Dogs that can be dangerous

interesting post, but where do you draw the line, you can have large dogs with the right owners and are soft and docile or a chiuaha. with the wrong owner that will nip and snarl at anything or anyone.

The biggest problem the DDA will have is proving ownership of a dog to an owner , the majority of good dog owners will have their dog "chipped" and therefor tie ownership to an address ,a person who doesn't "chip" their dog would then disown it if the dog was to cause a problem bay saying "its a friends dog" and if the dog was taken away it wouldn't be a problem to that person

there is no point changing legislation if it can not be policed properly and effectively 

The DDA is flawed because it is breed specific which is stupid – pitbulls and the like can be the nicest dogs and a dog of any breed can be aggressive if provoked.

 I totally agree with the issue around accountability.  Horses have to, by law, be microchipped and passported and yet there are thousands of horses owned by unscrupulous types that aren’t and nothing is done.  Sometimes they are seized, taken into care, wormed, chipped and castrated to be sold and then end up being bought back by the same people who have paid less than the cost of passporting for them. Why the law is unenforceable  I don’t know- farmers all seem to comply with their requirements but with 'pets' it seems to be different.

The types of dog owners who breed indiscriminately will continue to do so, and will not have them chipped or neutered. They just deny the dog is theirs, let it get taken and quickly get another one. 

I can never agree that big dogs are more likely to bite than small ones – I have found the total opposite to be the case.  Yes I did leave my children and my dogs in the same room as babies and young children, a risk maybe but my risk assessment said it was a very small one – much less than taking them out in any car. My children were never allowed to mistreat the dogs – if the dogs went onto their beds they were not to be touched as this was their indicator that they had had enough.  The dogs (big) generally loved to be in the middle of the play and happily submitted to being dressed up and pushed around in wheelbarrows, jumped around the garden, went in the paddling pool and on the trampoline but could always walk away if they wanted.

Some dogs will always be less trustworthy than others - our elderly dalmation as a child bit my brother because he forgot his key and climbed in through the window. We all agreed this wasnt the dogs fault but we were very aware that as he got older he got less reliable - if we had friends over to play he was always kept separate as it wasnt worth the risk. This is about careful ownership and knowing your dog.

Excellent post bmb 

If you think about responsible dog ownership it far outweighs the negative. Sadly, tragic events focus attention on the worst scenarios, terrible for all concerned.

Here's something else to ponder.

My friend's youngest daughter is registered blind, she is married to someone who is also blind. Not long ago Jasper bounced into their lives (have changed the name to protect his identity )  I can't tell you how much this rather happy lively guide dog has transformed their lives, (apart from taking the odd biscuit and covering them with dog hairs!)

So although there are awful events that can happen with animals and the reminders shock us all. The good events are also happening.

If you think about responsible dog ownership it far outweighs the negative. Sadly, tragic events focus attention on the worst scenarios, terrible for all concerned.

Here's something else to ponder.

My friend's youngest daughter is registered blind, she is married to someone who is also blind. Not long ago Jasper bounced into their lives (have changed the name to protect his identity )  I can't tell you how much this rather happy lively guide dog has transformed their lives, (apart from taking the odd biscuit and covering them with dog hairs!)

So although there are awful events that can happen with animals and the reminders shock us all. The good events are also happening.

Write your comments here...Dogs in general do far more good than they do harm, most if not all of the dog attack cases boil down to a common denominator   HUMAN  stupidity, vanity or agression, sometimes all three traits.(this is the dog handler not the attacked person, although some can be very UNWISE, like breaking in through the window at night !)

 Perhaps,like driving a car, potential dog owners should have to pass a proficiency test ? 

have to say that i agree with all the comments made on this thread and would like to think that heavier penalties should be the first port of call, it would not deter  everybody i know as they simply would ignore or plead poverty to avoid paying fines,another way could be for vetinarry surgeons and the rspca to be empowered to seize dogs not chipped, until proven ownership is established, not 100% i know but its a start 

Bring back the licence fee .... at £200, any good dog owner will pay the price. As long as the money is ploughed back into enforcing the act.

I bought my dog from an Animal Welfare centre and would certainly pay a £200 licence for what she gives in return.

Point is, Dave, that those who are least responsible about ownership are exactly those who would just not buy a licence anyway. So most of that £200 would go back into policing and prosecuting them.

The answer is surely to make a ban on ownership mean exactly that, a life ban.

Edit - just re-read your post about the fee going back into enforcement. Still think there'd be too much wrigglevroom for those who don't or won't comply though.

I think it’s a very complex situation.  Any size or breed of dog has the potential to become aggressive.  I don’t believe that it is necessarily down to ‘bad owners’ who don’t socialise or train their dogs.

We have had dogs for over 30 years as a couple (over 50 if you count family dogs) all big dogs, all very gentle and great with kids.  Our dogs were all socialised and trained in the same way.

Our current (medium sized) dog was well socialised from when we got her at 8 weeks old.  Before she had finished her initial vaccinations I used to carry her every day to meet children coming out of primary school.  She was taken on caravan trips as soon as she had completed her vaccinations.  So she was a happy, friendly dog …… until our next door neighbour’s grandchild called her to our (wrought iron) gate …. then kicked her through the gate when she came!  We had words with the neighbour, who didn’t seem bothered at all!!  We changed our gate to a solid wood gate but……..

She is now very wary of children, which is not down to ‘bad owners’  or bad training.  It is down to a fear of small humans who may kick her!  She is a lovely dog, but I would not trust her with children.  

Lets stop humanising dogs.Any sign of aggression is dealt with instantly and in any doubt its destroyed. Likewise life ban on anyone who is remotely responsible for an aggressive dog. No second chance.Change the law if necessary.