly and the shrug their shoulders and impending microchip ping legislation. With rigorous checking no legislation is going to prevent them.