[Blackmirror]

Dangerous dogs
It is 17 years since Britain introduced the Dangerous Dogs Act aimed at stopping attacks by so called 'devil dogs'. Since then hundreds of animals have been destroyed - yet every year about 70,000 people are still bitten by dogs.

Are the laws tough enough ??

Doesn't seem so
I watched a news story on a little boy who was attacked by a pit bull terrier
It bit his leg and shook him like a rag doll
He suffered torn ligaments and will be perm scarred for life
He was playing in a park


Woman cleared of dog attack death


Remember little Ellie

Ellie suffered 72 injuries in the prolonged attack by her uncle Kiel Simpson's pit bull, Reuben.

Isn't it time that these dogs were banned completely

[samjohnson]

Ooohh Pit bulls... I don't like pit bulls.
I agree that they definitely shouldn't be roaming free. But to ban them entirely....
I think that the problem lies with the owners not the dogs themselves. If people would train them right then they wouldn't be such a nasty dog. That would probably get rid of most the problem. Though you probably would still have some that are just untrainable.
And the thing is that any dog can be mean. It doesn't have to be a pit bull. That just seems to be what the media likes to pick up on is all the pit bull attacks. German Shepherds can be just as mean. So can all sorts of other dogs.
But no I don't think they should be banned completely. They just need owners that will actually train them and not ignore them.

[Blackmirror]

Any dog that is bred to be a fighting dog has no place in a park running free .
Owners are to blame i agree

[samjohnson]

What I meant by not banned completely was just not being bred anymore. After reading it again my post sounded a tad on the confusing side. Thats how I interpreted you saying banned completely. But I guess you were probably just saying in public and wondering around.
But ya the shouldn't be roaming around a park by any means.

[Blackmirror]

I meant banned completely ..pit bulls at least

Owner jailed for pit bull attacks

Pit bull attacks mourners

Police shoot attacking 'pit bull'

Baby back home after dog attack

[Albert Lionheart]

A great friend of mine is an animal behaviourist (has been on telly lots of times) and says that there is no such thing as a bad dog - it is always down to a bad owner. Always.

[Blackmirror]

The bottom line is any dog can bite. However, dogs that have been bred specifically for protective and fighting duties are more likely to bite and will do more harm than other breeds. Pit bulls can exert almost 1500 pounds per square inch of pressure with their jaws. These dogs were bred for the specific purpose of fighting other animals. A website created by pit bull proponents states that “The golden rule of responsible pit bull management says: never trust a pit bull not to fight.”

CFHS | Bad Dogs or Bad Owners

[samjohnson]

Originally Posted by Albert Lionheart

A great friend of mine is an animal behaviourist (has been on telly lots of times) and says that there is no such thing as a bad dog - it is always down to a bad owner. Always.

Spot on Albert.

Though I think there are some dogs that are just untrainable... but then again, maybe they just don't have the right owner.

[Albert Lionheart]

We tend to forget that we are dealing with a pack animal - sometimes our family takes the place of the wolf pack and has to be defended.

[MightyQueenCarolyn]

I know a few pitbulls and they are the poofiest and cuddliest dogs I've ever met (as are their owners), however I've met more pits and mixed pits that are not friendly in the least (nor are their owners). One pair attacking myself, children and dog on our own property, unprovoked and the female wagging her tail as she approached then suddenly leapt, teeth bared at my youngest.
A tennant downstairs at one point had a mating pair and 10 pups. For their entire tennancy, we could not use the yard for fear of the dogs attacking.
I agree that it's the dog owners to blame for bad behaviour, but certain breeds are known for aggressive behavior, according to Ontario legislators and currently pitbulls are required to wear a muzzle and be leashed any time they are are out in public. Maybe it's not fair to the breed but we've had way to many attacks on children in Ontario and Canada, that something had to be done. *shrug*