I believe that one of the responsibilities of owning a dog is to take lessons on how to control the dog. I know you used to have to had a dog license and I am not sure if that still applies but surely it makes no sense to allow people to just buy a dog without having a clue how to look after it.
Also if you are parents surely you should look at the breed of dog you choose as I believe some are more child-friendly than others.
We let people have children who have no idea how to look after them, I think that's a far greater concern.
We let people have children who have no idea how to look after them, I think that's a far greater concern.
Oh I so agree. Children are far more at risk from their parents than any dog. I wonder how many children have been saved by dogs. Raising alarm, protecting them.We owned a cross breed GS/Chow and she would have died for my sons I reckon. No one came near them without her say so yet I often had to rescue her from their "mischief". Our present dog adores little humans but having said that I would never leave her unsupervised with kids as she is so boistrous. Look at the people who have owned dogs who have atacked or killed people. They give them names that give you a big clue as to how that animal has been trained, they choose strong, one-man dogs usually to act as guard dogs not against crims but the law!Staffies once the nanny-dog beloved by families ,if crossed with bigger animals and "tormented" into aggression are used by immoral people. So a loving companion becomes a "devil-dog". Breed is not the way to judge wether a dog is dangerous or not. One of the softest dogs I know is 12 stone and some of the snappiest the popular JR. One of which has savaged a baby. The Dangerous Dog act is a hopeless puece of legislation. It's owners who need sorting.
However those with young children should choose carefully: why choose a family pet, a breed with massively strong jaws, one with little tolerance for other thn master/mistress, a rescue dog with a dodgy history. And if like us the dog arrived before the kids, you have to be prepared to give up a pet who shows signs of aggression towards your babies. I know someone who recently went through that heartbreak.
Judge by breed and you make a real error. Staffies can being loving affection..a little cocker spaniel may have "rage" in its, genes.
I think most dog related attacks on children could be avoided with proper education of owners and socialisation of dogs.
Unfortunately I can't see this happening anytime soon, so we will continue to have preventable deaths and attacks.
But we shouldn't forget that deaths caused by dogs are still incredibly rare, even if they do seem to be in the media quite a lot just lately. I hope it doesn't lead to unhelpful kneejerk legislation.
A child can learn so much from growing up with a dog, it would be a shame to rob the future children of this experience.
Some parents should be banned from having children. I wonder if some parents have abused their children and used the dog excuse. Not saying it has happened in this instance, but I am beggining to get suspicious.
No banning parents from having dogs would be a ridiculous idea frankly.
However I would argue we need to better regulate the ownership of Dogs, making it a legal requirement that everyone is chipped and thw owner have a licence. This would also have the added benefit of being able to detect illegal breeds easier.
There are some stupid owners who think its the business to turn their animal into a savage little beast. The amount of times I have seen a staffy roughed up to make it vicious is frankly disgraceful, these along with a labrador are the better family dogs. Their temperament is naturally very plascid and loving, it breaks my heart when I see them treated cruelly in this way.
No banning parents from having dogs would be a ridiculous idea frankly.
However I would argue we need to better regulate the ownership of Dogs, making it a legal requirement that everyone is chipped and thw owner have a licence. This would also have the added benefit of being able to detect illegal breeds easier.
There are some stupid owners who think its the business to turn their animal into a savage little beast. The amount of times I have seen a staffy roughed up to make it vicious is frankly disgraceful, these along with a labrador are the better family dogs. Their temperament is naturally very plascid and loving, it breaks my heart when I see them treated cruelly in this way.
Mandatory licensing for all dog owners? don't be so absurd!! why should responsible dog owners like me be punished because of idiots? My German shepherd is very well behaved but if someone came in to my home without me there and not knowing the dog he would attack it's his natural instinct to protect his territory and family and can't be subdued. As long as there is adequate signage on the property I don't see any issue with a dog attacking a burglar who's stupid enough to enter, that does not make a dog dangerous.
I do not feel a license (inc paperwork and no doubt a fee) is fair at all, I do feel that it should be law that all dogs should be on a leash in public areas at all times. I always have my dog on a leash when out walking, he's a large dog and people find that intimidating so I respect that and keep him leashed, but in doing so that didn't stop my pet getting attacked by an unleashed Doberman then I got in trouble by the police for stamping the thing and hurting it in order to protect my dog, both dogs were in a vicious fight and regardless to what PC Plod said I couldn't get away from the situation as the other dog was unleashed and could have just followed.
I was brought up with dogs. If trained properly dogs make a wonderful addition to the family. Children should also be taught how to behave around dogs. Too often children torment dogs and should not be left alone with dogs to pull them about. I don't think a dog license would make any difference and would cost a fortune for the government.
But a license in order to own a dog, makes the owner thus responsible for the behavior of the said dog. If you can't afford the license you shouldn't be the owner of a dog(s).
They are banning everything nowadays. I wouldn't be surprised to ban parents from owning dogs in the near future. I don't think however that children are safer today than they used to be back in the old days, when everyone was smoking and children used to happily play with dogs and other animals.
No. Not because I like dogs, because I don't. But many like them as pets. We have to get to the stage when parents, not the state, know to do the right thing. If they have children, don't leave them in a room alone with a dog larger than them. Commonsense.
..... My German shepherd is very well behaved but if someone came in to my home without me there and not knowing the dog he would attack it's his natural instinct to protect his territory and family and can't be subdued. As long as there is adequate signage on the property I don't see any issue with a dog attacking a burglar who's stupid enough to enter, that does not make a dog dangerous.
I'm pretty sure that if a burglar entered our home, our staffie would probably present him with a tennis ball and not let them out until they had played with her!:D
I was brought up with dogs. If trained properly dogs make a wonderful addition to the family. Children should also be taught how to behave around dogs. Too often children torment dogs and should not be left alone with dogs to pull them about. I don't think a dog license would make any difference and would cost a fortune for the government.
Spot on. Children must be taught to respect animals - they are not toys to be pulled, pushed and prodded.
I'm pretty sure that if a burglar entered our home, our staffie would probably present him with a tennis ball and not let them out until they had played with her!:D
actually we thought that until someone jumped over our back fence one day and she keep them trapped in a corner of the garden until we went out there
Banning parents from owning dogs is a step too far but I would make dog ownership more difficult and have compulsory chipping.
The breed in this latest tragic tale is not a banned breed - but it's a powerful one that needs a lot of respect and looking after.
Dogs like that aren't house dogs - they need to be outside, well trained and able to run around.....
....a lot.
For starters I wouldn't allow anyone without a garden (enclosed) to have a dog. I used to have a Doberman. She was a great family pet and fortunately we had a large garden and lived nextdoor to a lot of unused farmland at the time and she would run till she dropped.
Anybody who keeps an untrained breed like that in a flat is not only courting trouble but is being cruel to the dog itself. You can't confine animals that are born to run imo.
People don't know much about dogs and how packs work or how to recognise whether your dog (big or little) recognises you as the head of said pack or thinks it rules the roost.
Something as simple as how a dog reacts to a knock at the door will tell you who the dog thinks is the boss of the house. If it instinctively runs to the door barking - it thinks it is. If it raises it's head and looks to you instead it knows you are.
I'm not sure how they can ban parents from having dogs, unless they bring back compulsory dog licenses I can't see how they will know who owns a dog.
I agree. My parents decided to have a dog and a baby at the same time and they also managed to prevent the dog from attacking us! Perhaps a dog registration system should be implemented so when a dog is registered, the address is known at the time of registration.
Banning parents from owning dogs is a step too far but I would make dog ownership more difficult and have compulsory chipping.
The breed in this latest tragic tale is not a banned breed - but it's a powerful one that needs a lot of respect and looking after.
Dogs like that aren't house dogs - they need to be outside, well trained and able to run around.....
....a lot.
For starters I wouldn't allow anyone without a garden (enclosed) to have a dog. I used to have a Doberman. She was a great family pet and fortunately we had a large garden and lived nextdoor to a lot of unused farmland at the time and she would run till she dropped.
Anybody who keeps an untrained breed like that in a flat is not only courting trouble but is being cruel to the dog itself. You can't confine animals that are born to run imo.
People don't know much about dogs and how packs work or how to recognise whether your dog (big or little) recognises you as the head of said pack or thinks it rules the roost.
Something as simple as how a dog reacts to a knock at the door will tell you who the dog thinks is the boss of the house. If it instinctively runs to the door barking - it thinks it is. If it raises it's head and looks to you instead it knows you are.
It's a simple signal to recognise
While I share most of your sentiments the bit in bold isn't true at all.
But a license in order to own a dog, makes the owner thus responsible for the behavior of the said dog. If you can't afford the license you shouldn't be the owner of a dog(s).
I disagree! its not down to affordability of a license its the principle! why should dog owners have to pay the government a fee in order to keep their pet? its a joke of an idea. Maybe people should have to get a license to have children mandatory chipping of people so they cant conceive until paid up? ridiculous idea? just a ridiculous as a dog license.
What an absolutely brilliant idea, I think we shouldn't stop there though, I think we should ban parents with small children from livin in a house with stairs, electricity, water, especially hot water, anything sharp or hard, no duck ponds or swimming pools allowed, we should ban small children from being carried in any vehicle,
In fact in order to ensure the total safety of small children we should probably ban small children, and insist that people only have children over the age of 10,
Ouch. After the birth of one 10 year old I think no child will have any siblings:D
But a license in order to own a dog, makes the owner thus responsible for the behavior of the said dog. If you can't afford the license you shouldn't be the owner of a dog(s).
That did not work last time, and the license was peanuts to buy. Bits of paper never change a thing. Look how many people drive cars without a license, insurance, MOT bits of paper have not stopped people driving
But a license in order to own a dog, makes the owner thus responsible for the behavior of the said dog. If you can't afford the license you shouldn't be the owner of a dog(s).
The problem is do you believe the thugs who use and abuse their dogs will register anymore than they will insure or train. Recently there was a drive in Greater Mcr with free chipping and advice for owners and you could see young lads as well as families with their staffies etc taking advantage but these are the responsible ones who love their animals. Do some banned drivers never get behind a wheel, how many asbo offenders do you see in areas where they shouldnt be?Licencing is just another law like smoking in cars with children that the police will not have time to enforce. Decent people do not smoke in cars with their kids even when they are desperate for a ciggie,responsible people chip their dogs make an attempt to train them and generally cherish them.
While I share most of your sentiments the bit in bold isn't true at all.
Something as simple as how a dog reacts to a knock at the door will tell you who the dog thinks is the boss of the house. If it instinctively runs to the door barking - it thinks it is. If it raises it's head and looks to you instead it knows you are.
Agreed....my dog is a watchdog breed..it's in her genes to bark ( and don't we know it,sorry neighbours) but she is doing so for us!
She is not a guard dog breed but her function was to alert her master on his barge to the arrival of strangers and so now homes ..ours at least is still above water,I'm glad to say
Comments
We let people have children who have no idea how to look after them, I think that's a far greater concern.
Oh I so agree. Children are far more at risk from their parents than any dog. I wonder how many children have been saved by dogs. Raising alarm, protecting them.We owned a cross breed GS/Chow and she would have died for my sons I reckon. No one came near them without her say so yet I often had to rescue her from their "mischief". Our present dog adores little humans but having said that I would never leave her unsupervised with kids as she is so boistrous. Look at the people who have owned dogs who have atacked or killed people. They give them names that give you a big clue as to how that animal has been trained, they choose strong, one-man dogs usually to act as guard dogs not against crims but the law!Staffies once the nanny-dog beloved by families ,if crossed with bigger animals and "tormented" into aggression are used by immoral people. So a loving companion becomes a "devil-dog". Breed is not the way to judge wether a dog is dangerous or not. One of the softest dogs I know is 12 stone and some of the snappiest the popular JR. One of which has savaged a baby. The Dangerous Dog act is a hopeless puece of legislation. It's owners who need sorting.
However those with young children should choose carefully: why choose a family pet, a breed with massively strong jaws, one with little tolerance for other thn master/mistress, a rescue dog with a dodgy history. And if like us the dog arrived before the kids, you have to be prepared to give up a pet who shows signs of aggression towards your babies. I know someone who recently went through that heartbreak.
Judge by breed and you make a real error. Staffies can being loving affection..a little cocker spaniel may have "rage" in its, genes.
I have a chow myself, amazingly loyal dogs.:)
I think most dog related attacks on children could be avoided with proper education of owners and socialisation of dogs.
Unfortunately I can't see this happening anytime soon, so we will continue to have preventable deaths and attacks.
But we shouldn't forget that deaths caused by dogs are still incredibly rare, even if they do seem to be in the media quite a lot just lately. I hope it doesn't lead to unhelpful kneejerk legislation.
A child can learn so much from growing up with a dog, it would be a shame to rob the future children of this experience.
However I would argue we need to better regulate the ownership of Dogs, making it a legal requirement that everyone is chipped and thw owner have a licence. This would also have the added benefit of being able to detect illegal breeds easier.
There are some stupid owners who think its the business to turn their animal into a savage little beast. The amount of times I have seen a staffy roughed up to make it vicious is frankly disgraceful, these along with a labrador are the better family dogs. Their temperament is naturally very plascid and loving, it breaks my heart when I see them treated cruelly in this way.
Mandatory licensing for all dog owners? don't be so absurd!! why should responsible dog owners like me be punished because of idiots? My German shepherd is very well behaved but if someone came in to my home without me there and not knowing the dog he would attack it's his natural instinct to protect his territory and family and can't be subdued. As long as there is adequate signage on the property I don't see any issue with a dog attacking a burglar who's stupid enough to enter, that does not make a dog dangerous.
I do not feel a license (inc paperwork and no doubt a fee) is fair at all, I do feel that it should be law that all dogs should be on a leash in public areas at all times. I always have my dog on a leash when out walking, he's a large dog and people find that intimidating so I respect that and keep him leashed, but in doing so that didn't stop my pet getting attacked by an unleashed Doberman then I got in trouble by the police for stamping the thing and hurting it in order to protect my dog, both dogs were in a vicious fight and regardless to what PC Plod said I couldn't get away from the situation as the other dog was unleashed and could have just followed.
I'm pretty sure that if a burglar entered our home, our staffie would probably present him with a tennis ball and not let them out until they had played with her!:D
Spot on. Children must be taught to respect animals - they are not toys to be pulled, pushed and prodded.
actually we thought that until someone jumped over our back fence one day and she keep them trapped in a corner of the garden until we went out there
Good Girl!
Perhaps she'll suprise me if the need ever arises.
The breed in this latest tragic tale is not a banned breed - but it's a powerful one that needs a lot of respect and looking after.
Dogs like that aren't house dogs - they need to be outside, well trained and able to run around.....
....a lot.
For starters I wouldn't allow anyone without a garden (enclosed) to have a dog. I used to have a Doberman. She was a great family pet and fortunately we had a large garden and lived nextdoor to a lot of unused farmland at the time and she would run till she dropped.
Anybody who keeps an untrained breed like that in a flat is not only courting trouble but is being cruel to the dog itself. You can't confine animals that are born to run imo.
People don't know much about dogs and how packs work or how to recognise whether your dog (big or little) recognises you as the head of said pack or thinks it rules the roost.
Something as simple as how a dog reacts to a knock at the door will tell you who the dog thinks is the boss of the house. If it instinctively runs to the door barking - it thinks it is. If it raises it's head and looks to you instead it knows you are.
It's a simple signal to recognise
I agree. My parents decided to have a dog and a baby at the same time and they also managed to prevent the dog from attacking us! Perhaps a dog registration system should be implemented so when a dog is registered, the address is known at the time of registration.
While I share most of your sentiments the bit in bold isn't true at all.
I disagree! its not down to affordability of a license its the principle! why should dog owners have to pay the government a fee in order to keep their pet? its a joke of an idea. Maybe people should have to get a license to have children mandatory chipping of people so they cant conceive until paid up? ridiculous idea? just a ridiculous as a dog license.
Ouch. After the birth of one 10 year old I think no child will have any siblings:D
That did not work last time, and the license was peanuts to buy. Bits of paper never change a thing. Look how many people drive cars without a license, insurance, MOT bits of paper have not stopped people driving
It is according to a supposed expert that was on the radio when another dog related attack was being discussed on R5 a while back.
The problem is do you believe the thugs who use and abuse their dogs will register anymore than they will insure or train. Recently there was a drive in Greater Mcr with free chipping and advice for owners and you could see young lads as well as families with their staffies etc taking advantage but these are the responsible ones who love their animals. Do some banned drivers never get behind a wheel, how many asbo offenders do you see in areas where they shouldnt be?Licencing is just another law like smoking in cars with children that the police will not have time to enforce. Decent people do not smoke in cars with their kids even when they are desperate for a ciggie,responsible people chip their dogs make an attempt to train them and generally cherish them.
Something as simple as how a dog reacts to a knock at the door will tell you who the dog thinks is the boss of the house. If it instinctively runs to the door barking - it thinks it is. If it raises it's head and looks to you instead it knows you are.
Agreed....my dog is a watchdog breed..it's in her genes to bark ( and don't we know it,sorry neighbours) but she is doing so for us!
She is not a guard dog breed but her function was to alert her master on his barge to the arrival of strangers and so now homes ..ours at least is still above water,I'm glad to say