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Dog attacks are on the rise. Hospitals say they've seen a significant increase in the number of attacks and the Metropolitan Police report they are called out to deal with dangerous dogs more often. So what can be done to deal with the danger?
A few weeks ago Claire Lambert's two year old son Maurice was attacked by a pit-bull in a London Park. Here she describes what happened and how she believes our streets and parks might be made safe.
Claire Lambert:
On the afternoon of Saturday 4th October 2008, I watched my children play as I sat on a bench soaking up the autumn sun.
Suddenly a large pit-bull ran in to the playground and straight over to my children. My oldest son saw the dog and ran away, but Maurice, who is two and a half, didn't. The dog grabbed him by the leg and shook him like he was a rag doll. The world seemed to go into slow motion. Everyone was screaming but I could make out Maurice's high pitched wail. Although I was only a few metres away it seemed to take an eternity to reach him. I knew the dog might turn on me but I grabbed it by the collar and managed to wrestle it away from my son. As I held him in my arms I felt something warm and wet on my leg. I remember hoping that he'd wet himself, but when I looked down I could see blood seeping through his jeans.
I pulled up his trousers to see that his leg had been ripped apart.
He had two long wide gashes that had flesh hanging out of them. I started screaming for someone to call an Ambulance, and as I sat on the bench waiting for it to arrive I could see my eldest son crying and asking if his brother was going to die. Maurice was in the hospital for five days. The dog had ripped through his tendons. He needed to have two operations, 40 stitches and he still has his leg in plaster. He will be scarred for life physically, and probably emotionally. And even taking all this in to consideration, medical staff told us how lucky Maurice was not to have been bitten on his face, hands or throat.
Perhaps the next time a pit-bull bites a child. They won't be as lucky. So now I am left wondering how we make sure this never happens again?
I am a dog lover. My family kept dogs all the time I was growing up. In an ideal world all dog owners would be responsible, as my family were. But forget it, they're not. The owner of the dog which attacked Maurice, is still convinced it isn't dangerous. It is clear the current law doesn't work. The problem is, if you have a set of rules which only apply to certain breeds, then they are very difficult to police.
So here's what I propose. It seems to me the only solution is to have all dogs on leads unless in designated dog exercise areas. This is the system they have in the US and Scandinavia. It is easy to police and will be effective in making our parks and pavements safe. I know that many dog owners will be reading this now and shaking their heads in disgust at my suggestion. But please, tell me, what other realistic solution is there?
Should all dogs be on leads, as Claire suggests? Should we ban certain breeds of dog? Or make a dog ownership test compulsory? How do we stop dog attacks?
Have your say in the comment box, below. The best comments may be mentioned on The One Show, so please add your first name and location to your comment if you'd like to be mentioned on the programme.
Comments
Nothing to do with the dogs it's the animals that own them.
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What is it about human's? Dog's didnt ask to be here as our companions, neither did they 'insist' to be let loose around parks and open public area's. But of course it is THEIR fault that people get bitten, not ours.
Wake up people, the suggestion of an Owners test and License is the best solution of all, not only will it stop the 'naturally dim' from owning a dog, it will mean those dogs that are 'owned' at least stand a chance of being looked after properly.
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These dogs MUST be put down. On the spot. End of story. And the owners prosecuted and locked up.!!! Im a responsible dog owner, and my dog stays on a lead when she is out. It’s a disgrace to think that someone can let their dog out and end up attacking a small child in a park. Law should be passed that says ALL dogs MUST be kept on a lead while in a public place. Then we need a police force that is capable of enforcing the laws..!!
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It seems to me the easiest way to stop dogs biting anyone is to change the law so that all dogs in a public place
must have a muzzle.
That way no dog can bite anyone.
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Licencing won't do the job. Typically only those conscientious owners would bother to licence their dogs in the first place. Look at the number of unlicenced cars on the road!
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Breed specific legislation targets the wrong end of the lead
It really is time to punish the owners and the deed not the breed
A honda kills a child , a drunk behind the wheel
Would they ban all hondas? Would that really be the deal?
The driver should be punished for human error and breaking the law
So why cannot people see , the same applies to dogs and maybe even more?
A well socialized and happy dog well trained shown kindness and love
Will be mans best friend companion and gentle as a dove
Attacks of all kinds happen , a teenager high on drugs takes a life
He was 5ft 10 black hair around 17 , stocky and carried a large knife
Would we round up all teens matching that description give them all strife
Place restraining orders on them all , tag them or lock them up for life?
There would be public outcry , we would not stand for that would we ?
Lumping them all together would be so very wrong so sadly why cant you see
Just because one dog attacks does not mean the whole breed is bad
We need to look further rationally not hysterically thats just mad
A few irresponsible owners that cannot train or control their dog
Gives a select group of people the power to play god ?
Murders stabbing accidents happen every single day
Through misuse of weapons and who is asked to pay ?
A gun that shot someone on trial , a car that killed a passer by
You maybe think that irrational but then ask your self why
Dogs owners are by law supposed to be in control of their pet
But when accident happen and someone is hurt , who is taken to the vet?
WE do not need mass hysteria , surrounding ANY specific breed
It is time to take a good hard look and just punish the deed
The owners must be made to pay for the mistakes that they make
A whole breed should not have to pay that price for goodness sake
Theres far too much talk of vicious killer dogs of a certain type
One is labelled bad so the whole breed is prone to media hype ?
What about all the lovely happy dogs that live among us all
Not a bad bone in their body , but perhaps they are too tall?
So far only 4 types of dogs are banned in the UK
But how can you be sure your chosen breed will be ok?
If they ban Rotties German Shepherds or any other larger breed
Will that be the next sensational story that the papers need ?
Your cute wee Yorkie bites the postie another outcry
Will all yorkies then be the next breed condemed to die?
If action is not taken all our dogs will disappear
And why should all of us be living in fear ?
We train our dogs and we keep them under our strict controls
Why should we suffer for a few irresponsible souls?
The young men who want a type of dog to make them look hard?
They wont worry with what brush that breed is tarred
Education is the key , training and socializing every single day
Can help to keep our beloved dogs safe it has to be the way
To prove not all dogs are bad its the owner that are in the wrong
We have to build a case iron clad and very very strong
How many so called devil dogs visit hospitals around the land
Reaching out to ill people and giving them a helping hand ?
Thousands of dogs helping the blind and the sick doing a great job
But the dog that makes the papers is the one ruined by a yob ?
We can make a difference by being in full control
Never letting our dogs accidentally frighten a single soul
Not everyone loves dogs some people really live in fear
It's our responsibility to show why we hold them so dear
Training can be hard work one step forward three steps back
But it is so important if this prejadice we are to crack
Each and every one of us has a responsibility to care
And to help none doggy people become increasingly aware
That owners are responsible for the actions of their dog
So no more people get the chance to play god
A few years down the line how many breeds wiped out?
Because of ignorance ? It has to be time to shout
We have to act we cant ignore the hysteria and hype
We need to write letters by hand or even type
We have to be the voice our dogs do not own
The time has gone just to sit at home and moan
We must be polite and positive , but really make it known
All breeds can be well trained and such a joy to own
Punish the deed not the breed with that we all agree
But remember at the end of the day the onus lies with me
As an owner we will take the plunge and be the best we can
So none of our dogs ever get the chance to frighten even one woman
We train them and we show them in the best possible light
We owe it to them to show they do not instill fright
Author Unknown
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Whilst I really support the need to stop dog attacks and to stop people owning dangerous dogs it is continually unhelpful to have articles like yours in which you discuss "pitbulls" and "attack dogs" whilst showing footage of Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
As a Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner, I am fed up with the media continuing to confuse our breed with the illegal American Pit Bull dogs.
Please correct your misrepresentations
Thank you
Jill Turner
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I think dog attacks should be taken more seriously. A few weeks ago I called the police because two dogs which looked remarkably like pit bulls were smashing their way into my neighbours' rabbit hutch they pulled the rabbit out and tore it to shreds. The police operator simply told me to call the dog warden. I tried to explain how dangerous they were and she simply said she would send the dog warden round. No one ever came. If these attacks are not followed up how can we expect people to take dog ownership responsibly.
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why do people get so angry about the DOGS attacking children? its not the dog, even if it is the most viscious dog on the planet. its the owner! they can control their dog and if they cant control the dog, then dont have that breed! pitpulls, rotweilers and dogs that like arent born killers. they are made like that. by PEOPLE. so why blame the dog? people who complain about destorying dogs because they have attacked their 2 year old kid make me sick.
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Responsible owners already keep their dogs on a leash, although there is nothing wrong with having designated areas where they can run free.
However, surely the bottom line is that if you're going to spend the time and resources creating these areas and enforcing their use, you may aswell just having stronger sentencing against those who keep dangerous animals, especially those whose animals end up biting people.
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dog behavior is the result of the owners training or lack of it. i would be happy to be monitored and have a license to be an owner but not to keep my dog on a lead at all times. she is big, she needs to run and play and it would be cruel to stop her.
monitor the owners - i say.
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Making it illegal to have dogs off leads in public areas is a good idea.
I run a lot in Liverpool and am now having to stick to pavements / roads after being bitten by a dog about a month ago.
Parks and paths are out of the question.
It's hardly fair on the rest of us if dog owners allow their out of control dogs to run riot.
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All dogs can be dangerous - all dogs can be out of control if the owners don't care. I live near a nature reserve where people let their dogs run loose disturbing wildlife annoying walkers, cyclists and leaving a mess behind them. I know people who get really worried at dogs running up to them and sniffing their ankles never mind growling and barking. Everyone would benefit and feel safer if dogs had to be kept on a lead in a public place. Dog owners need to respect the rest of us.
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the answer is simple. Every dog in a public place MUST be muzzled and under the control of an adult. Any dog found without should be seized by authorities and heavy fines imposed on owners prior to release.
from a dog lover
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I have been a dog owner for at least 30-40 years and have never had any trouble with my dogs and children but I am constantly aware that it is not good practice to leave a dog alone with children unattended. Also my main comment is that I live in Norfolk and there are very few training classes for dogs, nobody seems to want training classes to be held at their premises because of the fowling issues. But why can we not make it law that people must train their dogs as good citizens which teaches the dog how to behave and more importantly the owners on how to train their dogs.
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I worry about dangerous dogs; as a dog owner myself I hope the law does not move towards muzzling all dogs, as there are owners of dangerous dogs that would not comply, and safe but muzzled dogs would not stand a chance against them.
There is an Akita opposite me which has attacked both a large German Shepherd, and a Rottweiller, yet the owner is planning to use it as a stud dog.
At the very least, such dogs should be subject to compulsory sterilisation, so that at least breeding is more controlled, although I myself would not keep one as a pet.
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I lived in Germany for a while and if you own a dog who's breed weight is over 20kg you have to take an ownership test at the vets.
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just had a family rabbit skinned alive by one of these dogs, not a nice thing to see. plus we were the ones that had to sign to say it should be put to sleep at the vets.
bring back dog licenses weve got our own dog and shes worth it. that way owners are accountable for there dogs actions.
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All dogs should be kept on leads, as its not just the fiece dogs that do the worst, when i go to parks for a walk and people have there dogs off leads, sometimes the dog comes running upto you and jumps up you, ive had this a few times and have been bitten twice in parks once by a chicara dog and another by a labrador dog, so its not just Bull dogs that bite. Put all dogs on leads, nothing different than putting a baby on reins
Cheers Benjamin Roe 22 Essex
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well i have a staffordshire bull terrier and she is the most laid back dog you could ever meet she love people and anyone who comes to the door she thinks there coming to see her, i would not change her for the world i agree that some thing should be done even if the people who own a dog should pay for a licience to have a dog and any problems with the dog is the owners fault and just because its a terrier does not mean its a dangerous dog any dog no matter shape or size could attack i done see people asking the queen to get rid of her dogs when they attacked the queen mother !!!
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to not offend anybody/ dog owner it should be made law that all dogs should be muzzled, as it is not only pitballs that attack- my husband was bitten by a doberman.
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I believe we can control dogs by bringing back the dog licence, I suggest start with £50 per year and rising depending on the percieved danger of the breed. All dogs to be chipped and DNA at owners expence so we can also find the culprits of dog fouling.
John Gregson
Hexham
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The answer is simple, make it the law that ALL dogs are muzzled in public. Realistically, dogs need to be let off a lead to get exercise but a dog with a muzzle won't be able to bite! I am not sure why no-one has suggested this during the various debates on the subject - it seems so obvious to me.
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I've never been snapped or felt threatened by any "pit bull" type dogs (actually staffy, staffy crosses and american bulldog crosses). However, I have been nipped by a Chihuahua, been growled at by several Collie crosses and been corned by a German Shepherd.
It's not the dog at all, it's the owner. They are the ones that should be punished for ruining what should be a faithful dog. The bull breeds are very very very loyal dogs, if they've been taught that nipping and jumping on small people is what they should do, they know no better. Once a dog has that in their mind it's very difficult to break it, and, no matter what the breed, it probably is best for the animal to be put to sleep and the owner to face jail time.
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Any attack on a child is horrifying and very emotive.
However, I have been involved for several years helping with animal welfare in Greece and during that time have not come across one animal with an ounce of malice (despite the street dogs being collected to be neutered!).
It is the idiots that try and use the animal as a fashion accessory, and seem to take delight when their animal appears aggressive.
We need to tighten ownership rules (start by making it only possible buy dogs from licensed breeders, and that all dogs are neutered before sell) this will go some way to ensuring that ownership (I prefer to say partnership) of a dog will be thought out and not a whim
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An owner is responsible for a dogs behaviour. I have three dogs and all have been to training classes, so that I have learned the proper manor in which to control them. They are all now clicker trained and it did not cost the earth. It also gives you a great bond with your pet. Four of the dogs in our class were Staffordshire bull terriers, an excellent breed and fantastic pet. We should have new laws, to register your pet and maybe this would help stop cruelty.
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Was Claire lambert watching her children and was the gate to the playground shut ?
all these questions have not been answered and in my opinion the dog owner should be made to pay for Maurices operations since his dog did the damage ,after all plastic surgery is not cheap.In My Opinion the dog should be put down
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All public spaces - town centres, parks, the lot - should be declared dog-free zones. Dogs are worse than cigarettes, and I would rather have someone smoking 20 Marlboros next to me that suffer another stinking hound.
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What an appalling and offensive discussion re dogs! Ignorant idiotic and truly offensive.
1) Most dogs are loyal, loving and gentle.
2) There are numerous tales of dogs rescuing and helping people – far more that there are of them hurting people.
3) Who are these arrogant specieists who think God and or nature made the world only for them
4) Dogs don’t blow millions of people up
5) Dogs aren’t destroying the world through an infestation of their own over bread species.
6) Dogs on a lead - yes as soon as you keep all kids on a lead - that would put an end to knife crime wouldn’t it!
7) Dogs have as much of a right to a life as any human being it is not OUR planet – thought we are quite happily destroying it as if it were.
8) Perhaps training courses for owners – not a bad idea – but again should be applied to kids – parents need more training than dog owners
9) Licenses – again a good idea – but again should also be applied to kids – and their numbers limited.
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Hi jeni from praze cornwall.
forgive me if this point has been raised,
In the 80's you always had to purchase a dog licence if you wanted to own a dog. This was scrapped, maybe it could be re-introduced with a sliding level of cost ie: potentially ' dangerous dogs 'identified as such at the moment, costing more to licence. Similar to taxatation of 'high emmission cars' if you get my drift.
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do people consider jack russels or labradors to be dangerous dogs, or even yorkshire terriers or the little white ones that look like them. there are 2 sets of jack russel round the corner from my, they r both horrible little things and the only reason they cant cause damage is becos they r simply too small to, a labrodor on the other hand could, the owners are embarrased by the thing, it is the most horrible dog on this earth. and the yorkshire terrier n the white terrier wot all the old ladies have r also horrible things, iv yet to see one not try attack me. give me a simple mannered staffi or kind loving pit bull any day
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If all dogs had muzels on when in public then they can't bite anyone., i dont mean a full leather muzel, but an open mesh type one.
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i have a staff and even though i didnt hear them say anything abotu staff they also have a bad rep, but our dog is as soppy as anything.
so its the dog its the owner that have no idea how to look after dogs.
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Just as guns dont kill, but the people holding them. It is the same for dogs, there is no such thing as a bad dog just a bad owner.
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i have a dog and i agree all dogs should be on a lead, not only for the saftey off children but also for other dogs ! as my small jack russell has often been attacked by larger dogs
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I have a dog which would be considered a 'dangerous breed' and as such I make sure I am a responsible owner. She has never been aggressive or bitten, and she is so affectionate to everyone. It makes me angry when people brand a whole breed on a few dogs actions. In tecent studies it was proven the most aggressive dog is a Daschsund followed closely by a chihuahua, pitbulls are number 6! Also what the propaganda merchants never mention is that staffys are one of only two breeds recommended by the kennel club as FAMILY PETS!! My dog is probably the sweetest, most affectionate dog I have ever owned and I would definately buy a 'pitbull type' again.
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It is the owners, not the dogs. As already mentioned, the dog in question should be put down and the owner prosecuted. They should never be allowed to own a dog again ... but how do you police that?
We have a black lab who is lovely. We have trained him. We are fortunate enough to live in the countryside and would be devastated if we were forced to walk him on a lead.
By enforcing a lead law you would be punishing everyone due to the stupidity of a few. And can you imagine how much fatter our dogs would be, if some of them aren't bad enough already?!!
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it is totally down to the masses of teenagers that buy these types of dogs to make them look intimidating, any dog and any breed can be trained if done the right way an by someone that knows what there doing. i think there should be a age limit to own these dogs and also have a liscence and should be checked on throughout the year to make sure the dog is balanced and the first sign that the dog could be a danger should be rehomed. no second chances!!!!! do not tarnish the breeds.
lisa
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I have been a dog owner all my life, we always had dogs when we were children, and they are great family pets. But as Fern said they are dogs and should be treated as such. They must know that you are top dog in the family.
Also, although your dog is a loving pet, you should never never leave it alone in a room with children. you don't know what might suddenly frighten a dog, or if a child might do somehing to anger a dog and it may attack for the first time in its life. it could be something as silly as trying to take a toy from it, or it trying to take food from children.
parents need to be educated about how to treat dogs and their children too. It is often the owners of 'dangerous' dogs to blame as they teach their dogs to be violent, but quite often something innocuous can trigger an attack from a well loved family pet.
so never leave your children alone in a room with a dog.......
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All dogs should be muzzled and on a lead or safely confined at home. Full stop
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What a fantastic idea - all dogs should be kept on leads. It is too late to punish the dog owner after the fact. The devestation has already occurred!
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My dog is a sheepdog, she needs at least an hour of free running exercise a day, more if possible. If I was forced to keep her on a leash it would be impossible for me to give her the exercise that she needs. I would then have a dog that misbehaves and which would become very difficult to handle. I think I would prefer to have my dog put down rather than deprive her of her needs in this way. Do people not realise that it is cruel to stop dogs from exploring new territory and sniffing out what has been going on. It is always responsible people who are penalised for others who will carry on regardless despite constant new legislation.
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i was attacked by a dog three weeks ago,
i had built a fence for a customer and on the sunday me and my son went for a bike ride to collect a cheque
we knocked on the door and as we were speaking to the customer a dog came running at us i picked my son up and the dog tried to get my son (he is only five years old), trying to get my son the dog bit me on the arm three times i held my son as high as i could, the dog then attacked my left thigh, we got out of the garden although i dont know how i had to go to hospital im still quite saw and the injury to my thigh is quite servere but ill heal im afraid my son it permanatly traumatised, he just screams and cries whatever dog he sees now,
the upsetting thing from the whole experience is the owners were a school nurse and a deaputy head teacher at a respected secondary school, whats eating me is that it could have killed my son, why should we be put in that situation?
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I can't believe it is even a question of whether dogs should be on leads in public places.
I am sick and tired of asking people to take their dog out of children's playgrounds. Not that the 12 year old that is walking them would have any chance of controlling the dog if they decided to go for a kid.
To be scared of walking down the street in an area of central London because of aggressive dogs is disgraceful.
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Please can we start putting the interests of our children above that of dogs? My daughter was bitten by a dog in an unprovoked attack and now is afraid to walk in areas where dogs are loose. We lived in the US for a while and dogs had special areas where they could run free, fenced in. Here we fence our children into play areas while the dogs run free. Barmy!
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I was featured in this particular item. It is my view that we should have a national dog and owner licencing scheme. We have to place all emphasis on owners if we want different results. We absolutely can not keep blaming certain breeds and demonising them. The law we have now has failed, time to change it. No breeds are inherently 'dangerous' all dogs are capable of causing injury - and yet all dogs are the product of their upbringing and environment. My proposal www.dogownershiptest.co.uk
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As always the media hype up the fact that its obviously the dog who is at fault.
As a dog groomer I work with dogs every single day and I own eight myself so I have seen all types of dogs and all types of owners. I have been bitten in the past while working and guess what?
NONE of the dogs who have biten me could be classed as "dangerous dogs". If people want to purchase dogs then they should research the kind of dog that would suit their lifestyles. But no poeple are stupid and go for whatever take's there fancy.
If your a "Chav" you buy a Staffie to make you look "hard" despite the fact that Staffies are friendly dogs and love children, infact as do ALL bull breed and that INCLUDES Pitbulls!
Older ladies tend to go for Westies, and if the owner isnt tough on the dog and doesn't give it proper training it will become the dominant one in their house, therefore making it move likely to bite. But you dont see Westies classed as dangerous but if you ask any dog groomer or trainer they will tell you the truth.
No dog is ever born to be "evil" and no dog is ever born to be dissobediant, its the way the owner acts towards the dog that shapes its future behaviour. Its exactly the same with children, If you don't discipline a child it becomes dissobedient and well we all know what children like that can become, but you dont see Chavs being banned from breeding do we?
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my friend had a guinea pig that got mauled to detah because of a jack russel. these dogs are usually naturally hyperactive and like to chase/kill small rodents.this means any dog can be dangerous but that doesnt mean dogs need to be muzzeled. if the owner cant control them, then dont have that dog. give it to a skilled person who can tame the dog without drastic measures.
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My dog loves to run around in the park, chasing squirrels (which she never catches) and fetching her ball. This gives her the exercise she needs which she could not do if on a lead.
Most parks are multi-purpose and not large enough to cordon off specific areas. I have no problem with dog owners being licensed. I'm just as frightened of my dog being malled as mothers are about their kids.
If all "dangerous" breeds had to be muzzled then they would not pose a threat and might no longer be owned by those who use them as a form of self-defense or weapon.
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To show a montage that includes Staffordshire bull terriers while talking about pitbulls is just bad reporting.
We got a Staffi because the breed needs help but also because the dog we chose from rescue is absolutely adorable. He loves the whole world and it's tiresome and damaging to see his lookalikes flashed onto the TV screen while someone intones 'dangerous', 'dangerous', 'dangerous'.
How many experts do the presenters need to feature telling them that the problem lies with dog owners before they actually start listening?
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Ever heard of the phrase 'deed not breed'?
Banning dangeous dogs was an acceptable step and understandable because of the breeds it covered.
Banning dogs from being off lead except in designated areas? Sheer madness. There are so many breeds designed as perfect family pets but with a high exercise requirement. Would you deny them the right to off lead exercise?
America has got this ban and it does little to solve the overall biting problems. Yes bites in public places are down. Bites within a home environment are increasing due to frustrated dogs.
The biggest problem is people who have no idea about how dogs should be kept getting one that's too much for them to handle.
A dog owners licence is an excellent idea.
Better still teach members of the public and children in particular how to treat dogs when they meet them out and about and reduce the number of fear related attacks.
It is NEVER the dogs fault. Behind every 'bad' dog, is someone who shoudn't have been allowed one in the first place.
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if a dog bite anyone it should be killed immediately,except if someone has trespassed in someone garden or property.
if i see a child being attacked by a dog near my home,i would go and get my axe or machetie and kill it.a person is worth more than a dog.i love animals but dogs that go out of control need to be dealt with.
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Designated Dog areas will cause just as many problems. If you have one area where all dogs go, there will conflict between dogs. Dog fights are nearly impossible to break up and this can lead to dogs being hurt and even humans getting hurt if they try and stop dog fights.
Any dog can be a dangerous dog. A jack russell terrier could be just as vicious as a pitt bull could. It's a dog's nature to kill, they are natural hunters. So surely any dog should be on the dangerous dogs act.
All dogs have the same genetic make up, a Labrador has the genetic make up as a pitt bull.
A dog should not be destroyed for it's owners mistakes. If an owner can't keep its dog under control and train it properly, then surely they should be the onces faced with a punishment.
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I have to agree with Gary and unfortunately alot of these breeds have been overbred and interbred that only adds to these behaviourl problems as well as having an owner that does not take ownership seriously. In France all of these 'dangerous breeds' have to be muzzled & on a lead at all times otherwise they are fined!! Just because of a select few breeds not all dogs should not be penalised.
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It is aaful that a this happened and i agree that the dangerous dogs act does not do enough unless the dog has attacked. However as a veterinary nurse i know that any dog will/can bite if in the wrong circumstances. i do think by having dogs on leads all the time will not help in the long term. i think that dog linces would be better as the dog and breed would be registered. trining and socilisation of pupies is also important but while these doga can still come into this country these things will unfortunaly still happen.
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not the dogs fault, its how they are brought up!
i work in a dog rehoming centre. alot of dog breeds that are given a bad reputation by the public are in fact very good companions. (eg. staffies, shepereds, rotties).
it is awfull for the victims of attacks but the owners should be looked at and take the punishment.
possibly bring back the dog licence and make sure that spaying and neutering is a legal requirement for those not registered breeders.
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there are some propper owners of these dogs in the world, its not the dogs fault a load of little idiots from the estate think they look cool with them, a propper trained pit bull is said to be the best dog to have with children
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Isn't anyone else annoyed that they were showing staffirdshire bull terrriers during the video??
AND THEY DIDNT SHOW ROTTWEILERS? That stressed me out.
I own a staffordshire...and they are the only dog that the Kennel Club....THE MAIN ORGANISATION for dogs and breeding, recommend to be with children, but i am still responsible and always keep my dog on a lead around children, Dogs can be extremely unpreditable, and sometimes eve though the owner may think they know them well, they just don't know what they can be capable off.
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It is not just children who are attacked and killed by these dogs! My pedigree cat Bramble was attacked and killed by a neighbours staffordshire bull terrier and a pit bull, the owners buried him on the beach, it took the police to get them to bring him home. The owners of the dog have a small baby, if the dogs can attack and kill a cat they can kill a baby too. The dogs owners say if any cat goes in their garden they will make sure it gets killed. You are right to say it is the owners who are bad. I tried everything to get retribution but was told there is no government legislation covering dogs and cats.
Carolann
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I have 2 dogs who are fantastic but do you think I can get peace to walk them on or off lead? Nope! There are too many unsocialised, bad mannered dogs in their faces being absolute pests. Why do people not respect other dog walkers and their dogs. They are on lead because they are poorly, or in training, or just because they don't know your dogs, i.e. for safety. So teach your dogs some manners and then maybe they wouldn't get such a bad crit for the poor ownerships skills possessed by their human counterparts. It beggars belief that our dogs get the blame for human neglect. A dog attack comes from poor supervision/training/socialisation and that is a human error, not a dog one. I have been attacked on numerous occasions, as have my dogs, and when I ask someone to get their dog under control, they ask me if my dogs are aggressive. I have to try really hard not to respond by saying "no but I am". Grrrrrrrrr
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The truth of the matter is that we need RESPONSIBLE dog ownership. and, as was commented by Fern Britton, people need to remember that a dog is a pack animal and it needs to be remembered that the owner has to be regarded by the dog as tha "alpha" in the pack. Legislation on dog leads will not work if you still have people who attribute human charactristics to their "pooches". I have been bitten a few times in my life by a boxer who had his foot trapped and did so out of fright, and a small terrier when I was delivering bread (as a student), I own a Staffy and I am on very good terms with a particulary soppy rottweiler!
One last thing, why do TV progs insist on showing pics of Staffys when they refer to "Dangerous Dogs"?
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I actualy own two of the sort of dogs mention, keira my female one, is a staffordshire x irish staff (looks like a long legged staff) but could be mistaken for a pitbull, but she's an absolute softy, she gets on with any cats, dogs, and humans infact if a dog wants to go for her, she thinks that they want to play, I also have 5 girls, and they can do anything with her, stubborn yes! nasty defnately NO! I think having 26 years of living with these types of dogs, and I done dog training when I was younger, that its definately how you socialise them when they are puppies, and the owner has alot to do with it, its the owners that are in need of training not the dog, the reason why I say this is mine is an angel, and I know someone who has one from a previous litter, and the guy is a bit of a thug, and the bitch is too, very nasty to other animals etc.
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Another case of Tory bashing by the One show. Shame on you.
The fact is the police don't enforce the dangerous dogs act. Just as they woefully fail to enforce most of the wildlife protection laws. Are the theft and burglary laws flawed because the police fail to solve thousands of crimes not to mention unsolved murders? Get the police out from behind their desks and on the streets before you start complaining about the law.
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I view the whole matter with an air of incredulity to think that in this over populated island dogs are still allowed to run free.This is a different species of animal to us and by definition is going to revert to type at any time.
I have worked with dogs all my life and therefore can speak with a degree of authority when I say that no dog is 100% safe in the presence of humans even though a lot have acceptable behavior owing to the correct training.
The answer is complex and long but certainly to be on a lead at all times is a start.
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What about getting all dog owners registered and paying an annual Dog Tax? This would help with covering the costs of dog fouling but would also make it easy to identify problem dog owners. It is the dog owners fault when a dog attacks. Not the dog.
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Lots of children grow up to be out of control, attack and kill others - maybe we should put them down too!
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I don't know what the answer is - I tend to lean towards the ownership test or licensing although I am concerned that this may prevent and deprive some people from owning dogs who would make excellent and responsible owners.
I do not think compulsory lead use is the answer, however. I think it is unfair to dogs to be kept on a lead all the time. A PROPERLY TRAINED dog should be safe off the lead, and a responsible owner should be able to tell when a lead is needed and when it is not, for their own pet.
I also feel that dogs had humans have become too separated and this leads to some of the problems. Dogs are not allowed to socialise to humans properly in all situations. Likewise, many people are not properly "socialised" to dogs, and many children inparticular do not know how to react to dogs and how to treat them. I am not saying this is the case with some dangerous dogs, in these cases the owners are to blame, for WANTING a dangerous dog.
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I'm confused! There's now talk of making legislation to keep 'ALL' dogs on a lead, unless they're in an authorised dog 'release' place.
How is that going to link in with children and people who don't currently own a dog, are future generations never going to be able to socialise with dogs, if they are in 'dog only' areas. Presuming that non-dog owners are not going to be allowed in those areas (how's that going to go down with the public when they are told that they can't go into areas where they have probably walked all of their lives)?
Maybe if this legislation is brought into force then 'people' who are of a violent disposition should be kept on a lead by their 'owners' to stop them from attacking passers-by.
I do agree, yes dogs are all wolves at heart, that is their ancestry. We are the one's who have domesticated them. But, I also agree that it is so often the owners who are responsible for their dogs behaviour. I meet people with dog when I am out walking my Golden Retriever and generally if their dog is one of the so called 'attack dogs' they all seem to realise their responsibilities and put their dog on the lead when they see someone approaching.
We'll never get it right will we? Especially when, yes I have to say it, the media 'hype up ' the problem.
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Hi, first of all I would like to say that I fully understand how the lady feels and on the face of it making it law to have all dogs on the lead all the time except in specified areas would seem the answer, but in truth it would be impossible to police or enforce. The situation we would be faced with then would be all responsible dog owners would as usual abide by all the rules, the irrepsonsible ones, (as it would seem the owner was in this case) wouldn't and dog attacks would continue to happen. However, it is also important to point out at this stage that dog attacks are extremely rare and most people myself included own and enjoy having a dog and family without any problems. So the answer lies in controlling how dogs are obtained and applying far stricter controls to the breeding, sale and ownership of dogs. Finally I would like to request as has been done many times before when showing pictures of "pit bull terrier" please ensure that the dogs you show are pit bull, as at least four of the dogs shown in tonight's pictures were Staffordshire Bull Terriers, who as result of irresponible reporting have a reputation they dont deserve.
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Having just watched your report on dangerous dogs I have to agree that a lot of the control does need to be with the owners. I own and love my dog she is a chocolate lab who is as daft as a brush. I have had neices and newphews and now grandchildren who have pulled her about and try ride her like a donkey. I would never leave the dog without an adult present. The dog doesn't know what is right or wrong you cannot tell it When I went to puppy training classes with mine I was told that the dog should not be treated as top dog it should know its place within the family structure and that is at the bottom.
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hello
I want to complain about the issue you have juat raised about dangerous dogs. The film you showed and the way you talked about these dogs is disgraceful. You have presented an ignorant view. Most of the dogs you showed in your film were not pitbulls, but staffordshire bull terriers. I own 2 staffies and they are the most loving and affectionate dogs I ever known and are great with kids and other dogs. Un-researched films like the one you have just shown give the breed a bad name and people then can't make the distinction between staffies and pitbulls. I am so angry about the way you have talked about pitbulls but have showed films of mostly staffies. I enjoy the one show and it raises some good issues but this issue was very badly done and am sure will have ,upset many people. How can you say these dogs should be killed, we don't kill a human when they kill another human!!! Regards Louise Durham
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I attended pre-puppy training before bringing my puppy home. I started early training and have continued to instil discipline as you would with a child. Bad behaviour is awful when witnessing a vicious dog or human being.
I would not want to see the majority of well behaved dogs (owned by responsible owners) to be punished for the minority.
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As usual the one sided reporting which labels a 'type' of dog. There is no such thing as a dangerous breed - just irresponsible owners who do not socialise their dog properly. Then, when it is out of control, they allow it to be off-lead and unmuzzled in public places. Why not show a labrador or retriever in these reports. And don't say pit-bull and then show staffies or similar - pit-bulls are banned in this country, look different and are much larger than staffies.
I feel desperately sorry for people attacked by these neglected animals. But the majority of responsible dog owners should not and must not be penalised for the actions of the few.
I own 2 border collies who are controlled, well-socialised and will return to me when asked to. That said, I would not let them charge around young children - it would simply be unfair because they could knock one over accidentally. That said - my dogs would go stir-crazy if they could not get the kind of run-out that they get being off-lead - I just make sure that this happens where they won't disturb others.
So please journalists - no more one sided reporting and knee-jerk reactions to these stories. They are horrific and the people responsible should be taken through the highest possible legal process. Equally responsible dog owners should be able to take their dogs out sensibly and families should be able to go out safely.
Bring back dog licensing and the idea of carrying out a 'dog-owner suitability' test is great. Just make it happen and stop targeting people who aren't responsible for such things.
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I have been around dogs all my life and never been attacked. Dogs are not vicous but protective. If your child was running around screaming the dog would have attacked in defence, thats what dogs do. When i was young my grandma's staffy thought I was being attacked and growled at my dad. He had only picked me up and i had made a noise the staffy was afriad of. The only reasons dogs will attack is if prevoked, scared or trained to by their owners.
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I find the idea of ALL dogs being kept on a lead offensive. I have a very fit active and friendly Staffy cross Rotty who plays ball for up to 2 hours a day.
Why should she be punished because of other dogs? Would you tag or put Asbo's on ALL children?
The owners of these dangerous dogs should been given VERY heavy fines and banned from keeping dogs for like
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As a dog owner (I have owned three dogs) I am very upset by the broadcasting on tonight's show.
I'm clearly a devoted dog owner and obviously completely understand the poor lady whose child was injured by a dog. However, I can't help but wonder why the owner is not punished?
The dogs shown in the clip on The One Show tonight are NOT Pit Bulls, but were in fact Staffordshire Bull Terriers. I have owned two of these and they have been the most loving and wonderful pets.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are recommended by The Kennel Club as a great family dog and are very safe with children. As an owner of one of these dogs, I am sick of them being tarred with the same brush as a Pit Bull!! They are NOT the same dog.
I would ahave thought that having run this report the BBC would have researched the story properly. However, this is what happens on a daily basis by people who are small-minded and make generalisations. Had these people researched properly, they would realise the distinct diffrernce between their appearance and characteristics.
Whilst I appreciate that not all Pit Bulls can be harmful, this is down to their training and often their handling by the owner.
The BBC should have researched their images better.
Stafforshire Bull Terrier owners, I'm sure of very sick of this.
As a final point, I'm a professional person (a teacher). These dogs are not always owned by idiots.
BBC kindly get your facts right! Very disappointed!
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There's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. As direct descendents from wolves, dogs are pack animals by nature and therefore need to understand their place in their pack (i.e. our families). Show the dog that you're the boss (or in other words, let it know that you're the pack's Alpha leader) and you'll find most of the problems will disappear.
In short, put the responsibility back with the owners, not with the dogs themselevs who, 99 times out of 100, are simply doing what dogs do. We can't, and shouldn't, blame them for that!
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Many years ago it was an offence to own a dog without having a licence. I'm not sure if my memory is correct but I think the police used to check dog licences in the same way they check gun licences.
The point that licences won't stop attacks is valid but it would mean people might think twice about irresponsible ownership if they had to register.
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I live near the beach and we are inundated with dog walkers who allow their dogs to run wild, jumping up on anyone who is around, including young children, urinating on their sandcastles, etc.I agree that all dogs should be on leads at all times. All dog owners should be made to pay heavy licence fees to cover the cost of collecting the contents of the dog bins and the clearing up after those who don't.
Leads and licences would be a start!
Maggie
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I totally agree with the muzzle idea. If it was compulsory that all dogs no matter what breed , had to wear a muzzle then the 'my dog would never do that' brigade would not be able to complain.I have an almost toothless 13 year old greyhound but , though I can't see he would even be able to inflict any damage , you never know.
It would of course help if the police could actually implement the laws we already have. I guess they are too busy fining people doing 32 mph in a 30 zone!!!
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I think all dogs should be kept on a lead no matter what bred i cannot take my dog out because of all the dogs without a lead on that keep running up to him to try and attack him.
I also agree with jill turner i also own a staffordshire bull terrier and am sick of them being branded as a dangerous dog mine is the softest dog you could ever meet and i am living proof that not all staffies are dangerous i have a 9 week old baby and the dog loves him.
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Punish the owners.
This is the second time the one show has been touting the idea of tighter controls on dogs. Your interviews are even handed but the studio comment today is not. If you insist on putting all dogs on leads in public there are many dogs who do not present a risk who will not have full life, because they won't get proper exercise. This is cruel to the dogs.
The mum on your programme has my full sympathy and I admire her objective comments considering the terrible injury to her child, yet surely the blame lies not with the dog, but with the owner who failed to control his/her dog in a children's playground. You will find that most dog owners, including me will describe this as irresponsible and reckless. The dog should rightly be destroyed and the owner charged with grievous bodily harm and be made to pay compensation.
Please don't lets punish the majority to control the minority!
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is the BBC hell bent on doing away with dogs altogether? first was the hatchett job about pedigree dogs- that was a pretty complete fabrication and if it involved celebrities would have had the beeb grovelling with an apology. Now the One show trotting out the most biased stuff about ''dangerous dogs'', not listening to the experts you asked for comment- get this Beeb- it is people that are dangerous, not the dogs- why should we all suffer because of a few. The vast majority of dogs are just pets, so get real and learn something real about dogs instead of pedalling this rubbish. If we never gave our dogs off the lead exercise we could be prosecuted for failing to care properly for them. In everty case where someone gets injured the dog ALWAYS gets the blame- no investigation, just guilty as charged. It makes me sick. Also-and why do you insist on showing pictures of Staffordhire Bull Terriers instead of pitbulls- they are different breeds, and have entirely different temperaments.
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I was very dissapointed to see the same old library images of dogs used to illustrate a dangerous dogs story - ANY dog can be dangerous, it is not breed specific. Breed specific legislation does not work.
It drives me mad to see staffordhire bull terriers pictured time and time again, my friend was bitten yesterday by a spanial - but am i calling for them to be banned, no - am i calling for the owner to be held responsible - you're damn right!
Bring in an ownership test and dog licence and hold owners responsible for their dogs. Compulsory microchipping for all dogs too so that owners are held accountable if their dog gets loose or is picked up by the pound.
Whilst i feel very sorry for Maurice Lambert and what he and his family have gone through causeing media hysteria that there is one 'type' of dog that should be banned will do nothing to stop people being hurt or killed by dogs that are out of control - dogs that can be of any breed.
Come on BBC, you and your presenters really need to become better educated on breeds of dog and the pitfalls of breed specific legislation before cracking jokes such as 'don't set your dog on me' which i found to be in extremely poor taste given what Maurice Lambert had gone through.
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No way should dogs have to be on a lead. Dogs should be muzzled. Even when dogs are on a lead, my dogs have been attacked. My dog was left in a right state by a stupid woman who had 3 dogs on leads, but extendable leads, so every time my dog ran off the leads extended and each time they attacked my dog, what did she do, nothing, she had no control. Dogs should be licensed and muzzled. All dogs should be spayed/Neutered and it should be law that if you aren't breeding with your dog it gets sorted so it cannot have pups. I wrote hundreds of letters years ago for this but got not one resonse. Some dog owners are irresonsible and authorities are too.
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I think they should bring in that all dogs should be on leads. Its not just children that get hurt, when walking my dog (who is very calm and well natured) plenty of times an excitable dog has run over and nearly knocked her flying, she is 13 years old and that would causes serious injury to dog, child or adult. If people want to take their dogs into public spaces there should be rules to protect everyone and allow everyone to enjoy their walk, including picking up dog mess!
If you want a dog take on the responsiblity!
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and you people who assume its just staffies annoy me too. Any dog can bite, i think someone who is a vetinary nurse actually just made that comment, i agree pit bulls were used as dog fighting, but usually the agression of the breeds have actually been carefully bred out.
so lets not assume it all staffies because until you have owned one you wil never knew and i dont mind arguing my point further.
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it seems to me that people have to be responsible but sadly the people who have aggresive dogs are cloneswith low iq and to much testtosterone
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I agree that's it's definately the owners. I have 2 jack russels that are flighty enough at times but with children and people they are great inside their own home, but out side if they come across another dog and i'm walking them ( always on a lead) they become very protective. It's all about the handling. it's not the dogs fault. I don't think that licencing will do any good. I grew up with big breeds of dogs, Staff bull terrior, English bull terrior, Bull mastiff, Doberman, and now my mother in law has a Rotweiler. People must know what they are doing when they purchase a dog. All dogs have a tendancy to be agressive, they had to fight to be part of a pack when they were in the wild. Possibly as a vet keeps a check on the dogs innoculations they can also keep and eye on training undertaken. for the owners more than the dogs. But I do agree that dogs should only be let off the lead in a controlled environment.
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Right lets get something straight shall we, Pit bulls are not i repeat not staffordshire bull terriers and I am very very angry that your irresponsible one show presenters and programme continually showed pictures of Staffordshire Bull Terriers as dangerous dogs.
Every dog can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong owner but creating a hostile reception to one particular breed only fuels anger, hysteria and misinformation!!!!!
Staffies are amongsth teh most soft and loving dog breed, they can be excitable. as a responsible owner I would not let my dog play in a park full of children on swings because he wants to play with everything not the children!!!
But of course they would find that scary.
Obviously the owner of the dog was irresponsible as many dog owners can be equally as many parents are letting there children run across roads, in front of cars, run away from supermarkets ect eect getting the picture!!!
So stop the stupid blanket approach! to the breed the terrible attack of any child and human and address the probelm of responsible ownership
And yes while our Billy wont be round to tear your legs off your certainly welcome to come and meet him at our home!!!!
Thanks
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Keep the kids on leads, I can't tell you how many very young children are not told to stay away from dogs they do not know. I have 2 large dogs, both docile but young and exciteable. They are both now frightened of children because of all of the unknown kids that have approached them. Its always the dog's fault when the tabloids get hold of any tragic news - never the "victim".
Westcountry girl
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as a true dog lover i feel extremely sorry for dogs as they cant choose their owners , we choose them . i have had alot of rottweilers and currently just have one now but every time we go on our walks we just have to sit and watch whilst all other dogs play together in the fields . if i let my dog off the public reaction would be like a clip out of a jaws movie . my dog is as soft as the next one because ive brought him up. owners should be registered or if they dont they should be put down . dont blame the dog
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I LOVE YOU Original_Pololand !!!!!!!!!!!
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i think its definatly the owners resonsability, i mean, you've got a slightly aggressive dog, so why let it off its lead????
it's not the dogs fault, we've litrally made them into what they are.
you've got to remember a dog is its own "person" if you get me, each dog has its own personallity, just because (for example) a white man is put in prison for assaulting someone, we dont put ever white man in that catogary!!!
i have 3 dalmatians and they are fine with everybody, even though ones of them is deaf. but if my dogs should show any aggresion to anybody or any other dog, i would put them on there lead anyway.
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One of the biggest causes of bad behaviour in dogs is frustration through lack of exercise. Keeping them on leads will only make this worse - most pet dogs don't get ENOUGH off lead time.
Responsible ownership and education is the key. I am all for everyone taking some sort of test or attending dog behaviour courses before they can own a dog, but then again I believe everyone should pass a test before they have children!
Screeching screaming stamping shouting children with little parental supervision are guaranteed to set any dog off. I keep my two well behaved dogs away from 90% of children 100% of the time.
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ok i agree with her story that dog attacks have to be stopped.
but i have been bitten by a dog in past and know of someone owning a border colly (not on a list of dangerous dogs) that has bitten.
both these dogs were more cos they were pooly trained, i have seen jack russels trained to walk off the lead and dont run off or even take attention in other dogs.
why people are allowed to own a dog n think it will do as its told just because they own it are people who need training.
we have a dog who when a puppy was mauled in was little children would to get her used to it and more tollerant.
BUT at the end of the day she is still a dog, wouldnt let her be alone with small children as i know people do, its all in the training, but more aggressive a dog is the more effort will be needed to train it and it will be the owners responsibilites, i just feel SORRY for the poor dogs being put down.
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The soldier sailor airman royal marine commando association has been running a campaign for sometime with positive suggestions on their website page 'dangerousdogs' They will assist the young mother if she contacts them on their website 'contactus' form at soldiersailorairmanroyalmarinescommando.co.uk/default.aspx or PO Box 155 England NR30 1AA
Jon
Mamber of the Royal Marines Commando Association
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Hi the only way to stop dogs attacking is to have a dog owners licence and a dogs sellers licence as this will stop poor dogs being sold for profit. this in turn i would hope stop youngsters owening dogs just to look good, and make sellers take responceability for who they sell to, plus there should be an age limit for anyone wanting to buy a dog. From an owner of Rottweilers and whos young child was attacked by a dog .
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Its definately not the dogs its the owners and the better control they get of the dogs and from a young age the better for everyone. I am a dog owner and mine arnt perfect but they are controlled if they miss behave they are told off and kept on leads, but thats not to say we dont love them dearly.
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I feel strongly that in some cases, it is the owners who are at fault! I have witnessed small children kicking their dogs when their parents aren't watching.. in one case the really friendly, calm dog stood it for so long but then, I believe quite rightly!, snapped at the child, fortunately not causing any damage, more of a warning perhaps. If the dog had really hurt the child, it would probably have been put down. I really feel that parents should have more control over their children! Some dogs are far better behaved than children! Don't get me wrong.. I have always had a dog and have had 3 children, who were brought up to respect their 4 legged friends!
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How ridiculous to make everybody put their dogs on a lead all the time. Whilst it is absolutely dreadful when children are attacked, not every dog kills or maims. Why should everybody be penalised because of idiots having the fighting dog breeds as pets, or drug dealers using them as status symbols. leaving these dogs alone with children or letting them roam alone is criminal. Not only is that sheer ignorance but total stupidity and irresponsibility. If people want these types of dogs they should be registered keepers, licensed and the licence should be annually renewed, owners should prove they are capable of handling a dangerous dog safely. These dogs should be treated similar to the regulations for firearms.
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I am a caring Staffy owner and i am sick to death of everytime the BBC mentions "dangerous dogs" or any sort of dog attack they then show a picture of a Staffordshire bull terrier. Staffys are NOT on the dangerous dog list, they are NOT a banned breed and due to all the media coverage i find other dog owners crossing the road and refusing to pass me and my well behaved dog. Perhaps the BBC would like to look into the breed of dog that bites/attacks the most people each year, would they then be showing pictures of snarling labradors pulling on thier leads? NO, of course they won't, why on earth would the BBC bother to research anything as damaging as this! Any dog has the ability to bite and cause a person damage, why victimise one breed incorrectly? The owners are responsible for the behaviour of thier dogs the same as parents are responsible for the behaviour of children. The BBC really needs to get the facts right. Calling this breed of dog "attack" dogs is ridiculous and is spreading fear where it isn't needed.
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Hi,
I fell really strongly about this, and dont get me wrong my heart goes out to the Mum and her little boy, and I wish them all the best, but... would there be such a fuse if it had been a Labrador. A friend of mine who is a dog warden, had the case where a Labrador attacked a small child. It did not make the press.
I totally agree with the dog behaviourist, people should be judged, not the dog. THERE IS NO THING AS A BAD DOG, ONLY BAD OWNERS!.
I have two staffies (and people who dont know dogs mistake them for Pitbulls)which go every where with me other than work, and are welcome because they are totally soft. This includeds being with children, but I agree with Fern, they are only dogs, and as much as I love my dogs but they are not allowed upstairs, or on the furniture, and they know their place. All my friends would vouch for them, and I would have another in a blink of an eye.
Granted they are not typically good with other dogs.
Keeping them on a lead at all times is not the answer dogs were born to run!!!
Kind regards
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I am a dog fosterer and at the moment i have 2 staff puppys. Please understand that a staff IS NOT a pit bull. I am now worrying about trying to home these well behaved puppys who spend the day rolling around with my 2 year old son.
No matter what the breed its never the dogs fault and aswell as having the dog put down sort out the owner this is getting silly!!!! people who cant and dont know how to look after animals should not have them and thats not just dogs thats any animal!!!
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Whilst i am very sad to hear that yet again a child has been attacked by a dog i feel that i must 'stick up' for dogs. All dogs are potentially capable of attacking humans yes even that little cute one you see in the park! It is not the dog that needs to be put down it the ownwers that need educating in being a responsible owner. In a lot of cases i see 'young males' using a Staff etc. as a status symbol to make onlookers thing they are 'hard' and dont mess with me attitude. Bring back a dog licence, keep dogs on leads at all times, make owners attend courses before they can own ANY dog. I am a dog lover and own 2 dogs so i would embrace proving to any authority i am as responsible for my dogs behavoiur just as i am for my childrens.
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There's no piont in liciencing or creating dog only areas as the people who have pitbulls have them because there band as a status simbol there the type of people who walk the streets with knive's, gun's and drug's so there not going to give a monkey's about where and where not to walk there dog never mind liciencing it
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Last year a dog running free in my local park jumped up onto my 4 year old daughter and knocked her over, she scraped her elbows and banged her head. All the owner had to say for her self was "don't worry the dog doesn't bite" A year on my daughter has nightmares about dogs.
Dog owners need to understand that their dog is terrifying to children (and adults!)even when it hasn't bitten anyone.
Just because your dog has not bitten anyone yet does not mean they never will!!
Keep Dogs on leads.
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I have two white german sheppards which are both rescued. I have no history but slowly guessing what sort of bringing up they do have! My last GSD bit me and made a bit of a mess of my arm and wrist. I had to have an operation and tendon fix she was also rescue! She has been put down now. The amount of love and care and good handling of the dog big or small does not let them forget what bad life they have had before then and you have cautious. My male gsd i have had for 1yr now he used to be a guard dog been fed scraps and all of the fur was matted and dirty. I have sorted him out now and i consider him to have the best life i could ever give him, even though he is calm every time he goes out of the house he still has a muzzle on him! You just don't know because they are considered as part of the family they are still dogs! Nothing more and people cannot find the balance between a child and dog.....eames0he@btinternet.com
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Loose dogs are always a threat unless you know they have been trained to return on recall. Unfortunately you don't know.If a loose dog is approaching my dog I now always pick her up because she has been attacked 8 times in 3 years. The owner of the loose dog that comes up to sniff out my dog always says - oh he only wants to play! Leads in public places should be made obligatory,
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I have had different breeds of dogs' in and out of my life from a small child. My older sister has always had Staffordshire Bull Terriers and many people i know have them. I also own a Staff and he could not be any softer, sweeter, people loving and child caring if he tried. I rescued him because he was not treated right. He was beat, kicked, starved and abandened. If that was done to a human, the person who inflicted this apin would be sent to prison and the person who was abused would most probaly end up with some sort of problem in life! My dog has a constant wagging tale, love in his heart and all he wants to do is cuddle up on the sofa and watch tv with me. I completely agree that any dog can attack. We had a English Sheep dog as a kid and after having him for 2 years, he turned violent. He attacked are other Dog, which was a small Jack Russell and shock him like a doll and then carried on to bit the people who tried to pull him off. No one done anything him to him, he was loved, cared for and treated very well, but decided one day that he was not happy. Dogs' like Staffies have got a bad name, not because of the breed its self but because of the idiotic people that buy them, thinking they give them a good street label, make them hard and fight them or train them to not like other dogs. If you were to look up the statistics of dog breeds you would find that Staffies are one of the most human friendly dogs. They as a breed do not like other dogs due to being breed in the past for fighting, but thats no different to Jack Russell being breed for hunting, Collies being breed to chase sheep and must i go on about all the others breeds that are used for KILLING!!
Any dog can turn violent but unfortunatly for Staffes alot of idiots want them for the wrong reasons and the situation has become out of controll. Dog licenses should defently be brought in. so responsable people can have dogs!
It is awfull for what has happened to all those poor children but blaming the dog will not solve the prooblem, you need to look at the owners! Same as a naughty child normally comes from a family of abuse! weres the difference????
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I think it is an absolute disgrace to suggest that all dogs should be kept on leads. The majority of dogs are wonderful, intelligent, soft creatures - fortunately with caring, responsible owners.
The owners of all 'fighting' breeds should be required by law to obtain a reasonably expensive licence. Any owner without a licence should have their dog removed from them and they should be prosecuted.
All 'fighting dogs' should be neutered unless the owner gets (and pays heavily for) a breeders licence.
Any owner of a dog that seriously wounds, attacks, bites anyone should be prosecuted and seriously punished.
DO NOT punish all dogs and owners for the sake of the very few out of control dogs and owners.
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As the owner of two labradors who are of softies and have been trained both as pups and adults. I always encourage small children to pet them but remind them they must ask dogs owners if they are allowed. However many parents pull their children away - saying they're scared, even when the children themselves are trying to pet the dogs!
On one occasion a man has kicked my dog for eating bread that his child has taken to feed the ducks claiming my dog had bitten the child, he hadn't, not drawn blood, not even left a mark.
I think it is paramount that dogs and owners are trained. But I think it is important for children to learn basic dog skills ie. ask before you pet someones dog.
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Forgot to say, sometimes childran provoke attacks - even a placid dog can get annoyed at childran screaming and climbing on them, plus (i live in east yorkshire) alot of people don't think about animal rights, and i've seen people be very horrible to dogs and there then suprized that the dog bites them.....idiots!
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I have 2 dogs A staff and a shih tzu WHO are best freinds so dont tell me all staffs are mad until youve had one and treated them properley you know nothing. Every animal not just staff or pit bulls can bite.
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I would like to ask why the gate of the children's special pay area was left open. I strongly believe that if people who are choosing a dangerous breed of dog then they should have to demonstrate that they are able to control this dog. I do not agree that people with well behaved dogs should have to use a leach all ofthe time.
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Muzzle them. Why does it take so long to sort simple things out like this. It feels like a trend for teenagers round my area in the eastend along with knives and guns - get a pitbull too! It's even more intimidating now.
They are animals - paperwork won't do anything.
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I see many people defending " staffs". I knew a staff ownner just as passionate until it attacked her baby in its cot !!!!!
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If we make it law for all dogs to be kept on leads, the irresponsible dog owners, being irresponsible are more likely to ignore the law because they are irresponsible, whereas responsible people will be more likely to obey. The proposal does not make sense.
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As a mother of two sons, I am horrified by Claire Lambert's experience. However, I own a loving family pet which is a dog. She is a therapy dog, and gives much pleasure to those that she visits. I can understand why Claire has asked that all dogs be kept on leads, but this is to judge all dogs to be the same. Can you imagine suggesting that all men are kept on leads as they 'sometimes attack', and are responsible for most violence? I don't think my loving, gentle husband would agree. What about the working dogs who save lives, lead the blind and deaf and keep us safe from expolosives? While one can understand this overreaction, perhaps her action should be directed at the individuals on our streets, obvious to all, who parade their fighting dogs with pride. Audrey Shiouxios, Muswell Hill, London
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....and why are they allowed on BUSES.
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I had an American Pit Bull when the Dangerous Dogs Act came into force. I would add that my pit bull was a lovely dog and lived with my cats and children happily, never a problem. When the Act became Law I had to have him nutured, tatooed, micro chiped and insured also muzzled in public. He was then registered. I had to renew his insurance each year and notify the relevant agency when he passed away. The sad thing is that at the time there were many owners of these dogs who were not prepared to fulfill these requirements and dogs were being put down on mass. Although this was tragic it showed the commitment of the owner. Enforce the existing legislation as it is getting out of hand again and although I now have a staff, I am always worried when I take her out as so many youths where I live see their dogs as weapons. They have little control over the dogs and would certainly think again if they had to comply with the law. I would note that I complied with all the requirments even though I was on a low income but he was worth it!
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Firstly, don't bother doing anything if it is not going to be policed and implemented effectively. That why it's not working now. Great intentions, poor execution.
Strangely enough in the UK we don't have a dog license system (?). This is pretty stupid. All dogs should be licensed and chipped or tattooed. We must link our dogs to the owners.
Then this must be policed to a point where it is actually effective. Dogs should be regularly scanned. No chip or tattoo? Then the dog is taken away immediately.
And how about training. Let's face it most of the owners of these trophy dogs don't have any clue about training. However, it may all be a bit complicated for them anyway. Can't get your head around training? No dog then.
You may find that keeping dogs on a leash will stop any dog getting the exercise that it needs. This breeds frustration and potential aggression. There must be ADEQUATE areas where dogs can exercise off leash.
We must have fully thought out, logical and workable solutions to this and not just the typical British knee jerk reactions to these situations.
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I sympathise with Claire and her son, my cousin was attacked by a dog too but as an owner myself I disagree with her approach.
Penalising the many for the actions of a few is not the way, dog licensing has failed before and putting leads on every dog would be a major cruelty.
Although, she says that they could have their own designated fields. I highly doubt my local council would consider it and it restricts people without any access to transport to where they can go.
I suppose the underlining message would be: if you cant control a dog don't buy one. Not only for the good of people but for the good of other dogs, who are just as likely to be attacked by dangerous dogs.
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I agree that on the whole its the owners that are the problem. Although certain breeds can be more inclined to violence and unpredictability, any dog can be potentially dangerous. Responsible dog owners would recognise a dangerous dog and I believe most would respond accordingly if they found they had one. I was bitten badly by a dog as a child - as an animal lover and despite many stitches in my hand ( I was lucky to get away with no permanent damge) I was devastated when the owners had it put own. They did it because they had begun to suspect it could hurt someone - ok it was a bit late for me BUT they did the right thing in the end !
What concerns me is the way some owners treat their dogs. They are so cruel to them that its not suprising they turn on humans. Whats even more concerning is that there is often a link with animal cruelty and child cruelty. I remember seeing a programme a few years ago now and Im sure ( but dont quote me on this !) that in the USA if someone is reported for cruelty to a animal that the authorities automatically notify child services because of the statistical link. I am a teacher and can say that I think that there is definately some truth in this. Maybe we should be bearing this in mind when in 2 minds whether to report someone for animal cruelty. The problem is multilayered and owners keeping dangerous dogs should be thought of as potentially dangerous themselves !
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This feels like no one is listening to the experts. Make owners responsible. I am a dog owner, a responsible one. My dogs are trained and behave as dogs should. They do not run around and bite people, out of control.
They walk down the street in control, and go for a run, with myself or my husband.
They are German Shepherds. I have friends who have a Rottweiler, well trained, well behaved. We all have children.
The owners of dogs who are bitting should be made to take training and made aware of the trauma caused to victims of previous attacks.
As far as Im aware Pit Bulls are banned in this country. The dogs You were showing appeared to be Staffy Bull Terriers, Is this a ploy to get all dogs put down.
I am amazed that people are so short sighted.
I cannot believe the reporter took no notice of the information gained from experts. Try Listening.
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i have two staffordshire bull terriers that i resused from a centre for the breed. i have found them to be great dogs. my son was born with club foot and had to wear a bar, he used to climb all over the dogs and they did not move or make any nasty advances towards at all, if anything they are protective towards him and the family. is that not what most people feel that their dog would be like what ever the breed. dogs are dogs and people need to remember that, all breeds will bite if pushed, i am sure most people would attack if they were pushed. however some people do like to train the breed to be nasty, but you could say that for all breeds and some people. i know that my dogs don't like other dogs so i make suer that they are always on leads unless no-one (dog or human) is around (then if i see someone/thing they are on leads straight away and i move out of the way). its all about being snesible and if people can't do that then they should not have dogs but how do you stop that? i do the visist foe the rescue centre if someone in my area wants a staffie, to make sure they and their home is suitable, if i say i don't think so they don't get the dog. people just need to be careful around all dogs, they know when people are scared and it puts the dog on edge. ban the idiots not the dogs.
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SianOli doesnt have a clue...
once you own a dog...you will probably understand...the dog needs well earned excercise....urgh...i cant be bothered to explain...
...i think we should make a rule in this blog.....
DONT SAY YOUR OPINION IF YOU HAVENT HAD A DOG!!!!!!!!!!
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I have to say every one who keeps going on about muzzling all types of dogs this in itself can cause more problems with a dog. Ownership tests , training for dog and owner and mandatory insurance for all dog owners.
As for licence fees anotherway for the goverment to make more money whats next cat licence fees as well???
Please people get real
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The majority of dog bites happen in the dogs own territory - in the house or garden.
Muzzling in public won't stop this.
Forcing dogs to be confined to leads will GUARANTEE more bites. Dogs need physical and mental stimulation, without it they get stressed.
Banning breeds of dogs is equivalent to rascism.
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Its deed not breed. A few weeks ago my 9 year old son was attacked by a dog as he skateboarded by, not once but twice. The owner could not control their dog (this dog was on the lead and lunged). What was the breed - a border collie. My sons leg is still scarred. We were then asked if we wanted to persue a destruction order and my son was more distraught that he/we could make the choice to have the dog "killed", than from the attack itself.
We own a dog - an english bull terrier and I get fed up that this gentle dozy doughnut breed are tarred with the same brush as an attack dog. If any dog regardless of breed is not nurtured and trained sensibly, then they are capable of attacking.
Microchipping, licencing, compulsory dog training and nutering is the way forward. When a pit bull type dog is found by the police, it is very difficult to enforce the law as the owners just say they are a cross breed.
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I think that all dogs should be kept on a lead, my king charles spaniel has been attacked twice by dogs off a lead, by a jack russel and a sheep dog!!
it should be law, also i think there should be a dog lience like before. The owner makes a dog and some of these owners shouldnt have them, dogs need love,food and walks and good owners.
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I find it distressing that in all the pictures used in the video that some of the dogs appear to be staffordshire bullterriers. This plants the seed, in the publics mind that all of these dogs are savage beasts. I have owned a staffordshire bullterrier for about 12 years and also own a cross that resembles the breed. Neither of these dogs has ever been in a fight of any sort and has never caused an injury to anyone in my family or outside of it.
I completely agree that all dogs no matter what the breed, size, shape or apparent danger they can cause shouldbe on a lead and under control at all times. I think that licensing is not the answer but is a fantastic idea to help prove that some owners are commited to their dogs and are responcible owners. People that own these dogs lagitimatley should be made to undertake some sort of training and all dogs should be tagged and registerd on a database such as the chip and pin system, so that they can be identified on the street by police. No chip and pin something to hide in my opinion!
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I have 8 dogs, a Staffie, Staffie x Jack Russel, 2 x Standard Poodles, a Labrador, a Golden Retriever a Working Collie and a Minature poodle.
Now according to all you doom mongers its the Staffie's that would be dangerous and obviously rip the throats out of every single human or animal they see. Well it doesnt work like that!
One of the Standard Poodles is the dominate dog of the pack and therefore she oversee's everything.
The only dog who could be classed as dangerous is the MINITURE POODLE.
I shall tell you why! He was owned by an older lady who wanted a lap dog. He was never trained and was spoilt beyond belief. So if he doesn't get his own way he would growl and bite. He now knows he isnt going to be top dog in my house thanks to proper training!
How strange that the supposedly cuddley breed is the more dangerous one BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE PREVIOUS OWNER BEHAVED TOWARDS HIM!!!
Anybody who thinks that its all the dogs fault and that all dogs are evil is in my opinion an IDIOT!
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I feel deeply upset that the bbc cannot get the correct footage for a PITBULL and have to resort to showing footage of staffordshire bull terriers.There is a huge difference between these two breeds.I own two staffordshire bull terriers and i am sick of people putting our loved breed in with other breeds.
I feel that the bbc should make an apology and clear up the differences between PITBULLS and staffordshire bull terriers on air so that people are aware.
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Dogs are Dogs no matter what the breed and it could bite if provoked or not! I am sick of walking past people who assume I have a dangerous breed of dog (shes an english bull terrier) when they know nothing obviously about me the dog or the breed !! Like others on here my dog is extremley gentle if fact it's like having a baby my 2 boys walk her and I am very confident that she would never hurt anybody but am under no illusion that she could !! It is the owner who is responsible as it is them that bring it up and teach it.
Any ay my point is dogs no matter what breed will bite and hurt that is ALL BREEDS
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Boy does this article bring back bad memories. After my dog was attacked by two Huskies the police were most unhelpful saying that for all they knew my dog, a soppy 8 year-old Labrador, could have started it and the Huskies were defending themselves. Sure enough a short while later the dogs went to attack another dog and, in an effort to protect it, the lady who owned it sheltered her dog from these beasts and was attacked by them as they tried to get to her dog. Police? Dog warden? Forget it. They didn't even return the phone calls she made to them or respond to her letters. Knowing the owner of the Huskies as I now do, I have my suspicions that both the Dog warden and Police are too frightened they they will suffer the same physical and verbal abuse that I did when I tackled the owner after my dog was attacked. Who says fists don't rule in the UK.
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HI,
When I was 21 I had a pitt bull, to this day I still say she was the best dog I've had and I've had my fair share. I never had to use a lead with her even when walking down the road. These dogs are not born bad but in the wrong hands can be and its not their fault. Any dog can be trained to do anything be it fight, hunt, as a gaurd dog, but when it attacks its the dog thats done it not the owner. I ask is that the dogs fault? NO. Its person who trained it.
Ray. Portsmouth.
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i am quite upset over aidriens comments about dog owners,personnally think he needs to stop being such a wally with such comments.
i have a pitbull cross, (i have had many dogs) my parents had dogs ,german shephards,poodles,yorkshire terriers ect,and i can assure you and anyone out there this is without doubt the most loyal,loving,and intelegent dog i have ever been around.
Dog's are only as bangerous as the people make them.
To stop people being bitten by dog's completely is impossible as the smallest of dog's,not just bull terriers can be dangerous.It is a shame so many dogs will be blamed for their owners arrogence and stupidity.
I would love to bring my dog on your show to prove that the show,s presenter and many many people are so very very wrong!!!!
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As a labrador owner I strongly feel that this issue is both owner AND breed related. Many of us i'm sure know both bad owners and bad dogs. But to lump all breeds and all owners together is not fair.
Make owners and their dogs take a test, that's fine by me. That will discourage bad ownership, and bad breeding.
If you want to bad something that is proven to kill children, then ban cars.
Some people will always hate dogs and their owners and would happily blow the matter out of all proportion to get their desired outcome. Dogs and their owners are an easy target.
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This is not the dogs fault. Humans are the ones that domesticated wolves and then have gone on to enhance their traits and develop the breeds we know today. We created the Pit Bull.
If not raised properly any dog of any breed can develop aggreson. If we carry on with the same law as we have now, in a decade we will only have little dogs.
The key to his is education and better policing of laws. Every owner shoud have to undertake an ownership test in order to have a licence. This would be easier to enforce than the current laws.
Dogs have helped the human race for thousands of years so why should we persecute them now.
Also parents and children that do not even own dogs should be educated on them and the correct manner to approach them etc.
This law may not be so ridiculous if the police actually now what they are seizing. All to often they are seizing Staffies and American Bulldogs, mistaking them for Pits.
But what of the other three banned breeds?
Its not even obvious as to why they were banned.
One thing we should not do i ban dogs off lead. Lack of excercise breeds aggression in dogs, ban dogs from being off lead will only worsen the problem.
One way or another things need to change!
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It does become a bit tiresome when all dog attacks are caused by "pit bulls". It would be interesting to see just how many of the cases reported in hospital are caused by Pit Bulls. IMHO they are probably caused by the family pet being tormented to death by the child involved. I agree that tests for owners would be a good thing but please don't include responsible dog owners with the louts who take a perfectly well socialised puppy and turn it into a monster. I own gundogs that are incredibly soft but I still wouldnt let them off the lead near children. If I am walking with them and I see a child or family I always call them in and put them on the lead until we pass the people concerned. I certainly wouldnt like to keep my dogs on the lead all the time. They need to run and stretch their legs. FWIW should the gate to the playground not have been closed so that "rogue" dogs could not get in. Every playground I've seen is surrounded by a fence and has a gate. I feel very sorry for this little boy and his mother. I'm sure they had a terrible fright. I have friends whose children have been frightened by dogs. It doesnt even take a dog to bite them. Its well to remember that little children are at face height of a dog and even when the dog is being friendly it can be very frightening for a child. That said, I dont blame the dogs, I blame the owners. You get the dog you deserve! If you dont spend time building a bond with your dog you can't expect it to be a well mannered member of society. Annie, Fife
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it's not the dogs, it's the people who own them.
The poeple who go on about all the dog that attack people, i just say think about their owners who they belong too . I used to own a pit bull when i was young and he was a big softie, he never attacked any one not even a dog.
I see all sorts of dog come and go in my house beacuse my older sister is a foster. They all come from bad backgrounds but after a few days in a propper home environment they become a diffrent dog.
i say if your going to point the finger at someone point it at the people who cant look after and train their dogs.
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I completely agree with garybgbutler. It is the moronic owners who make dogs bad through ignorance and stupidity.
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I firmly believe that all dogs should be on leads when walking along roadsides and in public areas. I do, however, believe that dogs should be able to run around and have fun in an open environment, just the same as any child would want to. I think the easiest and most safest answer is to muzzle ALL dogs when out in public, even when on leads. I have had several small dogs launch themselves at my dog (she's quite big) when I've had to pass them on the street and it can be quite stressful for both animals and owners. I have also had my dog bitten by another small dog who chased mine so far that she ran off and luckily another person caught hold of her before she got to a main road. My dog has given small dogs a wide berth ever since, even though the majority are very friendly.
If all dogs wore muzzles, I'm sure everyone would feel safer. The muzzle doesn't harm the dog in any way, they just need to get used to it, which is no different to the dog getting used to a collar or lead. An easy and cheap solution to the problem I believe.
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I like many people are fed up to the back teeth with dog owners caring more about the dogs they have than the people they subject them to. I have a 10 year old autistic son who has been made to be scared of dogs by people who let dogs off leads and when the dogs run up to us they say with wide smug smiles "he/she wont hurt you" how is my son or myself supposed to know that. The other thing that dog owners fail to do very often is clear up the mess the dogs cause. When my child steps in it when its on the pavements I could rub the owners face on it. I will do whatever I can to support Claire lambert in her quest to have dogs to be put on leads all the time so If the beeb could let her know that. I can give my time and passion to somthing I feel strongly about my wife is also willing to help too. Many dog owners are responsable peope and have had proper training for the dogs they own, but sadly miss the point that many folk just aint interested and don't wanna share space with them. I see a fair number of middle class type people with very well trained dogs are really snobby about dogs and make out they are the only people in the world who know how to care for them. As parents we will not go to curtain places with our children because some people who have decided not to have children do not want to share thir space with children so we stay away, why do people with dogs think we want dogs around us. As for the main reason of the story about dangerous dogs, sentances for bad owners of bad dogs need to be a lot harsher and given every time. They are like leathal weapons. You can be given five years for having a knife why not so with owning a banned dog.
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I find alot of these comments quite offensive. It is down to the owners, and how the dog is raised within the family structure. As a veterinary nurse I have seen the instances of aggressive unruley dogs increase, however they are normally smaller breeds that are treated as peoples 'babies' not as dogs. Ofcourse these breeds of dogs don't make the head lines as they don't really do any damage, and quite often alot of people laugh it off because these dogs are small.
I own a staffy and a collie. Both are highly trained and well behaved. They return when ever i call, and if they were not able to have free running time every day then they certainly would start to express their frustrations and pent up energy in other directions.
Both my dogs have been raised with my children and know they are at the bottom of the pecking order. What about having a training certificate/ liscence that dog owners must produce to prove that their animal has been trained (as well as themselves) to a standard.
I feel very sorry for the poor child that was attacked, but i dont feel a blanket legislation over all dogs will work, as already proven with the Dangerous dog Act.
Finally I found the comments made by the presenters ignorant and offensive. They obviously have no idea about dog ownership, or of distingishing between breeds, the same goes for the research team as they continually showed pictures of staffies which are a lovely breed, and not on the dangerous dog list.
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I really am fed up with dogs that are not on the dangerous dogs list being shown on clips off thse breeds. American Bulldogs are not dangerous dogs and the english bulldog was bred from this breed. These dogs are the white and brindle ones shown on your film. Any dog can be a dangerous dog, and in my expeience its the smaller breeds you have to be wary off. Please get your facts right in future.
American bulldogs are wonderfuly soft natured dogs and fantastic family pets. I have been bitten by my parents westie, maybe he should be on the dangerous dogs list.
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I believe there should be much tighter controls about who is allowed to own a dog. Before I could adopt my 2 rescue dogs my house and everyone who lives in it were checked and a report sent back to the rescue centre. Do dog breeders do the same? I doubt it. One of my dogs is a rotti who has been very badly treated by a previous owner. Unfortunately breeds like these appeal to a lot of people who are only interested in them because they look menacing and have no idea how to train them.
I am sure more dog owners would be happy to ensure their dogs are on leads at all times if there were more designated dog parks like the ones in the USA where it is safe for dogs to run free. My dogs are always on a lead but I would love somewhere nearby that is safe for them to be able to run free.
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I think all dogs should be on leads at all times and animal authorities should be doing checks on dog owners regulary.
I agree it is the owners at fault and not the dogs, and there should be alot more to be done to prevent this from happening.
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It is about time we realise that it isnt the dog that is responsible, it is the owners. and there are no such thing as dangerous breeds-i work in a rescue centre and we have some dogs that come in for biting. They are all sorts of breeds- jack russels,labs(supposed to be the perfect family dog) to name afew and the reason...lack of socialisation and training from a young age by HUMANS!Dogs need to know their place in the family and if they are trained to be guard dogs and you leave a child in the same area then what do you expect!It sees the child as a toy and humans should be responsible.all the bad press in the papers is unfair on the certain breeds know as "Dangerous breeds" who if trained make lovely family pets. I have a rottie x and she is the softest dog youll ever meet,she lives with cats and rabbits and is bottom of the hierachy in our house!! Even pit bulls arent nasty by nature- its the way they are trained. Irresponsible dog owners and people that have certain dogs to make them look "hard" should not stereotype the breed as a whole.
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I must add all LAWS are Broken and I know we must try but the law will be broken.
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What a Brilliant Idea, Keep Dogs on leads by law.
Dog owners let their dogs run wild, especially on cycle paths and they think this is their right.
Unfortunately, it’s not their right, remove dog walkers from cycle paths or permanently keep dogs on leads.
Not so long ago I came across some posters on my usual cycle path that the council had positioned, telling dog owners to clean the mess up afterwards.
They were soon torn down by the dog owners,
It wasn’t the dogs who had taken them down, they were torn down by dog masters, and I watched them.
I never see Rottweilers muzzled and the law states they should be.
Furthermore, not so long ago on the same path I arrived at the point where I wanted to leave the path, I turned the corner, and I was met by a Rottweiler. He soon pounced on me and sunk his teeth into my leg, I ended up in AE.
The police were informed and the next day they had told me the same dog had a young girl. Did the police do anything, no? They had told me the owner only had puppies, what a surprise because the dog that had me, weighed 6 stones.
So I was a victim of crime and nothing was done about the Rottweilers.
One week later it attacked again and still the police did not do anything.
Just what I expected, they were only nice puppies. Therefore, I was told. I never ended up in AE for nothing losing a lot of blood from my leg.
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I think that all playgrounds should be enclosed with dogs banned from entering. That way dogs and children can be kept apart. It seems to me that children are very noisy today, and if their shouting and screaming irritates me then imagine what it can do to a dog with their sensitive hearing. My dog has every right to be off the lead, otherwise how is it going to get sufficient exercise. As other people have been saying, there is no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners, and judging by the increase in violent crime, it is probably the same violent people who are keeping the majority of dangerous dogs, the other dangerous dogs being kept by incompetent owners. If a law is passed forcing all dogs to be kept on leads because a small number of them have attacked people, then a similar law should be passed requiring all young men to be locked up because a small number of them have attacked/killed people (remember, more people have been injured/killed by other people than by dogs). After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander!!!
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Firstly Claire I wanted to say how pleased I am am that you have highlighted this cause.
A simple manageable approach is needed.
I am a fan of dogs, and cats and all pets, but have seen first hand a frenzied and vicious attack made by a 'usually well behaved' dog - and I honestly couldn't have seen how even the most experienced of dog trainer/owner could have stopped that dog attacking without putting them self or others in danger.
Your suggestion that we follow the legislation already used in other countries i.e. that dogs are always on a lead unless in designated areas is a good start.
Please do continue to promote this issue it is very important.
Good luck!
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As an ownere of a Staffy and a Mastiff/German Shepherd cross I also find it annoying that you continually see Staffies misrepresented in the media. This enforces a negative stereotype about the breed, in the main the Staffy is a loyal friendly bred, it is the owner/responsible person who is ALWAYS to blame in attack cases. If you cannot controll your pet you should not be allowed to own one. The problem is, who would enforce an ownership test? The idiots who buy "attach dogs" as a status symbol woill not bother to be tested, and the police have enough on their plate without having to monitor dogs and owners in the street. Until we can come up with a proper solution we should all be aware around children with our pets, and keep an eye on any other dogs off the leash around kids. This should be ALL dogs, not just the so calle dangerous breeds, as a Yorkie can be just a lethal as a pit bull, and is often far more agressive.
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This isn't a dog problem but a societial problem. You can say that all dogs must be on leash in public places, but your average chav with their status symbol dog isn't going to take any more notice to that than their asbo or their restraining order. Again, only responsible owners would end up taking a test or getting a license, neither of which would be enforced. Penalizing responsible dog owners will achieve nothing.
The DDA and any other breed specific legislation out there is not working, and will never work, as long as people in dog fighting circles can import pitbulls as 'Irish Staffs' and lab x boxer mixes. There was a case where a pitbull, a family pet who was living legally in the UK under the DDA, was euthanized because his owner took off his muzzle in a public place because he was vomiting, yet the police don't or can't investigate a suspected dog fighter through lack of evidence! This is madness! People who own Stafforshire Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermann Pinschers, German shepherd dogs or any other 'hard' looking breed responsibly will continue to suffer all the while these breeds are being exploited by people wanting a status symbol dog. None of these breeds are particularly 'easy' dogs to own in that they need strong leadership, and they are being (badly) bred and owned by people who have no right or knowledge of how to own a rock, let alone a dog, all over the country. They are subsequently being dumped and euthanized in their thousands at the moment, especially the Staff. One in three dogs in rescue is a Staff, or Staffy cross because actually they are very sweet, even tempered (if boisterous!) dogs and often don't suit the purpose of these 'hard man' types or are easily cast aside when they are no longer wanted. I too am annoyed at the portrayal of Staffords as pitbulls in the programme- many years ago they were known as 'Nanny dogs' as they were famous for their love and protection of children! This hasn't changed- a chihuahua will bite a child unprovoked if bred and brought up incorrectly but a Staff has more force behind it. Blame the owner, not the dog, and punish the deed, not the breed.
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As an owner of 2 very happy, well balanced dogs (a basset hound and a spinger spaniel) it strikes me that very few of the people commenting on here know anything about dogs at all. Putting them down will not work because the damage is already done and eliminating breeds will not work as its really down to the owners. Keeping dogs on leads at all times will make dogs not get the necessary exercise resulting in them looking for other ways to expell their energy and leave them constantly looking for ways to escape. The simple solution is very easy, make it law that dogs wear muzzles when they are out!!! Then there is no way that they can bite anyone at all (can anyone dispute this??). I don't think any self respecting dog owner will mind this and it strikes me that it is very easy to police, the kind of thing a park warden could do for instance, especially if muzzles are started to be made it bright colours. Please lets start thinking in a rational way to solve the problem instead of demonstrating ignorance!
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I have owned a staff all my life i have grown up with them and my current staff plays with my five year old and never blinks and eye lid. I dont belive its the breed of the dog its how the dog is brought up by its owner. Its a well known fact that staffs are very affectionate dogs we love affection and hate being alone. I think its wrong to point the finger at this specific breed of dog has everyone forgotten about all the other dogs which have hurt children. I also belive parents should teach their children not to go near dogs they dont know. I love staffs and do not belive in anyway that they are a dangerous. It also anoyes me that everytime they say pitbull they show a picture of a staff it is not the same dog a dog is not a fighter unless its taught to be one !!
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I have a staff bullterrier things on the one show like this make
My dog look bad he goes to a nursing home with me
But people on the street don’t know this and turn there noses
Up at you because of the breed its not the dogs fault it’s the owners
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I am fed up of people with dogs treating them like they are human-dogs are ANIMALS! And their basic instinct is to protect their pack, their pack, in this domestic situation, obviously being their human owners. If the dog feels that they or a member of their pack is under threat they will attack, be it by barking madly or in extreme cases by biting. As they are so not Human, they do not have a sense of reasoning as most Humans do.
I am also fed up of dog owners telling me, when their beloved pooch is jumping and barking at me, that "it's alright he won't hurt you", not the point-I don't want the creature anywhere near me.
When I go to an open public park, within minutes, some out of control dog comes bounding towards me and my daughter; she obviously screams her head off and that worsens the situation as the dog obviously thinks there is danger and acts accordingly by barking, which is really distressing. It happens so frequently that it completely puts me off going to a park where I should be able to stroll and play with my daughter peacefully.
I have noticed on here that dog owners claim that all dogs are on leashes-they most certainly are not, and I have found that if you do reprimand an owner for not having their dog on a leash, they make out that it's you with the problem!!
I, myself, when I was 5 years old faced a dog attack which has left me terrified of dogs-A huge alsation came bounding out of its house on my way to school, it was barking and snarling and jumped up, which meant it's face and teeth were right level to my face. The owner shouted at me for screaming before grabbing the dog away. I was extremely lucky in the fact that it did not bite me, but it's an experience that I hope my daughter never has to face.
I believe that yes dog licences are a good idea, but I also think all owners should go on a proper training course with a test and if they are ever caught with an unleashed dog in a public place they should face a hefty fine-after all they can be fined for dog foul being left on the pavement.
Having said all this, there are some really responsible dog owners and I thank them for being that way.
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i own a staffordshire bull terrier, i know he's a dog not a child, he was so cute as a puppy but i knew that he would need a firm hand as he grew, with this in mind i enrolled at a dog training school, and soon realised that i was also being trained,but it worked. my dog is now 7 years old he is a very patient dog, he has never instigated a fight and if a dog 'goes' for him he never retaliates.
i have a 5 year old granddaughter and would never leave my dog alone with her, because although i trust my dog not to bite, i cannot trust my granddaughter to give the dog the respect he deserves.
i believe that all dogs should be properly trained , when i decided to buy my dog i went to the staffordshie bull terrier society and met loads of owners and dogs. until i could prove that i was serious about training my dog they wouldn't allow me to have one of theirs. of course unscrupulous breeders will sell to anyone and this is one of the problems, there will always be those who will sell and those who will buy without any regard to society.
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What is forgotten time and time again is a dog is a dog not any form of human in a furcoat, if you treat you dog like a human there natural instints take over and that is....You who the dogs sees as pack leader has become weak unable to provide for the pack so it will take over and do it for you, anything small and moving fast therfore bring the dogs prey drive in and it will attack to provide food for the pack.
how do you stop it make people take a test prior to dog ownership, inforce dog training bring back a form of dog registration and be far tougher on owners who use their dogs to scare people.
To blame the dog is the easy answer we need to look at the problem as a whole not just as a dog attack, remember whatever you paid for your dog you are sharing your home with a wolf.
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It is important to mention that The Dangerous Dogs Act was directed at American Pitt Bull Terriers and dogs akin to them. The purpose of the Act was to eradicate the breed in England. Bear in mind these dogs are not kennel club registerd so they are not a recognised breed here. All other breeds do not have to comply with this legislation so in effect they are safe. It would then be the owner to choose what to do.
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ALL STAFFY OWNERS!!!! LET COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS VILE AND DISGUSTING VIDEO OF SHOWING THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER AS A DANGEROUS DOG!
www.ofcom.org.uk
COMPLAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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These conversations really anoy me. A dog biting sum1 is either down to a bad owner or something causeing the dog to bite you, usually fear. Children and dogs need to be trained alike, putting dogs to sleep or banning them from the country will never solve the issues people are having with dogs today.
People who are generally afraid of dogs (mainly foreigners) cause more problems then dogs do by screaming and throwing their arms around just because a dog has passed them on the street. How to behave aroud dogs should be taught in school!
I agree with the fact owners should be punished for a dogs behaviour, but not that the 70 year old who has walked her yorkie to the shops for 15 years now needs to keep her dog on a lead!!
The man on the programme made a comment sayin 'if you ask for a pit bull then your not a fit dog owner' what a terrible thing to say and a bad image to give the nation. What about all the the great families taking on these dogs to get them away from bad people and stopping them being put to sleep, are these people unfit to own a dog? Bit bulls and Staffs are lovely dogs in the right hands, they can be fantastic with dogs and children.....banning the pit bull breed has had no effect on these lovely dogs being placed in the wrong hands, nor has putting them to sleep. Now if there were yearly jail sentences for teens who have these poor dogs out on rainy street corners all night long, beating them and toughening them up to be agressive to other dogs and yes people then you would have a bloody big change.
I own a 9 stone French Mastiff and she looks meaner than any pit bull terrier I can tell you. Im a 20 year old girl and I adore my dog. The day shes taken from me or made to stay on a lead and not enjoy life just because she could be a threat to people is when I lose all faith in the justice system.
3 of the banned breeds in this country are mastiff breeds. So you could potentially say I have a dangerous dog.
Teach young children and silly adults how to behave if they are worried about a dog and bring in tough concequences for people who use a dog for anything other than to love as a pet!
Dont segregate bull breeds! A golden retriever or jack russell is just as capable of biting someone if afraid or had a bad up bringing!!!
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I had the unfortunate experience of being chased by both a doberman and a rottweiller when I was younger. On both occasions I was in a public park playing around the climbing frames with my friends when the dogs appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Luckily I escaped without injury both times only from being able to climb and tree and throw things at them.
Many people seem to forget that dogs ARE NOT PEOPLE. They are domesticated animals descended from wolves. To this day I feel very uncomfortable around most dogs and get very annoyed when their owners always say the same things: "don't worry, he won't hurt you". After an attack, the comment changes to "he's never done anything like that before".
I agree with America's laws; when in public (anywhere in public) dogs should be kept on a lead at all times. I would go further and say that if the dog is classified as a dangerous breed, it should have a muzzle on it in public as well. Furthermore, dogs should never be let off the lead in public parks. I have lost count of the amount of times I read in the papers or hear on the news that a baby or small child has been attacked by a dog in public.
If a dog (any dog) attacks a human, it should be put done. We should go further and also fine the owner. It is obvious that the current dangerous dogs act hasn't been effective enough - not only have dog attack figures increased, but the law was brought in to make ownership, sale or the breeding of dangerous dogs illegal. If it's illegal, why are there more of these dogs on the street?
Dogs are animals, but their owners are not. If the dangerous dog act was revised and enforced properly, with fines and jail time for the owners, people would think twice before trying to purchase one of these so-called "pets".
How many more children have to be attacked, maimed, injured or killed before the government realises the current laws they have in place are ineffective and need to be changed?
As cruel as this sounds, it might take a politicians child, niece or nephew to be attacked before changes may actually be made.
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After watching the show tonight as i always do i was shocked that a little child was attacked by that dog. i agree with the person who said it's not the dogs its the owners. I have had german sheperds all of my life i grew up with 5 of them and never once did my adopted father have any problems with them as he trained them. but he also respected them as they did him. A lot of young people have these staffys and bulldogs as they think it gives them an image and of course most are druggies anyway and need that protection. I think that all dogs large or small should always be keep on a leash that way no more children or adults will be injured.
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How do we stop dog attacks - not by media portrayal such as you've just illustrated. Some desperately ill researched footage showing staffordshire bull terriors, and reference to 'attack dogs'. Attack dogs are dogs trained to fight. Most of the sad and desperately tragic bites that happen are not caused by dogs who have been trained to 'attack', but simply by dogs who have not been trained at all.
I am a wholly responsible dog owner who has a long history of dog ownership. Previously I used to own spanials, when my I lost my last dog I was drawn to the increasing number of staffordshire bull terriors held in dog homes. You were correct in one element - these types of dogs are often bought by young people who want status dogs, but are most sadly found abandoned when these same people no longer wish to care for them. There is NOTHING wrong with the majority of ALL BREEDS of dogs who find themselves in dog homes.
I suggest that one way to decrease instances of dog bites is if you ran an educational piece on how to rehome a dog most effectively. ie; choice of dog (including those who carry bad reputations through covereage such as yours), homes for dogs, and lifelong training.
PLEASE run a follow up piece, poor research and poor media portrayal has seriously added to the demand of staffis, rottis, and german shepherds as status dogs. Perhaps its time to educate people rather than just frighten them.
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I have a staffieshire bull cross, he is the most lovable dog i know. he is great with kids and friends with cats, he doesnt have a dangerous bone in his body but would be glad to like you to death.
Its not the type of dog thats dangerous its the owners who are a danger
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Firstly I would like to say that I hope Maurice makes a full and speedy recovery, I would also like to say that if it was my dog who had attacked him that it would have been put to sleep without question as I would never be able to trust it again.
I absolutely loved the comment by Rholburn and it is very true that there are an awful lot more out of control young people out in this cruel world of ours than there are dangerous dogs, dogs as a general rule only go out of their homes if accompanied by a human and that is where the real problem lies, not with the dogs themselves but with their owners, I have owned German Shepherds for over 40 years and not once has there ever been a problem with them around children or adults come to that, but I have encountered horrid kids throwing stones at my dogs (for fun) then on other occasions kids think it funny to bark or growl at dogs in other words 'baiting' them, fortunately I was there on both occasions to put a stop to it, but if my dogs had reacted to this baiting, who would be to blame??????? not the little brats that threw the stones or aggravated my dogs that's for sure it would be the dogs.
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As a child of six years i was also seriously bitten and not by what you consider to be a dangerous dog. It is so easy to blame the dog, when in actual fact any and every dog can be a loving family pet, if only the human on the end of the lead attends a qualified and intelligent dog trainer. Bullying and correction based training only adds fuel to the fire. I have had Staffordshire bull terriers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinscher and now a Pyrenean Mountain Dog and a Pyrenean Mastiff. I use training and food lures and have never had a problem. when i had recovered instead of my mother calling for extreme actions she focused on making sure i did not fear dog's by buying me a little mongrel (very good idea). People commit violent crimes and seem to think that is normal, at the end of the day YOU are to blame dogs do not have the same norms and values as human beings. So punish the owners and lets use some common sense.
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im a dog owner of a 7 year old staff and have always been around dogs.
I disagree that all dogs should be kept on the lead in public palces. Dogs need to release their energy and have a good run around. They are dogs and they need to be outside with other dogs. keeping all the dogs in one area will just result in more dos fights.
The people that think all dogs should be kept on leads are partly to blame for there aggresive behaviour. it is a known fact that all dogs need to be socialised so they learn how to behave!
It is not a logical or practical solution that owners need to pass a test as alot of these dogs e.g pit bulls are being brought in illegally and being bred so if there buying illegeal dogs how would a licence help?
All you have to do is look around and it will become obvious that allot of these dogs are owned by young men or boys who onli have them for status, breeding or fighting purposes.
when a dog is bought for fighting purposes they are taught from a young age they dogs dont come from caring homes and often live quite a rough life.
They are taught not to distinguish between humans and toys. They are taught to kill young pups (bate) and are often beaten to get the agression out of them.
The dog is the owners responsiblity just how a child is the parents.
Its not hard to distinguish between pit bulls and staff. A puppy Pit is like the size of a fully grown staff!!!
I think with the right training park keepers should be given the right to destroy illegal dogs. Or they should have policemen who are apart of the Met roming the parks with the authority to destroys the dogs. No paper work needed. This will not stop people from owning these dogs but it will let the owners know that theses dogs will be killed and that they are not welcome in our parks. The are a threat to other dog owners and to peoples children.
In closing i would just like to point out that its no only "dangerous looking" dogs that are aggresive.
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My dughter was attacked by a japanese akita last year and has a scared face fom it, i dont want ne more people to go through the pain of that again, its horiffic! i always grew up with dogs but now live in fear of most dogs due to the owners, ignorance if you cant look after your dog tidy DONT have them!
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It's already illegal for a dog to be out of control in a public place. It's illegal for any breed of dog to do what the dog in the story did, but as it happens, it's illegal for a pit bull to be off lead and unmuzzled in the UK too.
The owner of this dog was already breaking 2 laws. If there was a universal leash law, then he would have been breaking 3 of them and the child would be not one whit safer.
Making laws that will be observed only by the law-abiding doesn't make anyone safer.
Anyone who knows dogs knows that well trained, well exercised dogs that are used to different situations and different people are safe dogs.
Bring in a universal leash law and you will see attacks rise further, as it becomes more difficult for owners to properly exercise and socialise their dogs, and more difficult for parents who do not own dogs to give their children proper experience of how to appropriately interact with animals.
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Whilst I have every sympathy with anyone who has been hurt or indeed even killed by a dog people must realise that dogs are animals and in some cases when not properly trained or handled can and will attack.
Whilst the perception is that say a "poodle" is unlikely to attack whilst a "pitbull terrier" will attack is too miss the point! Every dog has the ability to attack often caused but not soley due to bad training and handling. In some cases it could be for a underlying medical reason that the owner is unaware of or has just presented itself but this is rare in my opinion?
I own 8 dogs, a mixture of Labs and English springers and an elderly boxer dog (who in her time has been mistaken for a pitbull terrier) these are used for hunting and shooting reasons, flushing game or retrieving shot game etc. As well as competing in field trials.
It is the ability to have the time, correct training and patience that makes a well behaved dog, sadly there are to many people who want a dog for more sinister reasons. As someone has already said, "do you ban all Vauxhall Novas" because an 18 year old has killed someone whilst driving it drunk or high on drugs?
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My son was attacked by a dog on the lead, the owner said he was friendlyand allowed my son to stroke him. The dog took a chunk out of his T-shirt as he stood up, if he had been any slower it would have been his face. Dogs should be on the lead and muzzled when out.
I have a large dog and he is walk on the lead with a muzzle. He is not let off the lead without the muzzle, not that he is aggressive, but you never know. Owners are responsible for their dogs behaviour at the end of the day and I as an owner would hate it if my dog attacked a child because I didn't take the necessary precautions. Dogs can be dangerous.
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To say all dogs should be muzzled is absolutely pathetic! If that is not animal cruelty I do not know what is.
I have a springer spaniel and a lab and there is no way you can keep these dogs on leads at all time, they need to run and work. keeping them restrained would be cruel and against their nature.
These so called designated parks would be few and far between, the dog in the feature had "gone into a playground" obviously where it should not have been.
In winter all the kids and happy families are no where near the parks when it rains and is miserable, it is the dog owners that use them and enjoy them most.
Start punishing owners and not the animals!!
More dog wardens would be a good start most counties only have 1.
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I agree that dogs should be kept on a lead . my son was at a beach in anglesey playing in the sea when a dog jumped up at him and bit him on his side.He has 2 puncture marks where it's teeth caught him. The owner was very apologetic but nevertheles it should not of hapenend.
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All dog breeds known to be dangerous should be made to wear muzzles at all times, and in the least have a lead. However, a lead initself will not prevent the dog from overpowering their owner (not necessarily in relation to smaller breeds) so the muzzles must me made an neccessity!!!!!
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As usual it's the dogs that get the blame. Is it not about time people woke up and realise it's the owner's at fault. I believe the owners should be prosecuted.
YES, I believe dogs should be kept on leads at all times, there is a wide variety of extending leads on the market that extend up to 28'. I have a German Shepherd Dog who is a fantastic family dog but is very protective when I take him out and does not like strangers or dogs. For this reason he is constantly on a lead in public and then an extending lead when in the local woods.
In no means am I perfect, but I know what my dog is like and take the precautions to protect myself and others.
Is it no wonder that dangerous dog numbers has risen when you take into account how violence with people is getting out of control at same time.
I do not expect others to agree but this is my opion.
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This is the sort of over-reaction that seems to be becoming the norm these days. If something bad happens, someone invariably proposes an extreme and often hysterical response that punishes the responsible as well as the negligent and thoughtless.
Although I do keep my dog on a lead at all times in public places, this should definitely not be made compulsory. Aside from any other considerations, we have a police force that has virtually given up on crime prevention or detection; do we really want to offer them still more "soft targets" to boost their statistics?
Whilst any attack by a dog is regretable, they represent a relatively small danger to the public when compared to the drunken teenage hooligans that make our streets unsafe. I would be far more sympathetic if more parents took action to keep their offspring under proper control.
Punish the bad owners, not the responsible ones or their dogs.[
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I have a young lurcher who needs to run everyday so lead only excercise would be impractical for this type of breed. She has been a delight to my children and a great support to them during a difficult divorce. I live in a rural area so she gets to run in areas with very few people. She loves meeting people, especially children but media articles of this type engender fear in the public of dogs generally. This is unhelpful and possibly causes problems between poorly trained dogs and frightened members of the public. Of course humans come first but hysteria and new laws turn us into a frightened, risk-averse society. Muzzling a dog means they can no longer catch a ball or play properly with eachother. So lets remember that dogs do a lot of good for humans. Whilst no one should want an aggressive dog lets please cope with the odd friendly sniff in our increasingly uptight world.
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all, i am so fed up with all this . we own 3 rottweilers and its not the dogs that are the problem its actually the owners . people simply do not know how to treat or train dogs , and come to think about it adults dont know how to keep children under control . the staffies,rotts,alsatians and other breeds get such a lot of stick and i am growing fed up of it . our dogs are family pets and yes i hear you say BUT !! , but let me tell you this we would not allow our dogs near a childs playground and we would never allow our dogs off the lead . WHY ? BECAUSE WE RESPECT OUR DOGS AND WE ARE RESPECTABLE OWNERS .
Stop all this rubbish and get down to sorting the real problem out - cult owners who think they need a animal by their side .
sorry but i am so damn annoyed .
we also own 4 cats , and its the cats that own our house . so whats next cat killers !!!
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I feel that all dogs should be kept on a lead at all times - only being let off in designated dog walking areas or privately owned fields etc.
I was walking my dog on lead when we where attacked by a doberman and a collie - both off lead, just came running up and attacked - my bitch was only 6 months old, the owners (2 men just walked away) I ended up having to lie on top of her to stop them from biting. I am very nervous of dogs off lead.
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I live in the country and country folks think here think they have all the rights, their dogs can walk freely on the roads in front of my car and they do nothing, they can escape and wander around the forest, nothing done, they can attack my dogs and the dog wardens/forestry commission/council do nothing. I took photographs of my bruised arm after I was dragged by my dog who defended himself against a vicious terrier who decided to launch itself at him. My dog was on lead at the time but that doesn't matter. Their dogs can wander right up to mine and growl right in his face and they do nothing. My dog has become mistrustful of other dogs and will not tolerate another dog in his face. He was socialised from 10 weeks of age and has a fantastic disposition. His mistrust is a result of other bad owners. We have had horses bolting due to out of control dogs too. Nothing is done. Nobody takes action. And good dogs with responsible owners are put in the same crappy category as these lazy individuals who have no business having a dog.
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The dog owners are those who need the training.
All dogs to be on leads when in public places is not the answer; how many dog owners have you seen being towed along by their dog? Far too many I suggest.
All dogs in public places wearing muzzles is the better answer. It's not a preferred option, but the best solution. Even very small dogs can cause permanent damage to the faces of little ones.
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I will be complaining about the fact that once again Staffies have been shown in a bad light because some moronic researched couldn't be bothered to do his job!
If you wish to complain go to this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/complaints
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I am one that metioned dog licences, not for the Goverment to get the funds but to help dogs homes and re-homing. ................
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Would you like to have dangerous dogs being breed in your neighbourhood and illegally? With the authorities not taking the situation seriously. Accidents are waiting to happen and it could be you or your child.
Dangerous dogs are not meant to be pets
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No-one would deny that for the mother and child concerned in this event it was a highly traumatic and very frightening experience. Undoubtedly there are more cases like this.
However, we simply must must must keep this all in perspective. Dogs are social creatures, provide not only considerable companionship to many needy owners, but also provide valuable services to humans; ironically in the context of this argument, also life saving and life enhancing services. There are millions of dogs in this country and millions of dog owners. There are literally billions of human/dog minutes of interaction evry year yet one or two isolated events like this grab all the headlines. It is simply unfair on dogs to have them either permanently leashed or muzzled and morally unacceptable. Unfortunate parents will inevitably have the moral high ground when demanding such measures, yet where is the justification for ruining the lives of millions of dogs by stopping their freedom and curtailing the delight of thousands of dog owners reaping the uplifting benefits of watching their dogs play unrestricted? Humans took on dogs as their companions of choice for their own selfish reasons, no-one has the right now to bring in draconian laws relating to their treatment. Why do we even debate these nanny state issues? The safest roads are those with no cars on them. Henceforth, should we ban cars from roads? No. I love children and have 3 of my own, but absolutely no way do I want everyone elses lives (including animals) made miserable in order to overprotect my kids from the 0.00000000000000001% likelihood of them encountering a dangerous dog that attacks them. Severe punishment for poor ownership is the answer. Permanent leashes and muzzles are not.
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I THINK YOU ARE VERY STEREO TYPE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE MONANING ABOUT DOGS DONT EVEN OWN ONE, AS FOR THE PRAT ABOVE HE MUST BE TAKING ABOUT THE SMELLY DOGS, HE GOES OUT WITH, AND HAVE PRAT FREE ZONES BUT WE DONT, AND PUT THEM IN A MUZZLE, TO SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT,
I HAVE OWED STAFFIES FOR TWENTY FIVE YEARS I HAVE NEEVER HAD ONE BIT OR EVEN THINK OF BITING, YET YOU ALWAYS SHOW STAFFIES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DANGEROUS DOGS,
ALL BREEDS OF DOGS BITE BUT THE ONLY ONES YOU ADVERTISE ARE ROTTIES,STAFFIES AND DOGS LIKE THAT,
THE WORSE OFFENDERS ARE, JACKRUSSELLS, BORDER COLLIES, YORKIES.
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The Kennel Club agrees that it is the owner's fault and nothing to do with the breed. The Dangerous Dogs Act needs a complete overhaul to be effective. For more information on the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group and what it is proposing click on the link below:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=1222
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I agree that something needs to be done about dangerous dogs, as they are getting more and more. But I do think it is the owners fault and not always the dogs.
These dogs are owned by nasty people who want them to attack and fight and make them do it, so they do not know any better. They are badly treated and beaten and think it is normal to fight and attack.
I have a dog and it has been attacked 7 times in the past and most of the owners do not give a damm. You may say its only dog on dog but if these dogs attack mine so easily then they will do the same to a human. The people who own these dogs do not take any notice of laws or regulations so putting more laws in place will make NO difference and saying all dogs should be on leads again they will not take any notice of and it will just punish the friendly dogd of which there are a far bigger %. We have laws that people should not own these dogd but they do. We have laws that they should be muzzled but they are not and once there has been an attack it is very hard to find the dog in question. So what makes you think making them be on a lead will change any of this. I now take a mental bar out with me when i walk my dog and have to be on alert all the time looking around to see if there are any other dogs around so gone are the days when you take the dog for a relaxing walk, its not much fun at all. But I love my dog more than anything and will always be a dog lover and owner.
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why oh why were the images shown on the one show tonight mostly of staffordshire bull terriers???? since when has a staffordshire bull terrier been classed as an attack dog?
mmm my staffordshire is more of a lap dog always on my childs lap,
never has he once turned a lip or growled at either human or animal,
why not show images of yorkshire terriers or westies, no cos that wont hit headlines will it !! these little dogs can also attack just as much as larger breeds and can do as much damage! i know from personal experience as my stafford was attacked by a westie which nearly tore his lip off.
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I am one of those 'yobs' whom own a english bull terrier. Firstly it is discriminated to put me in the catergory of 'yob' just because i am a 19 year old girl with bleached blonde hair! I am a professional, have a good paid job but still considered one as i am a young. My point is, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. We should label this dogs as 'attackers'. I am a responsible dog owner but it is the media whom has made this exploxde into a war on dogs. Untill you have owned a Bull Terrier, you shouldn't judge. My mum's neighbour owns FOUR Labs and they ripped a local cat apart! Now should they be classed as a 'Attack dog?' I totally agree that dogs should be leashed in public, i already do (common sense).
I wouldn't let my Dog out of my sight, why would you let your child?
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Beverley - Kendal
The dog owners are those who need the training.
All dogs to be on leads when in public places is not the answer; how many dog owners have you seen being towed along by their dog? Far too many I suggest.
All dogs in public places wearing muzzles is the better answer. It's not a preferred option, but the best solution. Even very small dogs can cause permanent damage to the faces of little ones.
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I have a german shepherd who bites other dogs but loves people, i never walk her without a muzzle,then she can't bite at all.WHY can't it be made law that all dogs,whatever their breed are muzzled when out in a public place.
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as a staffordshire bull terrier owner i am sick of people blaming all dog attacks on staffies! i have had numerous staffies and i have two young children, my staffies have never ever shown aggression to any of my children!!! they are belive it or not a gentle breed! one of their nicknames is a nanny dog because they are good with children, he is so soft with my children all he could be guilty of is licking my children to death!!!
bull terriers and pit bull's are two different breeds altogether, it's the way the dog's are brought up by the owner's, a labrador can be just as aggressive in the wrong owner's hand's!
i belive it should be the owner's who need training and prosecuting for the dog attacks!!! also banned for life from owning so called aggressive breeds.
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It is all down to the owners how a dog behaves,stupid folks have stupid (dangerous) dogs.
I have 2 very sweet Rottweiler/Akitas,we are about to enter into a pets as therapy program because they are so steady and loving toward folks.
They are regularly aproached by kids and enjoy their encounters,indeed the kids from the local primary school are always delighted to have the chance to throw a ball for them or have a cuddle with the dogs,but as a responsible owner I would never allow my dogs to be left alone with kids,ever.
I am unable to offer a solution to this problem but worry how Nanook and Murphy would get enough excercise if restricted to a lead,they have 2 hours free running every day.
It's not their fault (or mine) that the UK is full of 'sidewalk commandos' who have a dog as means to making themselves look 'hard',get them off the streets and many of the bad dogs will go as essentially this is a problem rooted in our society.
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It seems that although these attacks are inexcusable. The portrayal of pit bulls and other dogs such as the staffy are increasingly becoming all tarred with the same brush.
People have to rembember that if you are a responsible owner and train your dog properly!. Then such attacks will not take place.
I am a very proud owner of a staffy and she is the most delightful and most gentle dog I have ever had.
The media need to stop blaming the animal itself and pay more attention to the owner.
This issue raised into tonights film was an extremely poor view and increase an unfair negative public opinion of these breeds that can be the most loving and most effectionate.
Shame on you!
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Some of the people on this blog know what they're on about. Sadly, the rest haven't got a solitary clue. I am the owner of two BEST IN SHOW Staffordshire Bull Terriers and I am extremely proud of them. They KNOW what they can and can't do. Before you say, How can a dog KNOW, just do me a favour. Check that you actually own, or have owned a dog. My pair are very, very well trained and I know they are as I trained them. If the law want to clamp down on awful and bad types of dog OWNERS, put them through a test. Do you want to drive? Then take the driving test. Before that, you absolutely will not know what you are doing. ALL potential owners should be vetted and monitored to ensure that they are responsible enough, old enough and that they care enough to clean up after their dogs. Parents will know what I'm saying. They clean up their babies because they are responsible parents. DO NOT HAVE THE TEMERITY TO BLAME THE DOG, REGARDLESS OF BREED. It simply isn't their fault. Compulsory insurance, tests, monitoring and suitability checks should be introduced, not just carte blanche banning of breeds because it really does not work and I know it doesn't. I know of 5 pit bulls in my city and they are all well trained, beautiful dogs. Don't jump on this pathetic band wagon and demand the demise of breeds. Perhaps people like that would have all dogs banned. That way, we can really shut these mindless cretins up as they'd have nothing to complain about.
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OK, so I own an English x boxer dog, because he has English bull terrier in him does that make him a dangerous dog??? Or the fact that he is well trained, well looked after, and well behaved, is he a dangerous dog??The fact that he plays with my neighbors kids in fact most kids love him, and he's won lots over that where originally scared of dogs to,
I exercise him every day off the lead, does this make me a bad dog owner?? or a responsible on as he doesnt have lots of pent up energy??
or it could it be the FACT that the same yobs that wont work for a living, pay insurance and drive like Micheal Schumacher around school gates, get a Staffy/English/pit bull/all the other so called dangerous dogs, Of course there is no need to sad dog a "good kicking" will work every time. I know this sort as I lived among the "scrotes for 10 years"
Why do some people label all dogs?? I personally find that little dogs are the worst for attacks? just today while walking sly on the lead to my local shop maybe 10 Min's away he was attacked by 1 Scottie dog, 1 jack Russel, and 2 Yorkies, but guess what I don't want em put down I want em bloody trained!!!!!!!!!
During the programme I watched 1 guy say all owners should be asked the type of dog they would like, and should they say a pitbull then they should be refused, well I want a pitbull so I can personally train it to be a great dog to show all the small minded people out there that its not the dog its the Idiot that owns it,
Yvonne, Castleford
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Hi, Firstly can I say to the mother of the little boy featured on the show my best wishes for a good recovery. It must have been an awful experience.
My eldest son is now 20 years of age and there was a big issue when he was a small toddler with dangerous dogs. I live in South Yorkshire and we are lucky to have places such as Sherwood Forest and Clumber Park. However it was always very stressful because there would be dogs such as Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweillers etc would be roaming the parks with no lead and a complete lack of common sense from the owner.
I agree with the gentleman on the show that its not usually the dog it is the owner. The best way forward would be that all dogs are on leads. It is very frustrating to go to a Park and signs say dogs must be on leads and they are not- no one is there to protect the children.
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Lets look at the evidence. . . .after reading many small minded coments about people insisting dogs should be kept on a lead at all times with i think is grossly unfair ive come up with a brain wave . . . . kids who cant behave themselves in supermarkets running riot,screaming etc etc etc lets lock them indoors till they learn their lesson. . . .now how much public outcry would there be . . . . .LOTS !!!!!! i dont see anybody backing the animal world who cannot and i repeat CANNOT speak for themselves Why dont people live in the 21st century instead of the archaeic times they are stuck in DOGS NEED REGULAR EXERCISE otherwise they will become frustrated . . . . .GETTING THE PICTURE. . . .angry blah blah blah As a co responsible dog owner i back my partners comments 110% and our STAFFIE Billy would welcome a visit from who ever wanted to meet him but i warn you bring plenty of kitchen towel he will LICK YOU TO DEATH not tear your throat out . . . . .Enough said Iain c/o Brightonshaz
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i think it is a fantastic idea that all dogs should be on a lead UNLESS you can proove that a dog can be controlled with ease! i own a german sheppard and he is the best dog off the lead and he listens to EVERY command IF an owner can proove this then they should be given a "pass" of some sort to say this.
i do feel there are some proposturious ideas on here like dogs with muzzles that is barbarric i personally think a harness is surfice.
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i do a lot of work with the police - would you be surprised if i told you that standard poodles are actually the worse offending dogs . they are mentally unstable . all the dogs you mention above are good at being trained . hence why people like them .
please lets not get personal - we are all here because we have a passion for animals .
lets sort out the real problem
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I consider myself a responsible dog owner of many years, all my dogs have known I'm the pack leader, in public areas she is kept on the lead, when letting her of the lead I avoid places I know parents take their children not because she is dangerous but because she's had little exposure to small children, they run about and have high pitched voices which makes her bark, I dont think she would bite but I'm not prepared to take that chance. It's the old story we all get tarred with the same brush. Bad dog owners are the minority, I meet good dog owners every day. As regard a licence, have a thought to the pensioners who dont have much money and would find it difficult to pay, their pets are a lifeline, it gets them out, they meet and talk to other dog people perhaps the only people they see week in and week out.
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Just for good measure I'd like the kid that had no insurance an drove like an Idiot and knocked me off my motorbike to be shot!!!! and that's from a responsible dog owner to an all round Idiot who owns staffies and drives without insurance, tax ect ect
thanks
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So the BBC and the GBP want to create yet another monster!
Dogs on leads- Muzzled- etc etc etc. And the result = Unsocialized and frustrated through poor exercise regimed dogs = more dangerous dogs.
Training and Licencing at a cost high enough to ensure effective policing is the way forward.
I am a responsible dog owner but am as disgusted by some of the comments from so called dog lovers as I am from some opponents.
Ride a dog like a donkey and pull it around! That's truly irresponsible!
And separating dog owners from the rest of society as if we are a different and somewhat lower form human is reprehensible.
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When the dangerous dog act came into effect I already owned an american pit bull who at the time was 3yrs old and I paid the money to get him castrated, chipped and tatooed because he was a well loved pet, I had that dog for 13 loyal yrs in which I brought up 3 children with him always around, and he never had the inclination to bite people or other dogs. Its not the poor dogs although they always get the blame, in the wrong hands even the lovable jack russel has the potential to cause serious damage to small children. There should be more vetting of suitable pet owners, all dogs should be chipped by law so you always know who the owners are. its just so easy to get a dog and spoil it then just dump it somewhere without a care of what it would do afterwards.
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November last year I was riding my horse in Richmond, near Ham Polo club, an area frequented by very many horses. As I walked around Ham Lands I spotted in the distance (40 yards) 2 men calling a dog. Suddenly a smallish brown dog shot out of the woodlands, went straight for us growling and snarling and sank his teeth into my horses leg. The horse took off, the dog behind us, sometimes infront of us and beside us, trying to leap at the horses neck or genitals. Luckily we were on a large football field and I managed to keep on the horse and turn him at the road end to prevent him bolting across the road. The owners were nowhere to be seen. To say I was terrified is an understatement. I knew if I came off I might break my neck and if the horse stopped in exhaustion the dog would almost certainly kill him. At one point I looked down and saw the dog hanging by his teeth off my foot. After 15 mins the owners 'wandered' onto the field and called the dog off. One of them led me back to the yard as I could barely speak. To cut a long story short, he gave a false name and address, after telling us that the dog was a rescue dog,- a pit bull/ ridgeback cross. After a newspaper appeal he and his boyfriend were identified and charged. The dog had been given away to a 'friend' in Brixton by then! I was persuaded by the police to prosecute, if only to prevent this happening next time to a child. I spent hours doing statements etc until finally the cps decided not to prosecute,- no witnesses and their word against mine. Their 'story' was that I took my foot out of the stirrup and kicked the dog in the face for no reason whatever. Impossible if you measure the height of the dog and my foot height from the saddle. 2 against one. I was hundreds of pounds out of pocket. Horse vet bills; ruined boots and of course medical treatment for me and a foot that became infected despite tetanus injections. Couldn't walk for a month. I got not even an apology! Indeed the 2 men laughed at me as they passed me once in the car.
If I had been scarred for life or broken my neck or the horse had died the cps MIGHT have prosecuted. Its just not good enough. I never wanted the dog put down, I just wanted to be sure that this dog would ALWAYS be kept on a lead in future and the owners made to behave responsibly. A ridgeback is, after all, a dog genetically programmed to hunt and kill lions!
I remain fairly traumatised, as does the horse, when we see any dog running free. It was months before we dared to go out again alone.
I think this dog will attack again, but what can I do? I tried my best but the law is an ass. Those responsible got nothing worse than a ticking off. We need new laws to protect us.
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I think talking about more legislation for this serious problem is wishfull thinking, there is no resources to enforce whatever new laws may be dreamt up.
This is just another indication on how dysfunctional British society has become. This problem is compounded by so called animal lovers humanising pets.
If an out of control dog savaged one of my children I would expect it to be destroyed, whoever the owner is.
Think about how these problems are sorted in countries where they don't discuss everything to the umteenth degree.
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I am the owner of two dogs, both very sweet natured, one a little nervous of other dogs. When we take them for walks they are always on their leads, we use the extendable ones, fortunately we have a big garden and they are only small breeds so it is ample. We constantly are pestered by other peoples dogs, their owners calling them endlessly as their dogs happily ignore them and intimidate our dogs. If they have to call their dogs over on numerous occasions only to be ignored and then walk over to put their leads on and drag them away you would think that would tell them something but apparently not. Designated areas for free running would be a much more sensible idea and legislation to keep dogs on leads in all other areas would be ideal. Our son is now 1 and this story horrifies me. He is now at the age where he is learning to walk and wants to walk everywhere, I feel anxious to do that when we walk the dogs because of irresponsible owners. I LOVE dogs but I am irritated by owners who allow their pets to urinate on people and I have seen this twice!! I am irritated by owners who allow their pets to interrupt family picnics, I am irritated by owners who allow their pets to intimidate and attack other dogs or children. A lot of brilliant responsible owners have responded to this defending their animals but the real problem owners won't bother. We ban dogs from the beach during the summer months because a few irresponsible owners will not pick up after their animals and yet some people believe it would be unfair to take the same approach regarding leads when the main aim is to protect innocent children from being attacked.
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MEDIA MISREPRESENTATION:
I agree regarding the media's constant misrepresentation of staffordshire bull terriers - showing pictures of them and claiming that they are illegal pitbulls and the implication that they are dangerous dogs.
ACTUAL STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER TEMPERAMENT:
Anyone who actually knows anything about staffys would tell you they are amazing family pets, great with children, are incredibly friendly with people and want to please people more than anything. I will be training my staffy as a therapy dog for people scared of dogs or for those who are elderly or with disabilities, everyone comments how balanced, calm and predictable he is. There is nothing about his behaviour I could want to improve. He always plays with other dogs, comes immediately to me, goes everywhere society still allows me to take him, and I encourage children and people to stroke him at every opportunity. Too many people are scared and prejudiced against certain dog breeds because they believe what they see on t.v.
DOG FIGHTING HISTORY:
These dogs can't help their unfortunate history of being used in bear baiting or dog fights, they are not naturally aggressive, they only fought because of their strong need for human approval and being encouraged to do so!
EVIDENCE ITS NOT THE BREED:
If any of you have seen the dog whisperer you would see him with large packs of pitbulls, staffys and all the dogs claimed to be dangerous, in a harmonious, peaceful and unthreatening state. The dog whisperer consistently demonstrates that understanding and controlling dogs by using their psychology and not treating them like humans, creates safe family pets.
DISPELLING MYTHS ABOUT PREVIOUSLY DANGEROUS DOGS:
My rescue staffy was previously on a short lead all the time, therefore not socialised. When we got him, he came across dominantly, making other dogs scared, then he felt threatened and attacked in response. At the age of 5, after a couple of months of using the dog whisperer techniques, (lie down and roll over to be submissive) he has consistently walked away from other dogs for a year now if they attempt to fight with him, because he knows we are the alphas in the pack and he has clear boundaries that fighting is not acceptable. He also has his tackle fully intact. Its not the breed, the age or even not being 'done' - its purely how stable the pack is, how consistent boundaries and training are and understanding of dog psychology!
SMALLER 'FLUFFY' DOGS OFTEN MORE DANGEROUS IN TEMPERAMENT WHEN UNTRAINED:
However, I saw a cockerspaniel go for a small boy yesterday, perhaps they should be shown whenever dangerous dogs are mentioned in the media and classified as dangerous dogs too? the cockerspaniel was far less safe than my staffy, yet all the mothers stated how cute he was and let their children go near him, keeping a distance from my very friendly and predictable dog! (the cockerspaniel was upset because the children smothered him when on a lead so he felt threatened - which the owner didnt even realise).
LEADS CREATE ANXIETY AND AGGRESSION:
Many dog owners will note how their dogs feel more threatened by the lack of control when on a lead, which makes dogs display anxiety aggression. Especially when owners pull tightly if THEY are anxious. I'm sure those who want dogs on a lead don't understand dogs or know how to discipline them appropriately. Education is empowering, people always fear what they don't understand. Not to mention that if all dogs were kept on leads, it would seriously deteriorate the freedom and quality of life of well behaved and trained dogs. I welcome anyone who believes dogs should all be kept on leads to explain their great dirth of understanding of dog behaviour?
IDIOTS OWNING STOCKY DOGS - ALL FOR OWNERSHIP TESTS, EDUCATION AND MONITORING!
It is true that a lot of idiots do own dogs that are more muscular with more potential to do damage, these people try to make themselves look hard and often fail when their dog fears them and would probably cower if the person was actually threatened. They often mistreat these dogs, or not provide clear training and boundaries, through lack of knowledge or poor intentions, if children were left to raise themselves, i'm sure they would not achieve what we consider 'good behaviour' either. I feel that ownership tests, training and monitoring would protect my own well behaved staffy and people's children from such dogs. This would also dispel prejudice and irrational fear against dog breeds. I would then be able to take my dog in pubs again, to festivals and all the places they are discriminated against because we would know that those owning them would have the tools to keep them under control!
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how many kids die every year due to horse accidents? ban horses. How many die due to bee stings? ban bee`s, one death is one death to many, safety first.
Lets make the world a sadder place and kill/muzzle/ban all the dogs. Regardless, shot gun blanket approach. same for speeding, ban all cars, life is to valuable?
Theres more dog attacks for the same reason theres more teenage pregnancys, more debt, more fat people, etc etc theres more people that just don`t face upto lifes responsibilities! like training the dog and not using it as a weapon/toy etc
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First of all - comment 18: Why have a dog put down for killing a rabbit?! It is their instinct. People eat rabbit! Being a pet makes no difference to the dog - the rabbit is prey and the dog is the predator. People keep cows as pets but people also kill and eat cows. My beautifully behaved greyhound would definately kill a rabbit given the chance - it is in his breed and although it can be trained out, i do not see the need!
Comment 7 : I know what you mean about the media giving a bad name to Staffies, Bullies and Rotties - they need to stop getting them confused!!
Muzzling and keeping a lead on a dog in a public place is an AWFUL idea.
Muzzles and leads can make some dogs feel vunerable and can be more agressive on lead as they feel that they are in danger. Secondly, if a muzzled dog was attacked by another dog, it would have no way of defending itself and woud more than likely end up killed.
As for keeping on a lead...!! If my boy was forced to only walk on lead, he would go mad! It can in no way give sufficient excersise - especially for terriers, hounds and working dogs- and would lead to dogs with so much pent-up energy that they are bound to be more agressive!
Statistics have shown (yes, i know - hardly scientific!) that it is the smaller breeds such as the Chiuahuah, Dachsund and terrier types that are most likely to bite.
All the Bull types i have come across have been the most well behaved, loving and patient dogs, even with my greyhound nipping their ears and tails (in his puppy days!). It is only smaller dogs that have had problems with my dog.
Big dogs are usually the more gentle dogs - Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes and Dogue De Bordeaux's are among some of the most wonderful breeds that i have been lucky enough to meet.
I definately believe that it is the owner at fault. My rescue dog was an awful 'biter' in his puppyhood and teenage years. Even the shelter's expert dog trainers could not put him 'right'. They told us that he would be a handful, take a lot of patience and need firm and consistent handling. Lo and behold, it paid off and our once dreadful dog has become the most wonderful gentleman. Just today he was surrounded by 4 and 5 year olds (supervised, naturally) and just stood silently and calmly while they went about their fussing. He has gone from the dog from hell to a wonderful family member. If he had been with a family that did not train him sufficiently, then i am in no doubt that he would have bitten or at least been agressive.
Of course, i would NEVER trust ANY dog - regardless of breed, history, temperment - with a child unsupervised.
If Breed Specific Legislation is the answer then surely all dogs that have so much as growled when their favorite bone is taken away, should be put down.
Runners, children and adults should all be taught about dog behaviours.
If a cyclist or a jogger is being chased by a dog, they should stop and stay STILL until the dog's owner comes to fetch it - don't run away from it!!
Chase instinct in all dogs is high and running away makes it worse.
Parents - teach your children the basics of dog psycology (no, i'm not a preacher for Ceaser Milan). They should not go up to strange dogs (the height of children means they are at eye level - very threatening to a dog) and should not run from them or move fast around them. They should look away and walk away sloooowwly.
And please, adults, children and everybody, don't shout or scream or panic if a dog charges towards you! Stay calm and the dog will respect that.
All dogs - from Pitbull Terrier to Labrador, Japanese Tosa to Beagle - have the potential to kill; of course they do - any animal does, but they also have the potential to be loving companions with not onee bad bone. If they are trained well enough they can all be perfect pets.
Olivia
Northants
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WHY can't it be made law that all dogs,whatever their breed are muzzled when out in a public place.
-because many dogs need to play ball in order to get sufficient exercise and mental stimulation.
- because some dogs have a face shape that makes it very difficult to find a muzzle that fits comfortably without rubbing painfully
- because muzzles can be dangerous if the dog needs to vomit, unless they can be removed as required.
- because muzzles can be incompatible with some medical conditions
- because a dog can still do considerable damage when muzzled.
- because people often react with fear to the sight of a muzzled dog. Dogs pick up on this.
But most importantly:
- because most dogs prefer not to be muzzled and only a very small number of dogs require muzzling to be safe. It's a tool, not a substitute for training.
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The answers to todays problems are always draconian, hit everyone hard, the good and the bad together. Responsible owners with well kept dogs are not a problem. It is the minority on the edge of society who cause the problems but yet again everyone is lumped in with the lowest common denominator.
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It is most unfair to show footage and pictures of Staffies when talking about 'dangerous dogs'!!! We have 2 staffies, both of which are loving and loyal. One is a rescue dog from the RSPCA who does have issues due to the poor ownership he rec'd before. That is not the dogs fault, it was the 'dangerous owner' he had before us!!!! maybe we should muzzle the dangerous owners instead of the dogs!!! Last year in Cornwall there was a case where a young child was mauled by a springer spaniel, funny how there is no footage of these dogs on the video tape. Staffordshire Bull Terriers are no more dangerous that any other dog. All dogs need to be exercised regularly and responsibly to enable them to be happy and contented FAMILY pets. I don't think it is a bad thing to have dogs on leads in public places - we always do anyway - but they should be allowed free running in the appropriate places. Stop picking on staffies, give them a break, they are only as dangerous as their owners make them, same as all dogs!!!!!
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Right lets see if words can do justice to how I feel right now ...
I'm furious that people can be so narrow minded in the fact that they want to ban just one breed of dog. Where as all are as bad as the others!
Dogs behaviour in my opinion is a reflection of how the owners act and train them! I've got a bull terrier cross, with all the terrier traits! Yet i've trained her to be calm, walk off the lead, responds to my call and does everything I say. My cousin is about 5'0 and must weigh about 8stone max, and she owns a german shepard weighing about 50kg, and he's under her total control! Her friend owns a pit bull which weighs in at over 9 stone, it's well trained even though it is extremely intimidating!
Again and again I will stand by my words that a dog is a direct reflection of the owners personality and up bringing. A lot of the time dogs are trying to defend their owners, loyalty and all that. Guess nobody watches dog borstal or anything like that?
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It is the owners who are responsible for how their dogs behave and therefore must take the rap for any crimes and misdemeanors their dogs may incur.
Dog trainers and behaviourists are out there to help all dog owners, understand how a dog views and responds to the world,
and how we can then effectively communicate with them and ultimately get the best out of them, both mentally and physically...happy dog, happy owner.
There is so much information to be obtained in various media, there really can be NO excuse.
In this matter therefore, Kenneth Baker should be listening and acting on the superior knowledge of our canine experts in how best to deal with the situation now and for the future.
What a pity that England is becoming such a heavily POLICED STATE, where the idea of living is an ever increasing web of 'YOU CANNOTS'. ..and where subject ignorant people get the last word and also get their way..... and that includes the BLOODY IDIOTS who think the answer is putting dogs on leads at all times.
IF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OF DOG BITES or
IF YOU DONT HAVE DOGS OR YOU HAVE NO PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THEM, YOU REALLY DONT POSSESS THE RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE TO POST A HELPFUL COMMENT DO YOU?
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Surely keeping dogs on leads in public parks that have play areas and being able to let dogs run in specific areas of larger park and in woodland and commons would be an acceptable compromise. I know my 6 year old son would be very upset if he couldn't run and play with our German Shepherd.
The only reaction to any sort of tragedy in this country is to ban something, not address the root of the problem in an intelligent fashion. Whatever the solution be it draconian licensing, banning dogs off leads, suitability checks has to be policed effectively and this requires money and legislation. Where is that going to come from?
All pets should be licensed and a fee paid accordingly to the vet once a year. If a pet is not microchipped and vacinated and licensed every year then action can be taken against the owner. it would also enable vets to point out any unsuitable owners. All dogwardens/police then need is a scanner to read the chip.
I would suggest £250 a year for a dog.
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Attack dogs are a City phenomena, you just don't see those breeds in the country.
Owners tend to be from lower social classes(sorry but that is a fact) with less respect for anything around them.Owners need to be held to account, the dogs don't know any better.These breeds should not be encouraged as pets.
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No point saying a dog is bad because it attacked your rabbit. I have a dog that runs free with my rabbit but I have no doubt she'd love to eat someone elses. There dogs they chase rabbits, because your rabbit was killed by a dog doesnt mean it will now kill your child.
Muzzling all dogs! What is wrong with everyone!
Yes muzzle a dog convicted of biting, but all dogs is nonsense. The nation is creating a fear of dogs with this over reaction to bad control, with all dogs muzzled all dogs then become bad dogs.
WRONG
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and reading the comment about dog owners being charged for emptying dog refuse bins that is rediculous! what about when a horse deficates on the road and clogs the tyres of a car causing an accident i think they should be charged! the simple size difference in defficate should make people understand!
the argument wasnt about dog laying mess on the beach it was about biting people but its typical about people getting on the band wagon! lets express feeling on everything while we have the chance! get a grip!
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I am a childrens therapist and as such take an interest in the wellbeing of children, and feel for the mother and the pain both physical and emotional that she and her child must have gone through during and after this attack.
However I do also own two dogs that could be described as being 'dangerous dogs' both my dogs are rescue dogs and I spend large amounts of time and money ensuring they are trained and well socialised. However it does not help when programmes like yours show only certain types of dog, as this is part of the reason so many of these type of dog end up in dog rescues.
I do believe the owners should be vetted before being allowed to own a dog - but unfortunately some would still manage to own dogs illegally but at least then those of us that do take the care to look after our dogs would not be blamed.
Like so many of the other people who have posted on this blog - I feel not allowing dogs off leads would be cruel to our dogs as they would not be getting the proper levels of excercise they need and therefore would be more difficult to control and train, as they would be frustrated and full of pent up energy. However I dont think dogs should be allowed off lead in area's that include a childrens play area or in town centres. Maybe wearing muzzles out in public is one option - but whatever option is chosen, it should not be breed specific. As one person above points out we would not ban certain cars just because someone was driving one when they killed somone etc.
As things stand if I take out my very friendly, socialised and well trained dogs, but muzzle them due to fear that we will be targeted by people (as we have on more than one occassion when walking our dogs - by people nastily telling us "that sort of dog should not be allowed" or sheilding there children and screaming - even when our dogs or on the lead!) then it just attracts more attention to them, causing yet more fear and upset, also if people act scared it can upset the dogs or worse, kicking or screaming at the dogs can upset them and is more likely to cause a dog to defend itself.
Please please if you are going to do this kind of show - educate people that all dogs can be dangerous and anyone who owns a dog should be educated and prepared to put the time and effort into training both themselves and their dogs and also please do not demonise just one sort of dog or by only showing that sort of dog imply that all dogs of this type or likely to attack and hurt you!
Lindsay - High peak
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HOW ABOUT KEEPING ALL CHILDREN ON LEADS AS WELL, AND OLD PEOPLE AND DISABLED PEOPLE???!!! WE COULD LIMIT PEOPLE TO ONLY HAVING ONE CHILD AS WELL AND HAVE BIG SPEAKERS EVERYWHERE THAT CONSTANTLY BOMBARD US WITH PROPAGANDA. THEN BAN SHAVING FACIAL HAIR AND INTRODUCE CURFEWS FOR ALL. IS THIS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS??
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The idea that it is the particular breed of dog that is the problem is wrong. It is the way the dogs are raised, in particular the way they are socialised and trained from a young age. I have known dogs such as springer spaniels and other popular breeds to be aggressive not just the so called 'dangerous' dogs or the banned breeds.
Since the dangerous dogs act came into power any banned breeds should be neutered, muzzled in public, not to be let off the lead in public and to have third party insurance taken out on the dog. These are deemed to be enough action to stop accidents happening except there is no education legally given on animal behaviour and I feel that if this was included along with a dog ownership test would prove effective in educating future owners and confirming the credability of the potential owner.
It is not only dog owners that need to be given advice on dogs. The general public should be made aware of how to act around dogs and also to ask the owner of the dog what they can and cannot do with the dog.
As with keeping all dogs on leads seems to be punishing the masses for what is still the minority. Considering that most councils cannot provide adequate amounts of dog bins (another matter) for dog owners then they will surely be incapable of providing areas for dogs to be exercised off the lead.
Overall I feel that education, a greater awareness of dogs behaviour and a compulsory test would help in checking the owners knowledge.
Matthew, Fleetwood.
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Great ideas - put all dogs on leads or on muzzles - NOT! If we ensure everyone is handcuffed when in or around public houses, there will be no more fighting or bad behaviour, so let's do that too. Not allowing dogs to exercise freely means not allowing them to expend energy properly thus PROMOTING bad behaviour. Ask any vet, any trainer or behaviour expert and they will confirm that insufficient exercise is one of the biggest causes of bad behaviour or aggressive tendancies. Also keeping them on leads makes them feel more defensive or aggressive - they are flight animals. Watch many badly behaved dogs on leads and they are usually much more bad tempered on the lead than off. I lived in 'lead only' walking areas abroad and this did not stop attacks. In fact this made some dogs very bad tempered. It is always the owner who should be held responsible. Bad owners will be the cause of bad dogs 99%. In-breeding the other 1%. Also the if the public received education on dog signs/characteristics, especially children, this would help tremendously. Schools should cover this. Many children approach animals in a threatening way (to an animal, not to humans). Make sure owners live by proper handling rules. Make them responsible. There are too many irresponsible owners giving the rest a bad name. Don't penalise ALL dogs because of a few bad ones, resulting from bad owners. Also create fenced exercise areas where dogs can run freely away from the public, like on beaches. Owners pay council tax too.
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Haven't read all the blogs but no. 14 advocating MUZZLING ALL DOGS is the most sensible and this should not be thwarted by no. 16's nonsense about a muzzled dog being attacked by an illegally unmuzzled one and not able to defend itself! Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater! I have been advocating blanket muzzling for years but it will never happen of course. Why? Because as far as politicians are concerned it's a comple vote-loser as so-called dog-lovers (voters) would be up in arms at the very suggestion that their dog should be muzzled as in 'what a nerve - my dog wouldn't harm a fly'!!
Meantime there are more children (and adults) out there who are going to be mauled, maimed and murdered by dogs. Do the 'dog-lovers' give a toss? You bet they don't!! They don't care how many children and others are attacked - their dog wouldn't harm a fly - how dare someone suggest it should be muzzled!
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If ALL dogs were required by law to wear a muzzle, they wouldn't be able to bite anyone, even if they did manage to slip their leash.
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to add to my comments above, people also need to train their kids! i`ve had adults come to my door that ignore the sign on my gate, DON`T ENTER.
If the sign said STEEP DROP would they still climb over?
Or they think they can pet my dog univited, why? wave things in its face, tease it, and for all the parents out there, you can apply and rules to my dog (and punishment) if i can apply the same rules to your children.
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I have had dogs let loose run up to children scaring me and them serveral times in parks. I reised this issue with the council and the dog warden came and spoke to me but said untill their is legislation that stops any dog from been let loose in a public place one cannot simply do anything to ban dogs, only to put up signs to ask owners to keep dogs on a lead, not much good after a child is attacked.
Dogs are animals and their welfare should come second. Trouble is, in UK, people treat their pets better than their own family members at times, so what hope is there for outsiders?
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A few comments I have about what was said and shown on the programme:
#1 - Attack Dogs / Dangerous Dogs - All dogs with teeth or reasonable body mass are dangerous! It is a ridiculous description, which should be reserved only for those animals which have been trained to be such.
#2 - "Anybody who wants to own a Pitbull should not be allowed to own a dog because they are not fit, the fact that they want one makes them psychotic" or words to that effect spoken by Adrian Chiles are offensive, and serve only to demonstrate how ignorant he is about these breeds!
#3 - No real indication on what breeds are involved in these bite numbers are given, nor are the public made aware that there are higher numbers of recorded bites from non bull breeds.
#4 - The constant use of images showing Staffordshire Bull Terriers while speaking about the Pittbull is WRONG!!! All that is achieved is to confuse the public, and make walking dogs an unpleasant experience for responsible dog owners - who are insulted and lectured by individuals understanding your badly put together section of the show as fact. Most think that our animals are pitbulls - which when properly trained are also fine dogs.
Better rules on Dangerous Dogs are in effect in other countries, including places in Europe. Some of the better rules included surrounding "Dangerous Dogs" are registration with the council in which the animal resides, that the owner must be of legal age and be assessed to ensure their mental health, take out insurance and the animal be microchipped and it's temperament assessed by a vet. The animals should be muzzled and leashed in public areas.
I am tired of having people cross the road, dragging their children away from my Staffy - she is socialized, obedient and on a lead. I am also fed up of being told off in the woodland area of the park we walk in by people who do not own dogs, or own small dogs and believe mine to be illegal / dangerous by nature - I walk in the area where leads are optional and have no problems with dogs, adults or children.
Just to put this in perspective, I have actively sought changes to the legislation having written to my MP, DEFRA and other organizations petitioning for changes to the DDA and bringing back licensing with the cost to fund enforcement.
In addition to which I spend as much time as I can manage explaining to those willing to listen that my dogs are fine, and allowing their children to pet them so they do not spend their whole existence running away from animals that look a certain way. I do take the time to say they aren't all like mine, however I find it sad that they are not given the chance to make this decision themselves as my son has. This desire to erradicate breeds, if successful, would be devastating to many good owners and would only result in the persecution of a different breed when the status owners have to redirect their attentions.
It is a fact that shows like the one aired this evening are one of the key causes that bull breeds are being abandoned and rescues overrun, as they are near impossible to rehome.
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I own a labrador but have never taken him into a leisure park because I am conscious of the other park users. I don't want him to be a nuisance to others but I also don't want to restrict him to being on a lead or close control for his exercise and fun time.
I walk him (and our softie golden retriever before him) in a large open unstructured country-type area where I have to avoid the incompetent owners of alsations (the worst offenders in my experience), rotties, boxers and the young 'cool' lads with their pitbull type dogs.
I have to say that although I and my adult children have trained our neutered male dog to a high level, I would never trust my him completely - he is a dog not a toy.
I would advocate the return of dog licenses, owner training, closed dog walking areas in public parks where dogs can be exercised off the lead, prosecution of owners when humans have been hurt by dogs and neutering of all dogs unless the owner is a registered breeder.
However, I also think there should be dog walking parks (as they do in the USA etc) and education for children about animal behaviour and welfare. I also think that parents have a responsibility to make sure that they close the gates on play areas, teach their children about dogs (and other potential dangers like men with sweeties) and to keep proper control of them while they are out. I have had children lunge at my dog with food in their hands both frighteneing and exciting him at the same time - who would have been killed if he had nipped the child's fingers while thinking he was taking food offered to him?
The worst thing for a child to do is run or flap their arms and scream so your lead story could have been a lot worse if the dog had chosen to chase the child that ran away.
If the Police and Councils actually enforced the rules we already have and if there was a return to the old dog license at a cost that would be meaningful we could return to the old days when a dog was man's best friend.
I do not think that muzzles are at all effective and if they are seen as a solution to biting this would be even more dangerous. My dog was set on by a 'muzzled' dog that just clawed its muzzle off and ripped it to bits. The owner threatened me with a golf club - that's the problem. Prosecute the idiots and leave the rest of us to abide by the law as we already do.
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just the other day a small child about 4/5 ran alone over a road to stroke my dog, no sign of a parent/minder any where near, I held this child for about 4 1/2 Min's before any one came looking for it!! the annoying kid kept poking Sly(my dog) in the eyes/ears and I know some of you would just love it if I now said he then savaged the kid, but sorry he just yelped an moved behind me, this from a prelabeled damgerous dog! how about keeping All kids on a bloody lead, then maybe parents could control them before worrying about it going up to a strange dog, I agree some dogs can be plain nasty but will always blame the owner first in my case it seams the kids are the ones out of control not the dogs
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Comment 225! LOL. I have to agree with you. I absolutely agree about picking up after my dog, of course I do. However, I have big issues trying to avoid standing in horses poo which is all over the roads. I also get pretty upset that other people's cats can come into my garden and poop everywhere and that's fine. Dogs are not second class and mine are not "just dogs", they are worth more to me than most humans I know. My dogs have excellent manners and they are boxers: that was hard work I can tell you, training the peter pans of dogs to be good doggy citizens. I even took them to stables to socialise them with horses so that they caused no nervousness to horse or rider during our walks. They are big dogs but gentle giants. I have seen more aggression in the littler dogs such as terriers. And so far as my dogs reflecting my personality, I do not wish to look hard (bit silly being a lil lady myself), I just love their personalities.
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The Dangerous Dogs Act is perfectly adequate. However, our police officers are already over-stretched and - despite the fact that certain elements in society are, sadly, using dogs as offensive weapons - monitoring the behaviour of certain dog owners is not high on their list of priorities. However, IF a member of the public (or vet) suspects that a dog is being mistreated (as aggressive dogs certainly are) and schooled to encourage aggression (whatever the breed of dog) there should be a rapid and sure-fire method of reporting this to an official body fully empowered to remove the dog and prosecute the owner. Furthermore, if an owner is eventually banned from keeping an animal that ban should apply not only to the person but to any property where they are resident. This is to avoid a situation where another resident claims that the dog is theirs, as frequently happens.
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It is simple, it's not the dog that is the problem it is the people who buy the dogs. I have a 3 year old male Rottweiler who is so gentle it's unbelievable. People who have interacted with my dog are shocked that a Rottweiler can be this gentle, the media really do paint the wrong picture of these sort of breeds. These dogs are not born thinking"I'm going to bite somebody" and they certainly hold no ties with devil (Thanks again to the ingenius creativity of our childish medias name calling)
I currently live in Germany where my dog was professionally trained, I and my wife also have our handling licences from the local German council which is issued after a tempermant test and a handler assessment(law in Germany).
These may help in Britain also but these should not be limited to the larger breeds of dogs,it should be for every dog including the smaller as some of the worst dogs that I have come across are the smaller terrier type.
Muzzling dogs in public is unsuitable as the dog still needs to sniff and taste. A lead in public areas is acceptable but should not be enforced in country side areas providing the dog is trained to a high standard.
I think the media really need to stop pointing the figure at collective breeds as a dog is not born aggressive due to it's breed, the dog has no concept of it's breed!!
Also parents can help prevent certain problems, so many times I have had children come upto my dog with their hands held out attempting to stroke him, I can't believe how stupid people can be and that sometimes it has taken me to tell people they are allowing their children toapproach a 56kg mass of muscle they've never seen before and have know idea how powerful this animal is.
I know my dog very well, but a dog is a dog and cannot be 100% trusted.
A loving Rottie owner!!
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Dear One Show,
Re your feature about dogs, I could not agree more with your viewer saying that all dogs should be put on leads when in public. I’ve been personally chased about thirty times by large dogs when out jogging and cycling in the countryside and a lot of the time the owners seem to think its good sport and they often reply with rude comments when I ask them to call the dogs off. I’ve been bitten and often get my bike tyres plastered in dog muck.
I’ve seen two Alsatians ripping a small Corgi to shreds and a Bull Terrier try to maul a baby in a pushchair. I’ve also seen dogs chasing small children on bicycles.
If I chased after the owners and bit them I would probably be put in prison or a mental institution so why can dog owners get away with their dogs behaving like wolves.
If I took a knife with me and used it in public on one of these attacking dogs I would also be arrested I’m sure, so why can dog owners get away with allowing an offensive weapon (a dog) to run free in public?
Please can you tell me how I should deal with these dangerous animals in future?
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There also needs to be a law to cover dogs which bite people inside the home.
My 18 year old daughter was viciously attacked by a friend's German shepherd earlier this year. She had a 2 hour emergency operation to repair muscle and tendons, was in hospital on IV antiobiotics for a week, and as well as the emotional trauma, has some ugly scars for the rest of her life. The police can do nothing as it didn't bite her on the street. It is unfair!
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I'm so glad this issue has been raised! I'm sorry for what's happened to Morris and hope he gets well soon.
I am the owner of a Jack Russell Terrier and a Border Terrier, both are blessed with fabulous natures and I trust them with people of all ages, however, whenever I'm in a public place they are both kept on leads at all times. I feel this is my responsibility as a dog owner.
It would be great if people had to be licsensed to keep dogs, but I agree, how would this be enforced? Owners are definately the ones to blame for their dogs behaviour and dogs although a very important part of the family, are domesticated wolves and this needs to be remembered and acted on.
I think the idea of a Dog owner test is a great idea as long as again, it is enforced. Maybe if there was a fee charged to have such a test or license this could be used to employ wardens to enforce dogs being on leads and owners cleaning up after their dogs?
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I am a sensible owner of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier but find that she is always getting 'labelled' with the same tag as a pitbull. I feel terrible for the young boy that got hurt but even on the show the discussion was including Staffies.
Last week i was out walking my dog with my husband over the field when we noticed 2 german shephards over the other side. As a precaution we put her back on her lead, more for the fact that if anything ever happened we would not get blamed for not be sensible owners, however before i had even managed to put the lead on the harness this other dog was by our side barking mad and trying to get to my dog. My husband literally had to lift our dog up off the floor to stop her being attacked. We shouted to the owner to get his dog off us and when he did he actually put on a muzzle and said that he had had trouble with him before. Therefore i must ask what can be deemed a dangerous dog my Staffie a 'killer dog' or the 'friendly' german shephard??
Yes it is the owners to blame but please please please do not label all dogs the same, she is not only loveable but very loyal to me my husband and our two kids.
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everyone in this blog keeps goin on about law this law that ..... druggies, alchoholics and people who put there dogs out to fight dont care about laws...
my staffie is the most caring dog ive met, who would gladly lick you to death, and if someone comes to the door he thinks its someone to play with him
its the media who makes my lovable dog look bad
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I also want to add that, in my opinion, a description of the owner of any dog involved in an incident and information on their background should be taken. This would give a more accurate view of the reasons behind the incidents.
I personally feel that the problem lies at the opposite end of the lead than the one that is being targetted.
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We blame the dogs, may be we should look at our own behaviour first. we teach our children how to love and then to hate. we teach our own beliefs, so what do we teach our dogs, just the same! They behave as we ask them, they do what we ask of them. No matter what there owner does to them they still love, they still look to us for guidence. I have rescued dogs from all sorts. Things that you would not see in your nightmares. Each of these dogs have been abused beyond your belief. beaten, starved and used as puppy farms to feed a drug habbit. In all of these dogs i have found love, loyalty and devotion. not one of these dogs would attack any thing or anyone, no matter what fear they felt. It is time to look at dog ownership and not the dog!
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Why are people talking about muzzles? They are awful and were not mentioned in the original article.
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Jazzyvee is right. All dogs should be muzzled. I was bitten on the hand about 4 months ago by a German Shepherd Dog that was on a lead. The scars are still well in evidence as is the pain from damaged nerves.
It was an unprovoked attack as the dog passed along the street in the opposite direction to me. As an adult, the damage to my hand was not severe but my hand, in the position it was when I was attacked, is about 28 inches (70cms) from the ground. How old would a child be at 28 inches in height, I ask myself, and what could the damage have been then?
All dogs in public places should be muzzled registered, insured, and licensed. No ifs or buts.
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I have a labrador and a golden retreiver and if i had to walk them on the lead everywhere then they would never get the exercise these working type dogs need.
I have seen so many fat labradors that don't get enough exercise and they are one of the most gentle breeds you can get.
I think licencing would work if it was tied into vets registers and insurance, ie vets will only deal with licenced dogs and you cannot get insurance on an unlicensed dog. Also all licences are linked to dog chips so any dog can be easily identified back to an owner.
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There is no doubt that the dogs are not to blame it is the owners. Dogs should be on a lead in all public places. One child or person attacked or killed is one too many. If truth be told no owner can guarantee their dog won't bite, therefore all dogs should be on leads.
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Yet again the BBC are having a go at the bull breeds. I'm sure that other breeds of dogs bite/attack people its just that they dont make for sensational headlines. As a responsible staffie owner we will always keep her on a lead and only let her run about when we are sure it is safe to do so. Our dog has such a lovely nature towards people but like many staffies not always so tolerent towards other dogs. Even if dog licences are brought back not everyone will buy one. Perhaps dog training/obedience classes are the answer or should that be owner training? This argument will go on forever as journalists continue to write sensational headlines without knowing all the facts about why a dog has attacked.
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I can sympathise with the writer of this story, however, making it a requirement for all dog owners to put their pets on a lead all of the time will only punish the law abiding citizen. Do you really think that a criminal who has bred their dog to kill is going to be obeying a rule to keep their dog on a lead????
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PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ
Me and my partner own a Staffordshire terrier, which is a breed that always seems to be shown along with other innocent power dogs when a case off dog attacks happens. However these dogs are mostly wrongly branded as vicious, when they are not. Yes you are always going to get the "bad" one of every breed, but this is nearly always down to the owners. How ever I do agree that it would be an idea to have dogs on leads at all times unless in a purpose assigned area for them to be lose not only for people safety but also for the dogs themselves.
On this note, I thought that the below article would be of some interest to all those people who think that all dogs that cause injuries are power dogs, and hopefully silence these critics who have never had the pleasure of owning 1 of these loving dogs.
"The Temperament of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is described by the UK Kennel Club as “Bold, Fearless and Totally Reliable”, and “Totally Reliable” is what they are. You get out of a Staffy what you put in, if you have the time and patience you could never find a better family pet then a Staffordshire Bull Terrier."
"The single breed reported as being most responsible for dog bites requiring hospital treatment in the UK is ‘the Spaniel’. As we know the Spaniel is not a single breed in it’s own right we must drill down that the minority Spaniels such as the Sussex, Clumber, Brittany, Irish Water, Welsh Springer etc are rarer, it is between the English Springer and Cocker Spaniels upon whom the finger of blame is being pointed.
We do know that the show-type, single coloured Cocker Spaniel does suffer from a hereditary condition called Fits of Rage Syndrome, which causes the animal to often bite its owner or other, normally trusted person. This, it could be reasoned, could play a part in the figures we are seeing from hospital records.
As an interesting aside, it is actually not the dog at all who is responsible for sending people to hospital for bite treatment. That dubious ‘honour’ goes to the Human. Yes, humans bite more people into requiring hospital treatment than dogs.
Another interesting UK dog bite fact, one that really should put into perspective the tragic issue of fatal dog bites, in the United Kingdom you are statistically more likely to be killed by lightning strike than by a dog attack."
James & Amy - Norwich
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In response to comment 231 and all who feel that if all dogs muzzled they would not bite, why don't you and your nanny stae cronies suggest fitting all dogs with corks up their backsides then they couldn't crap either!
How many more people are going to advocate the stupid idea of muzzles, dogs sniff and when meeting other dogs and people it is their natural of sensing. it is cruel and I would never comply. Responsible owners tests and better policing of laws already in place needed.
DON'T DISS THE DOGS!
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karena, devon.
As a mother to 2 small children, i do too think it is neccessary for all dogs to be kept on a lead at all times. I think the owners have to take responsibiity of their dogs and their behaviour. I think that with some extra vigilance from parents and a greater level of responsability from the dog owners, there will be less injuries caused to the public, especially children.
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Dogs should be kept on leads at all times unless in designated dog areas. Unfortunately unless the government and local councils back this decision the designated dog areas will never become available.
My two children were both very young when my husband and I decided that we would like to get a dog. After researching dog breeds thoroughly we decided that we would get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. This was not a decision that we took lightly due to the bad press that some breeds have been given since the dangerous dogs act became law. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is however one of the few breeds which the Kennel Club reccomends in households with children and has the nickname of "the nanny dog" due to its caring and friendly nature.although the breed of dog we decided to get was not on the dangerous dogs list it does look quite similar to the Pit Bull, especially to people who do not own dogs themselves. This fact in itself has made it extremely difficult for us as a family to exercise our dogs in the area which we live (yes we have two Staffies now).There are a few rules which I stick to when exercising my dogs. I try to avoid areas where there are high numbers of children and also avoid the times of day when there would be more children around. ie the beginning and the end of a school day. I also never let my dogs off of their leads when there are any people in my line of sight at all.
I don't do this because my dogs are dangerous or because they are badly behaved. I do this because I am a responsible dog owner. I am aware of how other people could react when one of my dogs is running towards them and I am extremely concious of what could happen if one of my dogs were to injure somebody, even by accident! My dogs were both trained as puppies and are both happy to be around other dogs and people.
I would dearly love to be able to let my dogs have a good run around off the lead without the risk of a complaint or in the worst case scenario a criminal conviction, in an area which is both safe for them and safe also for members of the public.
I love my dogs but am quite aware that however well behaved they are within my household and however well trained I think they are, they are animals, as are all other dogs, who are capable of inflicting damage on anybody or anything and as a responsible dog owner would never be able to forgive myself if the worst were to happen and my dogs bit somebody because I became complacent. For this reason I would back the decision to make leads compulsory in public places, but as previously noted this would only be possible to enforce if there were designated dog exercise areas for dog owners to exercise dogs safely.
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Demanding the permanent muzzling of dogs, banning them from parks, demanding dogs are kept on a lead all the time, insisting on compulsory dog licensing, insisting on only adults own dogs, insisting on ownership tests etc will have no effect, a bit like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.
While the responsible owners will obey the law, but it's not the responsible owners that are the problem, it's the irresponsible owners that are the problem. So no matter what draconian measures are brought in, it will have no effect on the number people being bitten because the irresponsible owners will just put two fingers up to the law and walk around with their dogs out of control, and when their dogs are taken off them then they'll just go out and get another one.
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I think that making it a law to have dogs on leads at all times other than in designated areas is ridiculous. As a dog owner, and someone who doesnt drive I feel this would be making more problems for dogs and their behaviour as I for one would not be able to drive to the areas which would be marked out as "off-lead areas for dogs". This would mean that my dog would become less socialised and more fearful of people and dogs and more likely to have behavioural issues. Which surely is just contributing to the issue at hand.
The only problems with dogs at the moment are their uneducated owners, who do not take the time to socialise and train their dog/s. The owners who do not even think twice when buying a cute puppy from the newspaper or shop window, and do not realise that it needs interaction and socialisation with all things as it grows up. The owners who buy dogs to prove how "macho" they are.
Dogs are living, breathing, feeling creatures. They need exercise, they need to experience other dogs, children, people, noises, cars/bikes/buses.
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Can't believe some of the nutter responses to the solution of muzzling - 'the dog wouldn't be able to sniff(?) or taste' - so that's ok then - just as long as it can maim, maul and murder, the poor diddums won't be able to sniff - why not? At least if it's not muzzled it will be able 'to taste' the child it's mauling then?
'The dog will tear off its muzzle'. Then get one that fits tightly-enough and an owner who will stop it trying to tear it off!!
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The law definately needs to be changed to stop these vicious dog attacks.
1) all dogs should be licenced and chipped so that the owner can be traced.
2) all dogs should kept on leads in public places or be muzzled.
3) any dog that bites a person has shown a lack of control and should be put down and the owner should not be allowed to own another dog.
4) money raised from dog licencing should be only spent on paying for dog wardens to patrol our public places and to police the
above.
robert. milton keynes.
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I consider myself to be a good dog owner and have had dogs for many years. I currently have a beautiful 4 year old black labrador, who we've had from a puppy. I have always trusted my dog who has never shown any aggression until recently. The dog was totally unprovoked and on his lead, when he suddenly lunged at a little girl and bit her arm, albeit not a mauling, a bite is still a bite. Fortunately the girls Mother did not want to prosecute or have the dog put to sleep, although this is what the vet advised. It just made me realise that within every dog no matter how well they're bred, brought up or treated, there is still that capability to bite and a dog is an animal at the end of the day. I have since taken my dog to see a behaviourist and had training and advice, although i will never trust my dog or any dog 100% again, i now assure he will never be allowed the opportunity to bite again.
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As a mother and a dog owner I am sad and frustrated by your piece on Monday's show. I agree that it is terrible for any child to be attacked by a dog but please can we keep a balance on the situation? It is dog owners who are responsible for the behaviour of their dogs. As ever in this country we highlight the conduct of the irresponsible and downright unpleasant members of society who do not own dogs for the right reasons. Do we really believe bringing out legislation requiring dogs to be on leads at all times in public unless in designated dog parks is going to penetrate with these people? Not likely. Introduction of more dog wardens to patrol public parks and play areas and a zero tolerance on the owners of banned fighting breeds may well help in improving the situation. Perhaps the BBC could elaborate on the statistics regarding A&E submissions? I would be interested to know the percentage of dog attacks occuring in the home compared to attacks in a public place? It might help if the general public is not made to feel that they are in danger of being attacked by a dog when they step out the door. It is afterall more common for a dog to bite someone in the home and though it is not acceptable 9 times out of 10 it is in the home of someone who does not take the role of dog ownership seriously i.e. provide the dog with clear boundaries,discipline and exercise every day.
There are so many good responsible dog owners in this country, let us not allow the rotten minority spoil it for the rest of us!! Incidentally it does not help that the BBC featured Staffordshire Terriers in their piece - they are not on the dangerous dogs list!
Jennifer Brennan, Kippen, Stirlingshire
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One of the origional pitbull nick names " the nanny dog" because of how great they were with children. i rest my case, its the owners and not the dogs
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Why do people keep saying they have pit bulls and they are lovely, or that there are pit bulls where they live? Pit bulls are a banned breed in this country and if they come to the attention of the authorities they will be siezed and destroyed.
Most importantly - they are NOT staffies and do not look like staffies. And before anyone shouts, I don't own staffies so am not being biased.
If a pit bull is what attacked this child then the owner has been breaking the law - but I wonder if it wasn't a pitbull and the report just used that as a misinformed label to up the hysteria of the piece.
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i am outrageged at the poor standard if the "documentary" about "dangerous" dogs shown on the one show tonight.
Firstly i would like to pull you up on something...
You were speaking about (and i quote) "dangerous dogs such as Pitbulls" (which, in my eyes, are NOT dangerous) and SHOWING footage of Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
NO OTHER BREED OF DOG WAS SHOWN.
Why?
I own a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and she is the soppiest, softest dog you will ever meet. They are famously know as 'The Nanny Dog' as they are extreamly good with children, loyal, and their ULTIMATE objective is to please.
Please correct this discriminating mistake.
I know that dogs can be dangerous, but this applies to ALL breads not just select ones (the same as humans i believe). I have been bitten a few times myself by dogs that aren't considered dangerous, i do not blame the dogs in question, i blame the owners for the lack of training and exercise given to the dog. Dogs need boundries, limitations and excercise THE SAME AS CHILDREN.
Do we 'put down' our children when they do something wrong? No! They generally get a small punishment or a telling off and that's the end of it. They are free to do it again and again.
I think that bringing back a dog liscence is a great idea, as there are some irresponsible dog owners out there that can't/won't give the dog the stimulation that it needs.
It is the owner at fault NOT the dog.
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In reply to CambsThinker's comments. As someone who has never had children, nor do I ever want children, my dogs will always come first, and I will do everything to protect them from children who are running around screaming their heads off, just as parents will always put their kids first and want to protect them from dogs. We are always putting the kids first, it's about time someone thought about the effects noisy children have on dogs. What's wrong with kids using the school playing fields as there are far more of these than open spaces. I have had various dogs over the years ranging from my current chihuahua x cairn to an Irish Wolfhound. Despite the fact that young children often ran up to the dogs and hit them thinking they were patting them, none of them ever retaliated. All dogs should be kept under control, as should all children.
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Locally we have a bylaw that requires dogs to be 'kept under control in public places'
I understand that the interpretation by local wardens is that dogs must be on leads in the street and under the owner control in parks and open spaces. Dogs are not allowed in childrens play areas.
I agree with all of this.
However my dog was attacked on the street by a dog that was on a lead. It was a Rottweiller on an extended lead. When it decided to attack the 16 year old girl had no change of holding it - the lead just came out of her hand.
If this dog had have been muzzled I would not have had a £400 vets bill or now be afraid of Rottweillers.
I agree with all the rules suggested, dogs on leads, muzzles, dog licences, controlled breeding, training. However this will make no difference while there is no one to police the rules.
Parks no longer have park keepers and street wardens are more interested in fineing people who have dropped a cigarette end. The police do not see dog crime as a priority.
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I'm a dog owner I have a 20mth old German shepherd, he hasn’t been raised with children BUT ever since a puppy and i still do, every time we have met a parent and child I ask the parent if the child would like to met my dog, most of the time they say yes, in which the dog learns to sit and let the child stoke them AND the child learns how to approach dogs from an early age. A lot of the parents have said to me that they have fear of dogs and they don’t want their children to grow up the same, and they have thanked me for teaching them and their children how to be around dogs!
A lot of people get dogs to either keep them company or to have around not thinking of how much training and time dogs need!!!
To just put all dogs on lead and or muzzles at all times is not an answer as this inst teaching any thing to the owners that don’t have respect or regard for anyone else!
And if any one has stopped to think, it’s illegal to have a dog off the lead on roads any way!!!
I also think that children need to be taught in schools how to live around dogs, as a few times I’ve been walking my dog in our local park (on the lead with children running around) and children have come over and pointed and stared at my dog shouting at him! Now if i was another dog the child could have been bitten! I approached the mother of the child and she called her son over and told him not to do it, she dint tell him why not to do it and how it can really up set dogs!
There are so many dog organisations and charities that could start a schools programme.
Breeding is also a problem along with the wrong owners owning the wrong breed (or 'owning' a dog at all!!!)
People have been crossing the road away from me and my dog since he was the size of a Yorkshire terrier because of his breed using comments like 'German shepherd their nasty aren’t they that’s why the police use them' NO the police use them because they are so easy to train!
My dog isn’t a saint as most parents will say about their children, but I believe i have enough control over him to stop him running any where near children! And if he ever showed ANY aggression to a child once I would never walk him near where children play, and if he became aggressive a lot of the time i would have him put down, as its better for him and for the general public!!
Sorry for ranting on but think on ANY dog or animal for that fact can be dangerous- punish the deed not the breed!!!!!
I’m also sorry to hear Claire's story, that dog should be put down NO QUESTION!
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Ok, how about we change it a bit and say this "All men are dangerous and will attack anything that moves. Therefore all men should be castrated and forced to take female hormones to reduce the chances of agression."
Discuss.
How stupid would that be?
Do not be a sheep and tar every dog and dog owner with the same brush.
If you add up all the dogs in this country and then take away the ones who have attacked, you are left with a hell of a lot of dogs who wouldnt say boo to a goose.
What about P.A.T dogs(Pets As Therapy dogs)and guide dogs? Assistance dogs? Should they all be muzzled too?
Licensing wont work, it didnt work before, why would it now? The Police wont enforce it, the only people who would register their dogs are the responsible dog owners therefore making the whole exercise pointless, as the people who shouldnt have dogs wouldnt register/chip/license them.
If we are going to start actually doing something about the issue of dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners, how about doing something about all the idiots who keep breeding the dogs in the first place and selling the pups to anyone and everyone?
I am currently doing the Good Citizens Award with my dog. That should be compulsory, but who would police it?
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I think that registration while not solving all the problems might be a good start after all responsible dog owners have registered with a vet and most are already microchipped so why can't this be expanded to form some sort of national database instead of having to create something from scratch. I would happily pay for the privilege of owning my black lab and if the money was reinvested in the RSPCA/SSPCA or Police to properly respond then so much the better.
I have been bitten by a poodle when I was younger but this never put me off loving and owning dogs.
Better education for adults and children is definitely a key fact. Children are excitable by nature and whereas they might stay away from a "dangerous dog" they think it is okay to coming running up to my dog. Fortunately apart from the odd lick by him, he will respond reasonably well but if they crowd him he gets nervous and will naturally try to escape so being on a lead is not always the answer.
I would never approach an unknown dog and pat it without first checking with the owner no matter what it looked like.
Keeping dogs muzzled and on their leads is not practical and in my case would mean I would have to take the car to find some place where my dog would not encounter other people. Not because he is not trained but because he hates having any form of muzzle or anything similar put onto him. This would be extremely distressing for both of us and would not do much for our carbon footprint either (but thats another topic).
I am extremely sorry for the family in this article and also for anyone else who has witnessed the distress of seeing any dog attack or see their dog be attacked. Lack of education for all people whether dog owners or not is definitely in IMO behind most dog attacks. I love my dog but I would not leave him alone with my 1 year old neice. He is a member of our family but he definitely knows his place in the pack order. This seems to be true of most of the other posts here so why is the message not being spread out further.
Perhaps the One Show could do a follow up feature on responsible dog ownership and how to avoid dog attacks.
I agree with previous posts that the play park gate seems to have been opened and perhaps the dog was reacting to the sound of the bells in the play area where Maurice was attacked.
Unfortunately we will struggle to stop irresponsible owners but if there is a way to implement or amend the law to allow it to be policed better then I am all for it. Perhaps we need to lobby our MP's to make this more high profile so that money is diverted towards better policing. After all if the resources are not there then we cannot expect the police or any other body respond when we call if it not a high priority.
The BBC needs to show a more balanced approach to this topic or else find themselves once again apologising for upsetting their licence paying viewers!
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Hello AGAIN,
REF COMMENT 240......
Hey i have a brlliant idea for you my small minded friend . . . . . .STAND STILL AND DONT PANIC THE DOG SEES ANY OTHER BEHAVIOUR AS A THREAT !!!!!! FUNNILY ENOUGH ITS IN THEIR NATURE BECAUSE UNLESS ITS ESCAPED YOUR NOTICE THEY ARE ANIMALS . . . . OH YEAH DIDNT THINK OF THAT DID YOU !!!!!! AND WHAT I CANT WORK OUT IS THIS SURELY IF YOUR OUT JOGGING AND BIKE RIDING YOU MUST HAVE HAVE COME ACROSS HORSE MANURE ON YOUR TRAVELS I DONT HEAR YOU BLEATING ON ABOUT THAT ALL OVER YOUR PRECIOUS BIKE TYRES AND THAT IS JUST AS PREVELANT !!!!! SO GET WITH THE PROGRAMME OBVIOUSLY YOUR NOT A DOF OWNER SO UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO SAY . . . . BUTT OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Put the owners on a lead all the time!!! what is this all about???!!! The dogs only behave the way they were told to behave meaning its the owners faults, not the dogs!!!! I am so fed up with all this stupidity...what about all the kids under 12 who commit crimes..why arent they put on a lead all the time and forced to stay at home under supervision??!! oh no they are humans so they cant be punished or put down like a dog would for biting someone, well its a shame, put down the people who do wrong too, animals also have rights and their behaviour isnt their fault!!!! the ones thinking that its the dogs fault are IGNORANT IDIOTS WHO SHOULD BE PUT DOWN
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I find it quite unacceptable that Kenneth Baker, a totally unqualified individual so far as dog behaviour is concerned is given the time of day to spout his out dated view that his piece of legislation is all that is required. It was a poorly considered piece of legislation then and even more so now. How many dog breeds other than the ones on 'his' list can any of us think of that are capable of serious, if not fatal, attacks on humans.
It is quite obvious that being able to own an animal and take it out in public requires a degree of responsibility. Most owners who never have owned a dog before take the proper route of going to puppy training lessons. I suggest that if we are to rely on legislation to reduce dog attacks, then that is the path to take. Afterall, it is quite easy to take the mildest of dog breeds and turn them into killers in just the same way as taking the most infamous breeds and train them to be the most agreeable of pets.
Of course, the main problem will aways be those people who are going to just disregard the law and not bother with any form of dog control regulation. I'm afraid until we have goverment and a legal system that is professional in ensuring it carries out its duties proficiently, we are stuck with haphazard enforcement.
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It is the owners and bad breeders that are to blame no one else and not the dog, and until people come to terms with this nothing will be done.
The dogs that have a bad name are owned by people who haven't got a clue how to treat them. They need training and walking!!!!!
not a small yard you call a garden \nd a shed to lock them in. bad dog owners make me sick.
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Im a owner of 2 staffs these dogs are loving careing and known as the nanny dog who loves children.Im sick of all dogs being tarred with the same brush.A dog is not born knowing how to fight its what the owner teaches them.A dog needs training from a responsible owner.Dogs dont no right from wrong they learn this.So when a dog is seen out of control eveyone blames the dog does the dog no any different?Why when doing a program about a pitbull that attacked this child the program shows a staff.Why make out that all pitbulls are viscious and attack because they dont.You blame the deed not the breed.All dogs can bite big or small if they dont have the right leadership My daughter has been barked at and chased by a poodle,if owners are not responsible not only will the dog suffer but the dog will also get the blame for not being able to train themselves.Please dont judge a dog by hat you have read or heard about it is not the dogs fault its the owner,look at the other end of the lead there is the blame.BLAME THE DEED NOT THE BREED.
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re comment 240, what a retarded opinion, you idiot
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I think that the best way to stop dog attacks to educate dog owner's on dog care and have regulations as to who owns dogs and how they are being taken care of. Stop the wrong people getting hold of the wrong dogs.
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Who at the BBC does the research and comes up with video footage of staffordshire bull terriers instead of pictures of pit bull terriers and how much are they being paid because whatever it is it's way too much of my license fee money!!
I've been working at vet surgery for some years now and truly love my job but last week we had to put 6 pit bull terrier puppies to sleep at the age of 13 weeks because of there breed, also the mother of these puppies. They were not dangerous and neither was the mother but because some politician has deemed them so then there fate was decided.
Neutering all breeds has to be the answer to stop the over breeding of all dogs other than those from properly controlled breeders, who by the way haven't done a very good job so far but thats a different issue!
We have a growing problem in Britain of the over population of dogs and sadly a lot of them are ending up in the wrong hands but it's those hands we should be questioning, not the dogs.
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I have recently retired after almost 20 years as a Crown Prosecutor, and dangerous dogs were a specialism.
Far too often I have seen pictures of children and adults with severe injuries. The dogs that cause the damage are rotweillers and German Shepherds, but most of all Staffordshire Bull Terriers. There is already provision in section 2 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which would reduce the number of attacks hugely, but is has never been implemented. That section says that if it appears to the Home Secretary that dogs of a type which are not already banned under section 1 present a serious danger to the public, he (she now) can by order impose a requirement that anyone with the dog has to muzzle it when the dog is in public.
That won't stop attacks in people's homes, but it will stop the attacks in parks and playgrounds.
Having a dog on a lead won't do - a strong dog may break free. Having it muzzled, it doesn't need to be on a lead - it can't bite, at worst it will knock a child over. It can't remove the muzzle - which would have to be of an approved type.
The history of attacks on people cries out for this to be done - the law is already there - the government just needs to use it. It would be largely self-policing because as the prohibited conduct would be in public it would be easily spotted and that would deter owners from flouting the law as they risk a fine or worse, and losing the dog, and being disqualified from having custody of a dog.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I am amazed at the number of comments you have, many saying that actually it is the owners of the dogs at fault and not the dogs. The government have recently put together a code of practice for dog and cat owners, surely this is a step towards making people more responsible. Sadly a few bad owners are creating a fear amongst non-dog owners and making the situation worse as dogs become fearful and aggressive when they sense fear in someone else. Education and a better understanding of the nature of your fellow creatures (human or canine) is the only solution as with so many other social problems.
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comment 279
I would agree that muzzling would render any dog almost harmless. However, the idea that section 2 of the act as per your explanation would be effective is just a non starter. As has been said in this thread time and time again by both professional dog handlers and enthusiasts alike, it has nothing to do with the breed. I will acknowledge that a pit bull type dog will do a good deal more harm than a Chihuahua but if you think a Red Setter or Goldne Retriever are not capable of serious injury, I suggest you run in front of a badly handled one and see if it hurts when it bites!
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Although I am appalled at what happened to Maurice a total ban on dogs being able to run free in public places will not remedy the situation, neither will licensing or any form of test with regard to dog ownership. Why ?? because the irresponsible people who choose to own these breeds will show no regard for any of the above. Attacks will still happen. Punish the owners of that dog, not all dogs and dog owners.
Why should my dogs who have never hurt a fly be kept on a lead because of the mindless irresponsible few who own these type of dogs, who lets face it, only own them because they think it makes them look big. Sadly most of these dogs become "victims" themselves as their owners take little responsiblity for anything. Maybe a look at the statistics of dog attacks in America would be useful. If dogs are always on leads and taken to dog parks then surely there should be none ??? I think not. Also whilst looking up these statistics also note THE BREED OF THE DOG and the type of owner said dog belongs to.
If as the One Show stated that there are 7 million dogs in this country then millions of dogs are going around on a daily basis with no trouble at all and should be applauded for their behaviour. Lets not punish them all because of a few who are out of control.
Again while I hate what has happened to Maurice why is there so much intolerance in our society towards everything, not just dogs.
We should all be responsible for our actions, children (who are very often out of complete control) & dogs ...... etc.
I wish Maurice well and every dog in this country who belongs to someone who takes responsiblity and pride in dog ownership.
Please do not tar us all with the same brush.
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Firstly any dog that attacks a human out of aggression should be pts (not an easy decision for a dog lover). I say this as a devoted owner of a staffordshire bull terrier.
Firstly to quote a lot of previous comments the media always gives a bad press to staffies, always showing pictures of them when any dog attack happens. Any dog bite has the potential to seriously injur or even kill.
Secondly, again aggreeing with a lot of others it is the lack of positive interaction and socialisation by the owner with thier dogs which cause behaviour problems.
A possible solution which would work with miniumum hassle to dog owners would be:
1.To ensure all dogs in public be on a lead not muzzled (this would allow the dog to defend itself against any stray dogs).
2. If any dog where to be loose then it should have a muzzle to prevent bite injury occuring to any one.
3. No children to walk dogs unless the dog is restrained by an adult capable of keeping the dog under control.
A licence fee would only persicute low income families, and who is too say that someone who could afford a licence; that thier dog would not attack.
People buy dogs for a lot of reasons companions, to keep active and unfortunatly as a status symbol ( the latter are the problems). These people are the reason for aggresive dogs; the owners irresponsible treatment of thier animals and often encouregment of aggression.
We have all got lots of opinions on how and why these attacks happen, the dog lovers (myself included) and the people who do not share the same passion for animals. Attacks should not happen full stop, but a war of words between the two groups will not solve anything. a couple of common sense ideas tried first i feel will go a long way to reduce the number of incidents. As a resposible dog owner I feel that both dog owners and non dog owners should be aware that they have to be understanding of each others rights.
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To suggest all dogs should be constantly kept on a lead is likely to make the problem worse. Dogs (especially the larger working breeds) need to be 'excercised' regularly not simply walked. Keeping dogs like this on a lead will simply result in frustration and more attacks.
As Ceasar Milon (The dog whisperer) continually proves the issue is with the owner trying to treat a dog as a human being, not with the dog themselves.
I believe that puppy breeders should be made to enroll the owner that purchases their puppies on a short owners course that teaches the basics of dog ownership and psychology. This would then offer a two pronged approach to improving the situation.
Firstly the breeders would be forced to breed responsibly, rather than simply using dogs as a means of making money.
Secondly the owner will have to commit to undertaking some training, rather than simply picking up a potentially dangerous animal on a whim. I think that this would ensure that potential owners consider the commitment of taking on a dog.
I have two labradors that I love dearly, but they still get treated as dogs. As soft as they both are I would never consider leaving them alone with children ....I simply consider this as being a responsible dog owner.
Helen from Altrincham
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How about putting kids on a lead. I am an experienced dog owner, and dogs will only attack when they are either threatend, provoked or attacked!!!!
I'm not condoning what has happend, it is a shame that some people that cant look after their animals could ruin it for everyone else, but what about parents that cant control their kids properly? Do they know where their kids are and what they are doing at all times???????? For all we know the dog might have been kicked!!!
And please stop the association with staffies and pit bulls, it drives me crazy. They are two different breeds of dogs and in fact they done even look the same. Do your research.
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Im 16 years old, and I believe that theres no such thing as a dangerous dog, the only thing thats dangerous is the owner.
Dog are not born dangerous, its something they are taught, by irresponsible owners, who want a dog they can scare people with, and a dog they can show off.
Also I think that someone is more likely to be bitten by a smaller dog, such as a yorkshire terrier, than something larger like a pitbull. Which I feel gets overlooked, and the larger dogs have a lot of bad press. Where as if a yorkshire terrier for example was to bite someone you probably wouldnt hear about it on the news, because it doesnt cause as much damage, so wouldnt make a very good headline.
However, I do believe that in public places, especially places where there are lots of children, all dogs no matter how good the owner thinks they are with children should be kept on a lead.
You wouldnt put a child down if it went to, or if it did bite someone, so it seems unfair that a dog is put down especially when 99% of the time it is down to the fact the owner is irresponsible, and I think that banning the dogs, is only making the problem worse because the dogs who bite people are the dogs who have owners who are not responsible and think its cool to have an illegal dog, which im my eyes solves nothing.
So if they want to do anything to help, they should ensure the owner is going to train and look after the dog properly, and they should bring back a dog licence, instead of doing things the lazy way and just banning the dog outright, because as we have seen this has done nothing.
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Breed specific legislation is not the answer. We have that already and it hasn't worked. Owners need to be held responsible for their dogs actions. It's up to us. All dogs don't neccesarily need to be on leads but if we, as dog owners, take an un-acceptable risk with a dog we cannot trust then we should be made to face the consequences. Not sure that irresponsible owners would bother with licences or tests? There are unlikely to be many "Pit-Bulls" as such because they have been outlawed for so long. I think most of the dogs refered to as Pit-Bulls are probably Staffies and they're one of the most friendly dogs you'll get! I bet more people get bitten by Jack Russells or Collies but it dosen't make much of a news story. Whatever we need it's not someone called Lord anything telling us how it should be!
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Re comment 279 - I do not dispute that these case you speak of are not true, but is the answer REALLY to muzzle every dog that MAY cause a threat? Please read comment 253, if the majority of bites are Staffordshire Terriers, then where would the statistics in this article come from, and why would the kennel club point out how good these dogs are as a family pet.
Would this be because the irresponsible owners of the “ NICE FLUFFY” dogs are not prosecuted for the actions of there dogs and not being a responsible owner, or are all the Staffordshire owners that have loving dogs who would rather lick you to death lying??????? I THINK NOT!!!!!
If these dogs are muzzled then it will make people look on them even worse than they do now because some people are ignorant and have not ever owned 1 of these dogs therefore do not know what they are talking about, all they do is follow the press like sheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I cannot understand why this issue is still being debated. The answer is glaringly obvious to me. Licensing is the only way ahead.
Anyone who wishes to sell a dog should register their intent to sell and obtain a certificate of health for the animal/s from a vet.
Anyone who wants to purchase/own a dog should apply for a license. A license will only be issued on successfully passing an assessment test.
The assessment test would comprise of a home visit by a qualified veterinarian and/or other such qualified animal welfare agency/organisation in an attempt to ascertain the applicants ability/suitability to own and care for a dog with relevance to the type of dog.
The assessment would also include a written test on dog welfare, its needs and requirements. Ideally the assessment would be relevant to the type of dog being applied for.
All costs to be borne by the applicant. This would also be a test of the applicants commitment to his/her dog.
I know it may sound like I am "anti-dog" but nothing could be further from the truth. I love watching a well trained dog, Obedient and loyal to it's owner.
We have licensing for almost everything that is or could be dangerous to us or other people; cars, motorbikes, medicines, chemicals, guns, so why not dogs.
In the area of south London that I live I see kids (AKA ignorant, immature thugs and some of the adults are not any better) with big dogs freely trotting along around them ie not on a lead, which they can bearly control and would definately not be able to control if they got "over excited".
Comments welcome.
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anti dog hysteria reigns again. why should my harmless well trained dog suffer because some idiots like to maltreat their dogs and use them as weapons. That's the behaviour that needs cracked down on.
I get as much pleasure from throwing a ball for my dog as he does in chasing it why should we be deprived of this harless activity, how can a dog on a lead get proper excercise and muzzles are cruel. more dogs suffer every year at the hands of humans. for every agressive ill trained dog there are thousands of well behaved family pets.
the humans(superior beings)are always responsible for a dogs bad behaviour
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I agree that it isnt the dogs that are the problem. Most of the time it is the Owners fault,due to a lack of experience with dogs, owning a dog that isn't right for them, and unable or cant be bothered to train them properly.
I have two German Shepherds that are well behaved and trained. But i would never leave them alone with a child, and I never let them off a lead unless we are out in a remote area with no one around (but these areas are are very hard to find) I am one of many responsible dog owners. But why can't councils and other local authorities section off areas of parks just for dog owners where our dogs can run off lead, and where children aren't allowed. That would then make it easier to make it law for dogs in all other areas to be kept on a lead at all times.
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Yes, couldn't agree more....dogs are wonderful but should be kept on a lead when out and about. I have harped on about this for years....I would dearly love this to come into law. I have had many arguements with dog owners that have no control over their dogs in parks. My dog has sadly been in several incidents when he had been attacked by dogs on the loose....the irresponsible owners usually just hurl abuse at me! Fortunately no serious injury has occured but it makes both me and my dog wary when a uncontrolled dog comes bounding towards you with the owner at the other side of a park! The proposed re-instatment of the dog licence is "invisible" and irresponsible owners would just not bother to purchase one and does not address the issue of uncontrolled dogs?! Not using a lead is instantly visible and can be dealt with.
Can a petition be launched to offer weight to the situation? I wholly support that something should be done to allow us responsible dog owners enjoyment and freedom to walk in public places without fear.
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Having had a similar experience to Claire's, only in our case, our dog sacrificed his life to save our son's, which was only brought to an end when the pitbull was shot by the police. The injuries sustained by my husband andThe injuries from the attack in Randalstown to my husband and myself were minor, but Troy's were absolutely horrendous and his death was long and horrible, but if not for him, those injuries would have been my son's injuries.
Claire, your son is in my family's thoughts and prayers for a full recovery, we were very lucky, but, like you, I still feel that I have to fight to have the DDA changed.
I have been campaigning over here in NI for the last 2 years. We have managed to get our NI Assembly to agree to a review and debate of some changes, but this is very slow.
If you feel that it would be beneficial to compare progress, you can contact me through The One Show through Kirk or Sharon, they both have my contact details. Maybe a combined campaign could speed the law-makers up a bit.
To those of you who ridicule Claire's hope.....you have absolutely no clue what it is like to be face to face, fighting for your child's life with a dog of this nature.
It is not just the fault of either the dog or the owner, it's a bit of both, but at the end of the day, you don't have to live with the aftermath, physical or mental, but we do.
My family wish you well Claire, Maurice seems to be a very brave little boy.
Best wishes,
The Doherty family, Antrim, NI.
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The Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) and other proposed Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) currently target the wrong end of the lead!
Responsible owners train their dogs and watch out for their welfare. We need to start targeting the owners, not blaming and outlawing certain breeds... or even worse, comdemning a WHOLE species, one that we have previously chosen to take into our homes.
Dogs are not status symbols or fashion statements. Until we make it harder (or impossible) for irresponsible people to have a dog it will continue to be a problem.
I'd have no objection to buying an annual dog license and would welcome the opportunity to complete (on going) training with assessments to show that I'm a responsible and competent dog owner.
I found it totally unhelpful that so many times when 'dangerous dogs' are being discussed by the media, images of Staffordshire Bull Terriers (SBT) are shown, thereby misleading and worrying the public further about the temperment of the SBT. If you are going to discuss the issue of 'dangerous dogs' at least be responsible enough to show images of the ones covered by the current Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA), however flawed it may be.
PLEASE highlight, clarify and rectify this error at your earliest convenience.
Also the use of the term 'attack dogs' is nothing more than scaremongering!
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290 I agree this could be a good way of keeping track of dog breeders and unwanted dogs.
The amount of people I see with dog who have not got a clue is unbelievable, if they have to pay for the dog and a licence maybe they will think twice.
Having a dog is hard work I don't see why people think it's easy.
All of these attacks are because the dogs are either or scared, untrained, have bad malnutrition, not exercised enough and treated badly.
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I would like to see the same system used as in America whereby all dogs are kept on lead and only unleashed in a special dog parks
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I have 2 Bichon Frise dogs.
Last November I was out on a walk with them. (They were both on a lead), when out of no-where a staffordshire pit bull dog WITH NO LEAD ran towards us and for no reason at all attacked one of my dogs. It happened so quickly.
It was the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced in my life.
I rushed my dog to the vet, and thank God, although injured he was alive. He had bite wounds and scratch marks to his left eye.
The vet said he was very lucky.
The owners response to this?......
''All dogs fight''. !!!!!!!!!!
This was no fight - this was an attack - on 2 innocent dogs.
Although the police were called and a statement was taken, they couldn't help me, why? Because no human being was injured in this attack. !!!!!!!
Witnessing what I did that day, has left me mentally scarred. I can't walk past the house where the attack happened. I find it very hard to talk about, and to listen to this report tonight has bought back everything.
I never wanted the 'staffy' to be put down, just for the owner to take responsibility and to muzzle his dog.
I see this 'attacker dog' nearly every day being taken for a walk, and she still doesn't wear a muzzle.
And the owner has the nerve to walk past my house as if nothing has happened; what kind of responsible owner is that?
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I am a samoyed and I am 12 years old with the name of Benji I am a big softie with a waggie tail who is always walked on the lead and never allowed near any children so don't blame all us dogs that have been well bought up.
excuse me for using my human's blogs to reply.
luv Benji
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A dog is an animal that has decended from the wolf. If you know about wolf behaviour and act as 'top dog' then your dog will behave. If you let it be top dog then it will have problems.
Have a look at Cesar Milan's pack of dogs - they include Pit Bulls and they are not killers. They have excercise, discipline then affection.
The problem of badly behaved dogs is caused by people.
All dog owners should read Jan Fennell's book The Dog Listener before they keep pet dogs.
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Hello. I'm the Mother from the programme. It's been really interesting reading all of your comments. I'm sorry that some of you are so angry at my suggestion that dogs should be on leads. I just want to explain that I love dogs, I was bought up with them. And the idea of having dogs on leads at all times (except for in dog exercise areas) actually makes me sad. But I am convinced that we need to do something about this problem, which is why I'm speaking out. I have read with interest lots of the suggestions many of you have made.
But there is something i really must make clear. You're right, all dogs have the potential to bite. But if it had been a Corgi that had run in to the playground and bitten Maurice then he wouldn't have needed to have 2 operations, been scarred for life and had major damage to his tendons. It is the sheer potential of a pitbull that frightens people so much. Whilst I'm well aware of other breeds biting, I haven't actually heard of a poodle killing anyone.
Their bodies are designed to inflict as much damage as possible. This particular dog was owned by a middle class man who loves it very much and believed wholeheartedly that it was nothing but gentle. Which is why it wasn't on the lead or muzzled as the law requires.
Thank you again for all your comments. This is a very emotive subject. People love their dogs like they do their kids. I just hope that we can find a way to keep dog owners happy and children safe.
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All dogs should be on leads and under the control of someone of at least 16 years of age in public spaces! By public spaces I mean near childrens play areas, on foot paths or, in fact, anywhere near houses or roads where they can become a nuisance or danger.
I own a Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is very sociable and friendly with people and other animals but I do not walk him off lead in public spaces as I like to be in control of him for his safety as well as others. He would be very unlikely to attack anyone or anything (as unlikely as any dog) but he does tend to run up to people to be fussed, which to those who don't know the breed can, understandably, be quite intimidating. He also doesn't understand the green cross code, which could be very dangerous for him and other road users.
To avoid any problems occuring, he is kept on a retractable lead which stretches to 24 feet long. He gets to run around safely without bothering anyone, and I get to enjoy a relaxing walk with my dog.
The people who annoy me are those who stand next to a childrens play area or any open space while their dog runs around doing what ever it wants, where ever it wants. This is not good for you, your dog or anyone else. Put some effort into looking after your dog by walking it, not letting it walk itself! If you can't, maybe you shouldn't have one!
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Hi. I was watching your show tonight about dangerous dogs I agree that people should not have dogs so they can use them for other than pets. But I think it is the owners who are to blame if tere dogs are dangerous its how they are treated and I think that owners should be taught how to look after them and how to treat there animals. I have 4 dogs ranching from 3yrs to 20yrs and not once have they been out of control.
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I think that only dog owners should walk there dog. Walk only one at a time, on a lead. Clean up all mess. On a short lead. All dogs were bred from wolves, so all dogs can be dangerous dogs. As Fern said dogs are animals and should be treated as such. Respect others and look after the animal. Dogs breeds have been changed over the years by man. That should not happen. Playing God is not a good idea.
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I have my Bichon Frise muzzled because he has bitten in the past - I think it's the only responsible thing to do. Frankly I am surprised that no other dog walkers muzzle their dogs.
With a muzzle on the dog, I can relax because I know he can't bite.
Keeping dogs on the lead is not the answer as dogs need more exercise than they can get by just walking.
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I AM OWNED BY TWO STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS,ONE MALE, AGED 2, OZZY, HIS PARTY PIECE IS TO WALK IN FRONT OF A BENCH WHERE PEOPLE ARE SITTING AND ROLL ONTO HIS BACK TO HAVE HIS BELLY RUBBED. IF PEOPLE DO MANAGE TO AVOID STROKING HIM HE WALKS AWAY LOOKING VERY HURT. HE THINKS HE WAS PUT ON THIS EARTH TO KISS EVERY HUMAN HE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH.
MY FEMALE IZZY, 10 MONTHS OLD AND BLUE IS SLIGHTLY MORE RESERVED, SHE JUST WANTS FUSS FROM EVERY OTHER PERSON SHE MEETS. NEITHER DOG FIGHTS, IF EITHER OF THEM ARE BARKED OR GROWLED AT BY ANOTHER DOG THEIR RESPONSE IS ALWAYS THE SAME , YEAH WHATEVER AND WALK AWAY.
I HAVE HAD COMMENTS FROM TOTAL STRANGERS ABOUT THEIR EXCELLENT BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC PLACES, I TAUGHT THEM TRICKS, THEY TAUGHT THEMSELVES TO BEHAVE. THEN ALONG COME THE 'MEDIA' AND USE STAFFS AS 'BAD EXAMPLES'.
IT IS TIME THE MEDIA STOPPED BAD MOUTHING STAFFS, THEY ARE NOT THE OGRES, THE DEVIL DOGS, THE KILLERS THEY ARE MADE OUT TO BE AND ARE ONLY AS BAD AS THEY ARE TAUGHT TO BE BY BAD OWNERS. PERSECUTE THE BAD OWNERS AS HARD AS YOU PERSECUTE THE GOOD DOGS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. DOGS HAVE RIGHTS TOO.
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I am a responsible dog owner - used to own a dobi and shepherd now have a rescue x shepherd
i have always put a lot of work into my dogs - got gold good citzienship kennel club etc
its the DEED NOT THE BREED any dog can potentially threaten and bite Admittingly a larger dog or pit bull type can be more damaging but its the irresponsible owners
i keep my boy on a lead or put him on his lead if i see a jogger / cyclist /child approaching me or another dog owner whos own dog is on a lead - its the unwritten law -
my boy is friendly but may be unpredictable if scared so i do not take the chance
his training has instilled good recall so even off the lead in places I know well he will return to me
i think most responsible dog owners will muzzle and not cos dogs are vicious but some retired greyhounds are prey driven with small furries so the muzzle prevents the kill of squirells cats etc or scare / damage to smaller dogs or owners
its all about being a responsible owner
taking a dog on - for life - not dumping it cos you bore of it or cos of the recession etc
i think its about.................................
training owners
having to pay for a dog and having it licenced to yourself
random spot checks
points like driving offences for certain misdemeanours
all dogs to be neutered / spayed if not being used for breeding
all dogs to be microchipped
all owners to pick up mess
RSPCA to be heavier more helpful
4 greyhound pups recently retained by RSPCA have bad ricketts which RSPCA did nothing about despite having them in their care for 4 weeks - one little lad s legs may never straighten again as now too far advancec
any respectable genuine dog owner would agree to be checked and pay over the odds for lience spay micro chip etc
police to get tough on all the evil macho drug dealers who think it status to have aggressive dogs
police to be harder on all the illegal dog fights going on just in Brum
stricter sentances for animal cruelty - not just a few years ban -
dangerous dogs like pit bulls to be licenced and proved they are loving family pets not fighting dogs and killing machines
dogs have no say its always a BAD OWNER NEVER A BAD DOG
My sympathies to little Mauruce and mum
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
i too am a dog owner of a very placid staff great with children, adults and thinks all other dogs want to play, i used to walk him without a lead but no longer do for his own protection, he was attacked by two pit bull (cross breed )dogs, that came out of a garden where someone had left the gate open , luckily he is ok but at one time i thought he was dead, these pit bull breeds are savage and are mainly bred and owned for a status symbol.the same two dogs had previousl attacked me as i tried to get out of my car i managed to shut my car door and had to sit their untill they had stopped jumping up the car and gone away,, i am angry at the fact that i was to scared to move on my owndrive way and go into my home . i spoke to the owners but it obviously fell on deaf ears as they attacked again when they attacked my dog.i believe the owners should muzzle their dogs and be responsible owners to ensure their is no possible risk their dogs could attack. pit bulls and any cross bread from the pit bull should be banned, people say one dog attacks and we wipe out the bread but its not one dog its several attacks and usual a pit bull at the heart of it.there are far to many teenagers walking the streets and using pit bulls as status symbols , or attack dogs , there should be an age limit on dog ownership.people who have experianced problems with dangerous dogs are usually to scared to call the police or the council because of the fear of conflict and the usuall nature of the people that own pit bulls,,, miss tolly
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As I said in 294, my family were attacked by a pitbull 2 years ago, this attack lasted 90 minutes, but what I wanted to say was that since then I have studiously researched the idea of which dogs who are classed as dangerous.
I admit that in the immediate aftermath, I wanted all pitbulls executed, a perfectly natural response from a mother who watched the pitbull bearing down on my 10 year old son, in what seemed like slow-motion. The hardest part of this was not the attack itself, but in fact was the realisation that there was physically no possible way that I could get to my son before the pitbull did. There are simply no words to fully explain that sensation.
I have come to see that the bottom line is that every dog is capable of attacking, as it is in their nature. But my point is that dogs follow their natural instincts, some attack, but some, like our Troy, as in Labrador tradition,only intervened to save his 10 year old masters life. One more point which was not covered by the media, including The One Show, was that when the pitbull was mauling Cole( our daughter's dog), and before he lunged at me, with his blood covered teeth millimeters from my face, intent on mauling me, our other 3 labradors did not once even try to intervene, as most would assume. The other 3 dogs immediately circled my children to protect them. After Troy side-swiped the pitbull off my son's back, all of my dogs simply watched as we tried to save him.
Bottom line.....Labs basic nature is to protect their owners, but that doesn't mean that they would never attack. Any breed can attack, but some breeds are more prone than others.
I am campaigning to have the NI Assembly to have the DDA investigated, a request to which they have agreed, but political wheels turn slowly.....very slowly......just as slow as the recurring nightmares play out in my head on a regular basis. We need more action & less procrastination.
All I have heard her today is just going around and around, but a few have made the very good point that ....until you have been that person, pinned to the ground by a dog that is twice your body mass and psyched up for a kill, and quite happy for you to be that snack, you will never ever understand exactly how it feels to you attacker's breath on your face, desperately trying to figure out if you will survive to ever see your children again.
The only worse than that is that split second realisation that your child is about to be pulled to the ground and be mauled by this same huge animal, and there is no possible way that you can save him....that second that you realise that your child is about to die, and you can't stop it happening.
So, yes, the media does more harm than good in this, and after months of investigation with "bull people", I can see both sides of the story about the pitbull dogs, but to be totally honest, the biggest hype merchants are usually people who have never owned a dog, never experienced the bond that lies between a good dog and a responsible owner.
All the chest beating, pro or anti-bulldog in the world will still achieve nothing. We must demand action at a government level, a thorough and heartfelt investigation, followed by reasonable changes in our system, and not a witch hunt.
I will never feel comfortable near a pitbull for the rest of my life, and do wish that they didn't exist, but that is unrealistic.
The anger so blatantly on view throughout the blog on this matter needs to be re-focused at our government, to force them to take the necessary action, and at a reasonable speed, not the slow crawl they are currently using.
The NI Assembly are already one year into a consultation with the view of attempting to re-structure the blatantly useless DDA of todays world.
Arguing amongst ourselves will achieve nothing, but if we were all singing from the same page, there is a possibility that we could possibily prevent anyone else suffering the horrendous experience of an attack, from any breed of dogs.
Adrian's last comment about pitbulls was also inappropriate, at his age he should be more sensitive to the feelings of attack victims.
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At 279 I advocated muzzling three types of dog in public, because dogs of those types have carried out serious and fatal attacks on children and adults.
Licensing won't work and as it would cost money to administer it won't happen. Requiring training of owners and handlers, while entirely sensible, cannot easily be enforced.
Having dogs on a lead won't stop them biting.
I am convinced that requiring muzzling for those types of dog would result in a reduction in the number of serious and ftal attacks, and it would not cost a lot to implement.
Mark this entry and 279:
David Tucker
Thirsk, North Yorkshire
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Although I feel deeply for the little boy that was bitten (and understand, as I was badly bitten myself years ago) I'd like to make the following comments:
1. It is owners that need educating (as a relatively new owner myself I did a lot of research and went to dog classes to ensure I had a well-behaved and sociable dog). If an owner can't control their dog then it should be on lead or at least exerciesd in an area away from other people and dogs; and if it has aggressive tendancies a muzzle must be used.
2. Never letting a dog have free-running exercise is cruel as they need this to stay physically and mentally healthy (The Animal Welfare Act in April 2007 states that it is the owner's legal responsibility to ensure that their pet is cared for appropriately according to their species specific needs - as commented in Dogs Today, June 2007 pg 12 - walkng on a one-metre lead does not allow a dog to express their normal behaviour.
3. Educating non-dog owners how to behave around dogs, and for them to understand a dog's body-language etc would also be a good idea.
4. If councils insist on banning dogs from certain areas then they should also provide adequate alternative space for dogs to be exercised (not the awful tiny 'dog-parks' as in America).
I just feel that dogs get such a bad press when it is people who are at fault. Irresponsible owners only help to fuel hatred and mistrust which then affects the vast majority of responsible owners and dogs alike. My life has changed so much since having our dog. I wouldn't be without her, she brings me so much happiness and I love seeing her happy and content (and one of the most joyous times for her is when she is free-running with the wind in her fur - it is a beautiful thing.
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it wasn't so long ago that we all knew if we were bitten by a dog it was usually our own fault, children were always taught to ask before touching. The only thing that has changed is our social attitude towards owning a pet, we expect them to be clinically clean fit into our very changed life styles as a commodity rather than a companion.
You cannot blame the dog you can only blame the person who was responsible for it or our own stupidity.
I can understand the parent of this child she is speaking in anger but tarring all dogs with the same brush is not the answer.
Not all dogs that bite are pitbulls there are few if any now left in this country but its a sensationalist title. The majority of dogs that bite fit in various handbags the only difference is that they do less damage to a smaller area than a larger breed.
Encouragement of sensible dog ownership with the punishment of the owner and its dog having to actually go to training classes when they make an error wouldn't hurt.
The sad thing is these dogs will be pts and their owner will be able to do the same with another dog at some point. Where is the punishment in that.
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I think we are missing a fundamental point. I agree with one of the persons in film when he said that dog owners must be made to be responsibel for the actions of dogs in their charge. To help with that I propose we bring in a pet license that covers all animals. The animal must where this at all times and if ound not to have one be taken from the 'owner'. The license must set a such a level as to ensure the owner really wants to own a pet, £100 for a dog or cat does not seem unreasonable to me
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Re 298
A 'staffy' is NOT a staffordshire PITT bull!!! Its actually a Stafforshire Bull Terrier so please get it right before you start slating them. Pitt bulls are banned staffordshire bull terriers aren't.
I understand you are upset with what happened to your dog but don't 'tar all dogs with the same brush!'
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As an Owner of two beautiful Staffordshire Pitbull crosses Foggy and JD I feel that this media hype of blaming all Staffs as dangeorous Is getting out of control . I am a responsible owner who has had her dogs "Chipped and Castrated"my dogs are extremely playfull and have never ever shown the trait of being monsters that the media pertain them to be . I am also a mother of two children and fully apprecaite what this women and her child have gone through . People need to understand the breed and to realise to brand all these type dogs as "Monsters" Is wrong .They are extremely loving and family orintated type dogs so please when showing pictures and vidoe footage of dogs that have bitten please make sure you have the full and correct facts plus pictures of the "Monster" dogs you are reporting on .
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I watch your show every night and I was dismayed at the lack of information that you portrayed about the breed you where trying to implement as being the dangerous dog breed, it would certainly help owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers if you stopped portraying them as Pit Bull, I am sure you have the facilitys to make sure that you have the current information before you go to air. You do not have to walk your dog, after your show with everyone assuming that it is a dangerous dog, if you took the time to actual meet a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and its owner you would, possibly be surprised of just how sweet and caring a staffie can be, and more to the point just how much of an insult you have giving them by labelling them.
For your information all the dogs you showed on your programme last night where either staffies or bull mastiffs, not one was a bull terrier.
Could you please address this issue and put your error right.
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As per the 'Dog Whisperer', Ceasar Milan, any dog can be rehabilitated, since each day is a new day for the dog, it is the OWNERS that need to be trained. I am a dog owner, and have always grown up with dogs. Because a dog is an animal, they can be unpredictable, but the important thing is, a dog will usually react to something in the same way that their owner would. Its is insane to suggest that the animal should be executed for an attack? As in your program tonight, what or where was the owner whose dog attacked Maurice. If they were a responsible dog owner, then they would have been at the scene or at least been able to recall their animal, before the attack took place. If the poor animal is taunted into attack mode by its owner, then it does not even know it is doing something wrong. All dogs in this day and age, have somehow been introduced to humans, and it is either through lack of care, love and training that they venture off on their own, and as any animal in the wild would do if provoked, they could attack. But still it is not their fault. You just need to look at how many children in this day and age misbehave, and the current legislation prevents even parents from disciplining their child, what do we do with those children??? If dogs cannot be controlled, then yes they should be kept on a lead, and if they are prone to attack, then they should wear a muzzle. Its the owners responsibility to make this decision, the dog does not know what to do! SAVE OUR DOGS
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The onwers are to blame!A lot of young men prefer a strong breed of dog, eg Rotweiler, and use it to show of or to menace people.These dogs are treated badly by these boys.I know a seventeen year old boy who gives this advice to his friends" Kick the dog than he'll get aggressive!"
In public places it is recommended to keep your dog on the lead.Even when your dog is very gentle, he can hurt people when running and playing wildly.
And parents:please do not leave the dog alone at home or in a room with young children.An adult dog doesn't accept the authority of a toddler.And a lot of signs in dog behaviour is often not recognised by the child.
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I was angered about the comments on the show last night regarding "attack dogs". So narrow minded....border collies, german shepherds and springer spaniels bite and attack far more people but it never reaches the news, these dogs don't make such great headlines do they? Of course its awful and unforgivable to allow your dog to attack anyone, but it CAN BE ANY DOG. I'm fed up of the bull terrier breeds getting all the blame. Staffordshire and English Bull Terriers can make great pets. I'm a responsible Jack Russel owner, my dog is on a lead in public places and I have no problem with that. I agree something should be done, not sure of the answer as unresponsible dog owners will not follow the rules anyway. But don't just blindly blame certain types of dogs, its certain types of owners who are to blame. The type of coverage the show gave last night just portrays complete ignorance, in future a more balanced view with some common sense please. Its almost put me off watching the show.
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I am appalled that so many people think it would be a good idea to keep dogs on leashes or have all of them muzzled.
I am even more appalled that some stupid thug was able to own a dog and made it viscious enough to harm a child - and without provocation. My heart goes out to Claire Lambert and her son.
As many people have said, it is not the dog but the owner, however some breeds have been bred specifically to be fighters.
So how to stop these incidents?
Immediately stop breeding pit bulls etc that are bred to attack [not staffordshire bulls which are sweet natured] and make it illegal to have them in this country. All pit bulls currently to be neutered.
Make it mandatory for dog owners to take a course in dog ownership before owning one. At least then people might realise that responsible dog ownership requires work - patience, training, socialisation and knowledge of dog behaviour. This could be funded through a dog licence.
Anyone whose dog bites should be prosecuted and their dog taken into 'care' at the owners expense, or, if the attack is severe the dog, regretfully, may need to be put down. As with damaged kids, if dogs have been mistreated they might not be able to be readjusted.
Dogs are no different from kids. If you don't treat them with love and discipline they will become anti social members of society.
Actually, training and licences for parents might not be a bad thing either. More people are hurt by teenage thugs than are bitten by dogs. Lets think about that one.
If dog leashes and muzzles were ever to be mandatory, I would have to move abroad with my dogs. Watching them play and run is all part of the joy of owning them. My dogs are trained, well behaved and are so well socialised that babies play with them. Only under supervision, not because of what the dog might do to the child, but what the child might do to the dog.
My dogs? Large german shepherds that are pussycats.
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The serious attacks described on your show are the most extreme part of what is becoming a far more general problem. Like your dog trainer contributors, I believe the problem is not really with the more agressive breeds (though when it does happen with them it is much more serious) but with irresponsible owners. These are people who are so fond of their dogs that they let them do what they want. This results in agressive harrassing such as running up to people very fast and swerving at the last moment, persistent barking, jumping up especially from the back or sides, grapping hands with the mouth and most serious biting.
I have encountered more of this sort of behaviour recently particularly since my own dog died. Before a lot of this agression was directed at him.
Most of the time when this happens the owners do nothing. Their reaction is to either treat it as a bit of harmless naughtiness or to ignore it and you. If challenged their response is to blame you e.g. its something about you (when challenged they'll admit it's happenned before); or incredibly - you, a man on his own, shouldn't be walking where people are taking their dogs!
These people who are only a small, but significant, minority of dog owners are in denial of their pet's behaviour. If challenged they will say they can't control their pets, but I think one of your dog control experts summed it up well when they described owners who allow their dog to be 'top dog'. It is not that they can't control their dog but rather that they only care about themselves and their friends and so what their dog does to anyone else doesn't bother them.
This does seem to be a problem right across the social spectrum. What to do about it? Sorry, I've no easy solution. I don't think restrictions on breeds would help and I'd be sorry to see responsible owners and dogs penalised by an 'on lead' requirement. Again I agree with your experts that dog owners need to made legally responsible for the behaviour of their dogs and not just where biting occurs.
Sorry to ramble on.
PJCB10 Whitstable Kent
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If legislation was passed that all dog owners had to have a license, how would this be policed? Perhaps we should have more dog wardens. How many do we see patrolling the streets? If we can have traffic wardens coming down on motorists with strict rules and fines why not the same for irresponsible dog owners.
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Bring back dog licencing, only make it a substantial one that will make people think twice about keeping dogs. You could have exceptions for the elderly who have them as companions and for the blind and hard of hearing.
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Hear, hear to those who say that the owners are at fault NOT the dogs, so get to the core of the matter and make owners responsible. 'Dangerous' dogs are so-called only because of their idiot owners who are the ones who need to be controlled.
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Dogs are like children, although should not be treated like one, and need disipline they need rules boundries and limitations. I have seen it in my own dogs when i was working, i gave them no diciplne and they run riot, always escaping and attacking/ frightening people in the area. I gave up work and spent more time giving them rules boundries and limitations and i am now pack leader and they do what i say. People with dogs that behave badly will give phsyical punishment which will only make the dog worse and aggression begets aggression. Im studying to be a animal behaviourist to help those with unruly pets in my area, the OWNERS are RESPONSIBLE for the dogs actions. I have seen youths with "dangerous dogs" thinking that because of the breed it makes them bigger, i totaly disagree, if they need a dog to look bigger, what does it say about them! wimps!
From Dawn Mcdougall, Aspley, Nottingham.
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A very unhelpfull report. Demonising these breeds in the way in which the presenters did is irresponsible and will not help to stop dog attacks! They, and other sections of the media, are just as much to blame for the problem as irresopnsible owners.
The problem exists and needs to be sorted. From reading most of the comments so far I am glad to see most people can get past the stereo type and start to deal with the issues. This is what is needed, keep it up.
BSL doesnt work, we need to call for a repeal of section 1 of the DDA.
Pit Bulls are not to blame, society is. Please give them a chance.
ps. as the law stands, a pedegree KC registered Staff can be classed as 'Pit Bull type' if it is alittle bit taller than normal. ?? The law also applies to cross breeds such as lab/staff, mastiff/shar-pei, infact any dog taller than 45cm, muscular with short hair. Two 'legal' parents can have 'illegal' puppies? How can such a law exist?
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It would break my heart if my dog could never run again, because of some irresponsible owners.
Insisting that all dogs are on leads does not encourage people train their dogs.
If the dog that attacked that poor child was a pit bull, shouldn't it have been on a lead under current legislation anyway? If they don't obey the law now why would they in the future?
Some dogs are treated as weapons but I don't know why me and my dog should be punished for that. My dog loves to run and play fetch with a ball , you just can't do that in the equivalent of a fenced tennis court.
Bec , Kent.
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How many people have been killed or murdered by fellow human beings this year?
(Children by parents, parents by children, wives by husbands etc.)
How many have been killed by dogs?
How many people have been attacked, stabbed or maimed by fellow human beings?
How many have been attacked or seriously bitten by a dog?
Human beings are animals. Maybe we should deal with real problems before we begin condeming every dog on the planet.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is absoulutly awful that this little boy has been attacked and I do think aggresive dangerous dogs should be delt with, as I do aggresive and dangerous people.
Dogs are mans best friend.
Dogs are largely more loyal and trustworthy than many fellow humans.
There are many dogs who are a greater asset to society, more so than many human beings. Guide dogs for the blind, Guide dogs for the deaf, dogs who pre-warn their owners of a forthcoming seizure or diabetic coma, police sniffer dogs, rescue dogs etc.
In general dogs do not deserve this bad publicity. It is largley down to irresponsible owners, why should all dogs suffer because of a few?
What about our countless unruly teenagers, should we mussel are children and put then on leads, their parents will then know where they are?
My dog is only ever on a lead for his own safety and not that of others, I would trust my dog long before I would trust many human beings.
I have worked in a caring profession for 30 years, I do care about human saftey, but give dogs a rest and sort out the human animals first.
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My terrier bitch (who is always on a leash) and I were both attacked on 1st November by 2 Rough Collies. The bite I sustained required medical attention and the Police were involved. Had these dogs been on a leash the incident would never have happened. We need legislation to make having a dog on a leash compulsory. There aren't any bad dogs just bad owners.
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I would have to very stongly disagree with Fern's comment on last nights show of dogs being just dogs. My 2 wonderful Border Collies are my life. They DO KNOW their place within the home, they are extremely obedient and very intelligent and know every word I say to them. Aswell as having my 2 K9 girls, I have 2 human children too, making 4 children in all! IT IS HOW YOU BRING THEM UP, THE LOVE AND RESPECT YOU SHOW THEM, THE TRAINING YOU GIVE THEM. They are a huge part of my life and it is indeed a great honour to be blessed with 2 wonderful Border Collies. My 2 girls have been into my youngest child's primary school to meet all the children a couple of times now, and the smile they bring to the children's faces are priceless!!
To this end, it isn't the dogs, it's the owners and their attitude towards their pets / animals. A licensing of ALL dog owners would be the best idea in all, but indeed, you would need someone to police this and the resources are simply not available, which is very sad indeed. The Government needs to make these resources available for anything to be done.
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I am a responsable dog owner who keeps his dog on a lead when walking, she gets exesise off the lead in open places when appropriate to do so, if another dog or members of the public come to the same place she is put back on the lead and we either move on or wait for the people/dog to pass.
I frequently encounter dogs being walked of the lead in public and more remote areas, the owners seem either unaware or have a verry selfish/arogant atitude towards what there dog will or will not do and hoew much controle they have with no lead.
If i aproach peopel to put there dogs back on the lead it is frequently met with the comment "my dog is fine and doesnt need to be on a lead" or verbal abuse.
In respect of dog bites i was unfortunate to be biten by an Akita dog a few months ago. This dog was on a lead but it snapped the lead in order to atack my dog, i was in the middle and suffered a nasty bite to my arm which has left perminant scares and required up to 75 antibiotic pills to be taken in a week to avoid an infection.
When trying to report this incident, i initially thought it was being taken seriously. However when i tried to chase the incident up i was met with hurdle after hurdle from the dog warden service, and when my partner aproached the dog owner we were warned that we should not have done this. Subsequently the dog owner logged a complaint that my dog bit her and that i might aswell leave the complaint as i would get into trouble.
The whole incident left a bad tatse in my mouth and the dog is still in the area and i see it regularly.
To this day i have not received an apology from the dog owner or even an enquiry as to my well being.
I feel that the people policeing dog bite incidents cannot be bothered to enforce the law as it would involve decisive action.
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If you feel strongly about this issue why not sign this petition:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Dogsleads/
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There his a old saying out of evil will come good.
In this case the good being that these article /s are good for my business.
As a dog rescue and rehoming service for SBTs i have and will make money out of assessing these so called macho dogs.
Business as been low lately now after this article people will panic ,which means i get more to work on.
The main money is made from the good dog people dont wont.thankyou.
Out of every 10 dogs assessed you normally find one good one which we can put right and rehome[16 years and still going].
Normally the people coming here are not owners they have just aquired the dog from a friend or a mate in the pub and finding it difficult to handle[mainly lack of training].
The truth being untill we understand the truth about the DDact we will never get to a solution.
Must sign off now as i think i ,am going to be busy.
Sorry if i offend some people but i have lived with the problem for years and there is a old saying ;if you cant beat them join them and make money.william
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I have a few thoughts about the vicious dog problem. I think there are several causes. People seem to be not too good at risk assessment. A strong dog is a potential risk if only from the strength of their bite, so has to be nurtured in an environment where the family are top dogs. They also need proper socialising when they are young. Too often animals are treated like cuddly toys, given attention when it is convenient and left alone too long when the family becomes busy. The walking routing is not stuck to. Unintentional neglect results, which can lead to dogs who don’t know what to do to get the attention they need or how to interact with humans.
Then there are the dogs that look strong and boost the ego of the owner. I have seen so many unhappy and bewildered dogs of this type. They are not interacted with but have to guess what is wanted of them and are punished when they get it wrong. These owners should never have dogs. If these dogs get off a lead anything could happen.
Then the intentional brutalisation of some dogs, by being stuck with needles, etc to make them more vicious in order to use them in dogs fights. These owners should be banned from ever owning a dog and prosecuted.
The vast majority of dogs are fine and punishing the huge numbers of dogs (by keeping them on leads all the time) for the few is just not acceptable. Neither is the option of allowing the badly treated minority to continue to be a menace. It is impossible to tell if a dog is OK or not by looking at the dog, but try looking at the owner and how the owner interacts with the dog. Making compulsory classes for owners who are not getting it right is not a bad idea. Even if the dog doesn’t learn to sit etc (and some will never get the idea) the interaction that is acceptable can be instilled. It would need dog wardens with their own form of legally supported teeth to allow this to happen. It would take time, financing and effort. Tracking down complaints from the public would be a good start. No one is interested at the moment, or if someone is interested they are incredibly hard to find. The owners are often intimidating and aggressive and just not interested.
So more dog wardens with the ability to follow up on complaints and enough support to allow them to do their jobs, with the option of classes for those who need it and removal of dogs where neglect or abuse is apparent. That would go a long way to solving the problem.
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There are many problems with introducing 'blanket' legislation.
I live in the chalk downs of west Wiltshire and our dog (a gundog) has the opportunity to run free over many hectares of open access land - lucky dog!
If I lived in a city I would hesitate to own a dog.
Legislation aimed at dog owners in urban areas would make a nonsense in the countryside where many dogs are 'working dogs'.
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I'm surprised that no one has picked up on the fact that the child was playing on a touch pad which made noises. It may be that this was a factor in the attack as we do not know how the dog interpreted the noise. If this was a factor then it shows how important it is that childrens play areas should be fenced off and gates kept closed, not only to keep dogs out but to help stop children wandering off. My dogs all go off lead unmuzzled but not in areas where children are playing. My dogs are not interested in children but non of us can know 100% just how our dog will react to certain actions and sounds.
I am totally against making dogs wear muzzles or be on leads in all public areas and think as others have said it would be a recipe for hyperactive dogs. It is down to educating owners and making them behave responsibly and holding them to account with punitive sentencing if they don't.
Sadly man behaves in a far worse way to dogs than dogs do to man and this desire to demonise them, whatever breed they are is only likely to make this worse.
There are risks in everything in life including dogs and while I sympathise with anyone attacked, short of killing all dogs there will always be incidents of this type, but possibly licensing, microchipping, pre- ownership education and screening of potential owners may help but this will never happen as it is too costly to implement and police and people who shouldn't have dogs will still get them.
BBC do get your breed names right.
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The impression given by comments on last nights program left one believing that dogs in the States are always kept on a lead. This isn't correct and it depends upon State and location within it.
It is irresponsible to allow dogs, any dog, to be running around loose were children are playing. I am a dog lover and have more than one I would never allow them loose near a playground. Dogs do need to be allowed free running exercise though for their mental and physical wellfare and it would be very difficult for those living in cities and towns if they could only excercise on the lead. Suitable places would have to be provided for the people who wish to enjoy the pleasure of dog ownership as well as providing for those that don't.
Our local council fences off childrens play areas primarily I think to prevent fouling but it serves the purpose of keeping dogs out full stop.
No matter what law was brought in the people who cause the problems would take no notice of them. If they did there would be no Pit Bulls in the country by now. Instead they are being kept and bred in secret illegally for the revolting 'sport' of dog fighting.
Rachel
NW Leics
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I am a dog owner and a Police Officer. I've had big dogs and currently have small dogs.
I always keep my dogs on their leads in a public place. The law says I must keep my dogs under proper control in a public place which either means close to heel or on a lead. The law also says I cannot walk my dog within 15 feet of a road on less it is on a lead.
As dogs are animals they can not be completely trusted no matter how well trained because they act on instinct.
Last year whilst out walking my little dogs all on their leads close to me when an out of control Boxer not on a lead attacked. Luckily the second dog with it a Staffordshire Bull Terrier didnot join in! This Boxer picked her up in its jaws and shook her about 2 feet in the air like a rag doll leaving a bleeding wound which needed veterinary treatment. And left my dog traumatised to the point it no longer likes other dogs.
The attack was so quick I could do nothing about it. But what really annoyed me was that the owner of the dogs just walked past without giving a damn about his respondsibilities. He got a shock and has now given an undertaking to keep his dogs on a lead at all times.
But it should not have happened. It could have been a child out walking a puppy.
I strongly beleive that the only enforceable way to stop these attacks is that the law is changed so that all dogs are kept on a lead in a public place at all times.
It will also stop those people who somehow think they can walk their dogs under control whilst they are riding a bike! Put them on a lead and be responsible.
There can be no excuse then like "It was in a designated dog area but it got out".
This will make it easier for the Police to enforce as there can be no excuse.
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I am sorry about whats happened,I am a mother of three,my eslest son was badly attacked by a large powerful rescue dog we took on.
Yes it was an awful difficult time for all of us,we now own two wonderful dogs,they are two sbt's.My dog has helped my son overcome his fear of dogs.
We have had 17 years of Bull**** Legisation,it doesn't work,it will NEVER work.
Experts argue over what defines a Pitt or it's "Type" so how on earth members of the public can clearly identify a pitt is beyond me.
The media has alot to answer for,they create fear which attracts the wrong owners.
All of us,Breeders Owners and Parents need to take accountabilty for our actions,we need clear legislation in place which makes owners responsible for their dogs actions regardless of it's breed.
Breed is unimportant,the idiot that rushed through the DDA 1991 failed to tell us that a JR was responsibe for the death of a child.
All dogs have the potential to be dangerous,a dog is only as dangerous as the owner allows it to be.
My friend was bitten by a collie 6 weeks ago,she has needed hospital treatment and has reported to the police - 6 weeks on the police haven't even taken a statement,even though this dog was dangerously out of control in a pubic place and bit 3 people in the same day,the dog is still allowed out on it's own,now I can guarentee had this been a Rotti,SBT,bull breed, this dog and owner would have been dealt within hours of this happening!
The law in the UK is laughable!!!
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I should also have said the only exemption to this would have to be licensed working dogs ie. police dogs, farm dogs, gun dogs, hounds etc
Also all dogs should be licenced, micro chipped and photographed.
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Sadly I'm afraid even as a Police Officer when I phoned the local police to report my attack they tried to fob me off several times until I enparted my law knowledge on them, but I shouldn't have had to have done that.
So I did something about it and I can now say that the civilian call takers in Thames Valley Police have now had additional training on dog law and hopefully will deal with these incidents properly and pass the call to an officer to deal with.
I'm afraid I can't comment on or speak for any other Police Forces.
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Try to keep things in perspective please, it is not my dog who vandalises pooh bins, litter bins, benches, playgrounds etc in parks. While I agree that certain people should not be allowed to own ANY dog, there are many more responsible dog owners than irresponsible ones. To devote part of a prime time slot to this is ridiculous, why not bring a Mother of a convicted killer on and suggest that he be put down and all his friends of the same age and ilk, people are being murdered and raped by other people every day of the week , where would the killing stop if we adopted the same attitude to people as you seem to want towards dogs. Also please ensure that in future you feature the correct breed of dog , very poor reporting. While I have every sympathy with the family concerned I do not think it does anyone any good to try to whip up mass hysteria. A better idea than putting dogs on leads is to have a curfew in the parks when all children should be at home and dogs can go and roam free like the dogs they are!!!
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There is sufficient legislation to deal with dog attacks. It is a nonsense that the legislation is only there for attacks on humans.
It is an offence for any dog not to be under proper contol in a public place under the Dog Act 1871 (I think the year is correct). This law was not superceded by the more recent Dangerous Dog Act (DDA).
So attacks on other dog and animals are covered.
Under the DDA it is an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. If the victim thinks the dog was dangerous then it is and this beleif would be supported by a human bite or another animal being bitten in the attack.
But you need to be able to identify the attacking dog and owner for a successful prosecution.
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Our children and their freedom to run around and play without having to fear dog attacks (and without coming home covered in excrement!) are way way more important than any dog.
Any dog owner who cannot understand and agree with this statement is exactly the sort of person who should not be allowed to own a dog.
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Should all dogs be on leads? No. This would punish responsible owners and their families who enjoy taking their dogs to the fields to run and play together. The rules around dog owneship should be much tighter.
Licencing should be brought back and micro chipping should be compulsary so that irresponsible owners can be tracked down and dealt with properly.
All dog owners should be required to demostrate that they know how to own a dog responsibly and the same rules of registation should apply to dog ownership as to car ownership. We're the 21 century, surely we must be able to tackle offeners and do away with the "broad brush" approach to our problems.
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i think that dog owners have a huge responsibility and with youths and gangs getting Pitbull type dogs in order to look 'hard' there will be an obvious decline in training standards and as a result, a dog which is bred to fight, and cannot be controlled, will no doubt attack, by instinct!
This website keeps up to date with all dog related issues and is the site for Your Dog magazine and as such is a very knowledgeable source. take a look at the link below as it deals with this very issue!
www.yourdog.co.uk
Look in weird world of dogs on page 7 staffie attack article.
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I think that dog owners have a huge responsibility and with youths and gangs getting Pitbull type dogs in order to look 'hard' there will be an obvious decline in training standards and as a result, a dog which is bred to fight, and cannot be controlled, will no doubt attack, by instinct!
This website keeps up to date with all dog related issues and is the site for Your Dog magazine and as such is a very knowledgeable source. take a look at the link below as it deals with this very issue!
www.yourdog.co.uk page 7 of weird world of dogs.
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well im disgusted that the bbc continuously show a staffordshire bull terrier instead of the pit bull,this is giving innocent staffies not only a bad name but puts mistrust in people stupid enough to believe that a staff is any thing like a pit bull,i expect that there are owners of pit bull that do not attack people and are a lovely family pet that feel the same way too,i only wish that when a programme is aired that they would use the correct pictures of the actual animal they are referring to.it is vile filth that use staffs for fighting that have given the staff such a bad name and idiots that use them as a status symbol as staffs are known to be the nanny dog used years ago as a protector of babies placed in their pram.i am a mother of 3 children aged from 2 to 9 and id trust my dogs any day of the week over the scum walking the streets with guns and knives and they have the nerve to call these people animals well they are not animals they are nothing and dont deserve to breathe the same air as an animal.i lay the blame for aggressive dogs at their irresponsible owners feet as a puppy is just like a baby that learn right from wrong from day 1,nasty behavior should not be tolerated and then these dogs would not grow to be nasty with any starnger including children.to end here & all i have to say is be very careful throwing staffies into the dangerous dog title as there are known to be far more bites from toy breeds.lisa
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It is always very upsetting to hear about any dog attack on a child, but simply proposing to keep all dogs on leads will not solve the problem in the UK today.
The Mayhew Animal Home in London works in collaboration with BARK (Brent Action for Responsible K9's) to address some of the canine issues observed in today's society.
'Dangerous dogs' in itself is a dangerous terminology as there are many different classifications under the dangerous dogs act, which people need to be aware of. To just classify dog breeds is not doing enough to remedy the more important issues of over-population and unregulated dog breeding and sales.
These factors are the catalysts behind the stories that appear in the media regarding dog attacks.
Working with Brent Council, the local police and other animal welfare organisations, The Mayhew's Animal Welfare Officer's (AWO)work in the community to address issues of irresponsible dog ownership, misuse of an animal and anti-social behaviour. Our AWO's also work in school to provide educational talks, which works to remove the fear factor many children may have after not being exposed to dogs, or animals in general.
Our AWO's will discuss how to read the behavioural signs of dogs, how to react to their actions and how to treat animals in general. with older students, they will explain the pertinent issues of today's society, including dog-fighting, the importance of neutering and debunking the myths surrounding breeds such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
More local Councils and government bodies need to address these issues on a community level and follow the lead of initiatives like BARK.
For more information about The Mayhew Animal Home, and the rescue and educational work we do please visit www.mayhewanimalhome.org
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All the talk by "experts"and poloticians about the control of so called dangerous dogs bt non of them seem so mention the simple solution. If all dogs were made to wear a muzzle when out and about then they would be unable to bite and inflict seriuos damage to people especially children. This form of legislation is the fundamental start point and will have an immediate impact before the in introduction more radical laws. Traing for both owners and Dogs will in the long term be of benefit but the attempt to eradicate one or two particular breed of dogs is doomed to failure in solving the problem. Any breed of dog will have a rogue amongst them and are capable of attacking people without warning. So muzzles are a priority as if you cannot bite you cannot rip and tear flesh
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I was brought up with, often several, dogs in the house and as an adult I have owned dogs all my life. Experience has shown me that rarely is the problem the dog. Mostly it is the owner. The vasy majority of dog owners should not be allowed to have a dog. They have no idea how to handle a dog. It is a substitute for something missing in their life and not treated like a dog at all. The gentleman on the programme who made comments similar to this I agree with whole heartedly. I am my dogs owner and responsible for him. I am not his 'mummy'. His mother was a bitch. He is a dog. I love him to bits. But he is a dog! People should learn how to train and handle dogs before they take them on and not use them as a status symbol. During my life time the relationship people have with dogs has changed and not for the better.
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Blame sites like' GUMTREE' for openly allowing horrible breeders to freely advertise 'Pit Bulls for fighting,' without caring who are what these poor dogs are being used for or whom is taking them.
I work with rescue dogs and we often have bull breeds left tied up after being used for fighting, and no longer wanted, and all they want to do is still lick you.
Stop blaming and confusing the Staffies when you show clips of fighting dogs, they are loyal familly pets, and great with kids.
The only dog i've ever been bitten by is a fluffy Pomeranian, whos owneer gets away with it every time, as he is supposedly small and cute!
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Maybe its time that responsible dog owners and responsible parents got together to try and resolve this issue, there is a saying that there now bad dogs just bad owners and that is true in most cases but same rules could apply to children - who do you blame when children go off the rails - parent or child ? maybe we can learn from each other but there has to be give and take on both sides People have to realise that a dog is a pack animal at the end of the day and should be treated as such and should NOT be