Dangerous Dogs - What should be Done? (Serious Debate)

[Tanser_Man]

I've been reading lots and lots of cases lately of people getting mauled by dogs and sometimes even killed. Most recent being that one year old boy who was killed by an American Pitbull.

What I want to know is, should there owners be punished or should the actual dogs be punished (by being put down) or both?

Should there be laws introduced to ensure pet ownership is that of a good nature such as compulsory basic training/ obedience classes, chipping etc?

Is the Dangerous Dogs act that is being enforced a good move or another knee jerk unnecessary reaction from the government?

I think if you want to keep dogs, then you have to learn how to look after them and you should have sole responsibility for anything that may happen.

Your views?

[Siouxsie]

Yes there has been a lot in the newsover christmas about that. Get them destroyed is the only answer

[Sophii3x]

Kill them all

I have a phobia of them and I hate them
I get scared when I see one/hear one and
I even get scared of cuddly toys of dogs

[Dan_]

Not all dogs are the same though, my whippet wouldn't hurt a fly because she's been trained in the right way and they have a good nature anyway.

To answer your question Chris.I feel it should be down to the owner to be responsible for their dogs and if they cant be then they should be fined or even jailed should the dogs have been allowed off the lead or left to get out of the area they have been put in.If the dog itself is known to be vicious even when on a lead it should be put down imo as it's a danger to society.Certain breeds are know to be rather vicicous and they should automatically be trained in the right way to avoid being a menace.

Basically if you cannot look after a dog you shouldn't be allowed to have one, perhaps there should be a dog licence put in place where you're througly checked before you're allowed to keep one and if your dog does something out of line you'll have the licence taken away you'd not be able to have them ever again or perhaps after a few years in minor cases.

[BigSister]

yeah thats a good idea Dan having a dog licence im in the same boat as soph because i nearly got attacked by my best friends dog but it had something wrong with its mind and it just flew at any1 it didnt know but since then ive been terrifed of dogs and now i hate them even harmless ones like whippets

[Sophii3x]

Originally posted by BigSister
yeah thats a good idea Dan having a dog licence Im in the same boat as soph because i nearly got attacked by my best friends dog but it had something wrong with its mind and it just flew at any1 it didnt know but since then ive been terrifed of dogs and now i hate them even harmless ones like whippets

Aww

What did it for me was when my sister got bitten when she was a baby
The dog just jamp on her and bit her. It was the scariest day of my life and I was only 5

I just can't stand them. If i could I'd make them extict. Harsh but it's the way I feel about them

[Dan_]

It's the minority that spoil the reputation of the majority, once you've had a bad expeirence it can be hard to gain the trust of any dog, especially when it happens to you so young.I wish my next door neighbours would get rid of their dog, it's always trying to attack people and when there a fire at my house whilst we were out my dog had to go next door and their dog got out and attacked mine :mad:

[sol]

There's plenty of nasty dogs round where I live and our dog has been attacked and bitten several times by aggressive dogs which isn't nice. I think that if people are unable to look after a dog and are out for a lot of the day then they shouldn't own dogs as one of the main reasons that dogs get aggressive is because they are hardly taken out for walks and get bored.
If a dog attacks someone then the owner should be fined or in a severe case, go to jail.
I think the dog that attacked should be taken by a rescue home and taken to a vet or something to see whether it is mentally stable or not / trainable. If it is trainable then it should be trained then re-homed to a household capable of looking after it properly. If the dog is mad or untrainable then it should be destroyed.

[Sophii3x]

Originally posted by BB fernzy
It's the minority that spoil the reputation of the majority, once you've had a bad expeirence it can be hard to gain the trust of any dog, especially when it happens to you so young.I wish my next door neighbours would get rid of their dog, it's always trying to attack people and when there a fire at my house whilst we were out my dog had to go next door and their dog got out and attacked mine :mad:

Aww
I saw a dog attacking a cat once.. It wasn't a nice site

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by BB fernzy
Not all dogs are the same though, my whippet wouldn't hurt a fly because she's been trained in the right way and they have a good nature anyway.

To answer your question Chris.I feel it should be down to the owner to be responsible for their dogs and if they cant be then they should be fined or even jailed should the dogs have been allowed off the lead or left to get out of the area they have been put in.If the dog itself is known to be vicious even when on a lead it should be put down imo as it's a danger to society.Certain breeds are know to be rather vicicous and they should automatically be trained in the right way to avoid being a menace.

Basically if you cannot look after a dog you shouldn't be allowed to have one, perhaps there should be a dog licence put in place where you're througly checked before you're allowed to keep one and if your dog does something out of line you'll have the licence taken away you'd not be able to have them ever again or perhaps after a few years in minor cases.

Thats the thing really, the owners bring then into this world and teach them there doings.

You see all these chavs walking round with there pit bulls and you know there only intention is for them to intimidate people. Ultimatley you'll get them lashing out and it tarnishes the majority of dog owners who bring them up to love and fuss!

Dog licencing would be a good step forward and maybe should be implemented to the breeders and maybe even one of the duties of the breeders should be getting them tagged and put on the system.

I don't like how, when the media reports on something, the government just throw a law at it and hope it all fades away. They should be thinking of these things beforehand and not have to be relying on the media for handouts.

[Chrizzle]

I sometimes get scared about all this dangerous dogs business. I mean, how do you know that your not going to be walking along and get eaten alive.

I think that dogs should only be allowed out if they are properly trained.
If they are a risk to young children- they should be put down

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by sol
There's plenty of nasty dogs round where I live and our dog has been attacked and bitten several times by aggressive dogs which isn't nice. I think that if people are unable to look after a dog and are out for a lot of the day then they shouldn't own dogs as one of the main reasons that dogs get aggressive is because they are hardly taken out for walks and get bored.
If a dog attacks someone then the owner should be fined or in a severe case, go to jail.
I think the dog that attacked should be taken by a rescue home and taken to a vet or something to see whether it is mentally stable or not / trainable. If it is trainable then it should be trained then re-homed to a household capable of looking after it properly. If the dog is mad or untrainable then it should be destroyed.

Yeah, i was reading before that a common thing about why dogs attack is due to lack of involvement from the owner. So it becomes disgrunted and aggressive.

I think in extreame circumstances the dogs should be tested for mental problems but if they've already attacked then they should be put down as there both a danger to themselves and all members of the public.

[Siouxsie]

My mam has a golden lab and it is brilliant with kids they are such beautiful dogs

[Dan_]

Originally posted by Tanser_Man
Originally posted by BB fernzy
Not all dogs are the same though, my whippet wouldn't hurt a fly because she's been trained in the right way and they have a good nature anyway.

To answer your question Chris.I feel it should be down to the owner to be responsible for their dogs and if they cant be then they should be fined or even jailed should the dogs have been allowed off the lead or left to get out of the area they have been put in.If the dog itself is known to be vicious even when on a lead it should be put down imo as it's a danger to society.Certain breeds are know to be rather vicicous and they should automatically be trained in the right way to avoid being a menace.

Basically if you cannot look after a dog you shouldn't be allowed to have one, perhaps there should be a dog licence put in place where you're througly checked before you're allowed to keep one and if your dog does something out of line you'll have the licence taken away you'd not be able to have them ever again or perhaps after a few years in minor cases.

Thats the thing really, the owners bring then into this world and teach them there doings.

You see all these chavs walking round with there pit bulls and you know there only intention is for them to intimidate people. Ultimatley you'll get them lashing out and it tarnishes the majority of dog owners who bring them up to love and fuss!

Dog licencing would be a good step forward and maybe should be implemented to the breeders and maybe even one of the duties of the breeders should be getting them tagged and put on the system.

I don't like how, when the media reports on something, the government just throw a law at it and hope it all fades away. They should be thinking of these things beforehand and not have to be relying on the media for handouts.

That's the thing isnt it, these chavs with the pitbull's a staffordshire bull terries get the publicity for their stupidity and then those kind of dogs get all tarred with the same brush and you get people afraid of these type of dogs purely down to the stereotype made by moron owners who cannot train them properly.

I like the idea of having the dogs tagged that way whenever a dog get's out and attacks someone the owners who have been irresponsible enough to allow to roam free can be caught and prosecuted, it's all about putting into place a system to act as a deterant to these moron owners and it's always the way with a media outcry leading to a change in government law.Like you say these measures should be put in place already before the need for a media outcry.

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by Chrizzle
I sometimes get scared about all this dangerous dogs business. I mean, how do you know that your not going to be walking along and get eaten alive.

I think that dogs should only be allowed out if they are properly trained.
If they are a risk to young children- they should be put down

I was thinking that the other night, i was walking down a dark alley and i though... i'm in trouble if a rottweiler jumps out on me now!

If the dogs are brought up right, then surely they should be allowed to go out but as you say, if there a danger to society as a whole and not just to the youths, then they should be put down or retrained if possible.

Some of these dogs weigh more then some adults. Like my aunt's rotweiller was about 9 stone?! So he could have done damage to anybody whether young or old but he was as soft as mashed potatoe... he didn't hurt a fly.

[InTheHood]

It's the owners.

Put the wrong people in ownership of an animal, and it can be catastrophic.

[Legend]

I don't think any dog can be trusted, they could be the nicest dogs in the world but one minute they could just turn on you and it only takes one minute to kill you.

If i had my way then i'd ban them completely but i'm not a fan of animals anyway so i would say that.

I think that the dogs who kill people should be put down, no question about it. I think that if the dog is illegal in the country it's in then the owner should be dealth with but if it's a legal dog then it's not the owners fault.

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by Legend
I don't think any dog can be trusted, they could be the nicest dogs in the world but one minute they could just turn on you and it only takes one minute to kill you.

If i had my way then i'd ban them completely but i'm not a fan of animals anyway so i would say that.

I think that the dogs who kill people should be put down, no question about it. I think that if the dog is illegal in the country it's in then the owner should be dealth with but if it's a legal dog then it's not the owners fault.

See, now you obviously don't like animals so you have this image of all dogs being uncontrolable lunatics! It is such a small minority of dogs that attack and because of this more and more people are becoming scared of them.

Like InTheHood said, a dog in the wrong hands could be catastophic... like anything if its in the wrong hands. So i somewhat disagree with what you said about all dogs can't be trusted.

[Legend]

Originally posted by Tanser_Man
Originally posted by Legend
I don't think any dog can be trusted, they could be the nicest dogs in the world but one minute they could just turn on you and it only takes one minute to kill you.

If i had my way then i'd ban them completely but i'm not a fan of animals anyway so i would say that.

I think that the dogs who kill people should be put down, no question about it. I think that if the dog is illegal in the country it's in then the owner should be dealth with but if it's a legal dog then it's not the owners fault.

See, now you obviously don't like animals so you have this image of all dogs being uncontrolable lunatics! It is such a small minority of dogs that attack and because of this more and more people are becoming scared of them.

Like InTheHood said, a dog in the wrong hands could be catastophic... like anything if its in the wrong hands. So i somewhat disagree with what you said about all dogs can't be trusted.

I've got a dog myself unfourtanetly and although he's the most retarded and daft dog ever who probably would never turn on anyone, there is still a chance he will. Dogs are unpredictable and therefore none can be trusted really.

A few years back, my mates dog turned on another of my mates and took a piece of his head off, well the skin and left a deep hole, he was the best owner to his dog, the dog had never hurt anyone, always the nicest dog but just randomly turned on my mate.

They can't be trusted. But then again, neither can humans really can they?!

[Tanser_Man]

The only bad thing i can personally remember from a mates dog is that when he used to set it on people, he wouldn't bite.... just humped you like crazy.

I haven't seen a malicious dog and i've never been biten, so my viewpoint is obviously going to be different. I lived at a mates house before and he had about 15 Chihuahua's and they were great, they never attackd anyone, just cats!

Sometimes if you show fear, dogs can pick up on that and try and show you who is boss. Also dogs have good memories so maybe he lashed out because this friend done something to him earlier in his life? It's highly possible. You never know why some dogs lash out but most of the time theres a valid reason. Although i'm not saying it wern't unprovoked and sickening, just giving some reasons as to why.

[Chrizzle]

Originally posted by Tanser_Man
Originally posted by Chrizzle
I sometimes get scared about all this dangerous dogs business. I mean, how do you know that your not going to be walking along and get eaten alive.

I think that dogs should only be allowed out if they are properly trained.
If they are a risk to young children- they should be put down

I was thinking that the other night, i was walking down a dark alley and i though... i'm in trouble if a rottweiler jumps out on me now!

If the dogs are brought up right, then surely they should be allowed to go out but as you say, if there a danger to society as a whole and not just to the youths, then they should be put down or retrained if possible.

Some of these dogs weigh more then some adults. Like my aunt's rotweiller was about 9 stone?! So he could have done damage to anybody whether young or old but he was as soft as mashed potatoe... he didn't hurt a fly.

Omg 9 stone. Thats like.. same weight as me!

I don't like the way people say all dogs should be put down. Maybe they should have ASBOs or something:laugh:

[Tanser_Man]

Whenever our dog used to nip at people when he was a little puppy, we would smack it on the nose, not hard, but he realised over a week or two that bitting was bad and whenever we then passed anything to him by hand he would gently take it off us and we would reward him. I used to play fight with him and he would never goto bite me, just playfully run upto me, jump on me and lick me to death...

That is a really simple process and takes no time to do, so whats stopping everyone else?! I think the fundamental reason is that people do not have enough time to love and look after an animal, so it comes bad and doesn't learn right from wrong. Like a human.

[sol]

When we went to Portsmouth last summer we were walking along the peir and this 'dog' that kind of looked like a skinny rotweiler randomly started barking at me and my mum and went for our dog!
It was completely out of the blue which made me think it had rabies or something because Portsmouth is by the sea and it could have had contact with foreign dogs. It was lucky it didn't draw blood.
When it happened it proved to me that boredom is one of the main reasons dogs get aggressive cos this dog was just tied to a rail on the peir and was just expected to wait there while its owner was in the pub! In my opinion the dog should be at home or in a place where it is being entertained as it is obviously too clever, and gets gored too easily.

[cc100]

I can never understand these stupid people who put the livs of dogs ahead of a human life.

[Sunny_01]

I think that every dog has the potential to be dangerous at the end of they are pack animals by nature.

I have 2 dogs and trully believe that it is the way they are trained from being very young that determines the way they will be. Kind of like the nature/nuture debate really. My 2 are the softest dogs and I would trust them to take food from anyones mouth (YUK) they are so gentle.

If people interact with their dogs and show them love they will generally be very loving, loyal animals no matter what their size or breed. I used to have a rottweiler who was the softest tart known to man, she was called cuddles and lived up to her name in every way. Again that was down to love and cuddles and a very firm training which was necessary because she was a big dog.

[Diablo]

children shouldn't be left alone with dogs.. I think owners are responsible, good owners tend to have good controllable animals..

the problem is that chavs use dogs for fighting so train them to be very aggresive and pump them full of steroids..

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by Sunny_01
I think that every dog has the potential to be dangerous at the end of they are pack animals by nature.

I have 2 dogs and trully believe that it is the way they are trained from being very young that determines the way they will be. Kind of like the nature/nuture debate really. My 2 are the softest dogs and I would trust them to take food from anyones mouth (YUK) they are so gentle.

If people interact with their dogs and show them love they will generally be very loving, loyal animals no matter what their size or breed. I used to have a rottweiler who was the softest tart known to man, she was called cuddles and lived up to her name in every way. Again that was down to love and cuddles and a very firm training which was necessary because she was a big dog.

Well, as you've probably seen, even the most dangerous animals in the world can be brought up to be the most timid and fun thing known to man. Tigers, Bears for example. It's all about, as you said, how they are nutured from a very young age.

I also just read the paper while laying in the bath, as you do and i came across an article about all these people who have been arrested from what looks like an illegal dog fighting web in the midlands. Like 12 dogs or something seized, believed to have been used and trained to do just one thing. Fight. These people in my opinion should have the book thrown at them, for not only bringing pain and suffering to animals but also for putting so many people at risk from there stupidity.

[Ruth]

I couldn't agree more Tanser. I agree with Sunny also - it's definitely how the dogs are raised that makes their character what it is. We have a two year old Labrador, who is completely soft. You can take anything out of his mouth, and if you give him a treat, he always takes it very gently. He is quite a timid dog, especially with other dogs (but he has a few doggy friends who he loves to play with).

[~Kizwiz~]

Its up to the owners to be responsible. These sort of American Pitbull type are bred to be aggressive. In my opinion its wrong.

My family have always had Boxer dogs which have a lovely nature. When our last one died my dad decided that rather than have a puppy boxer he would rehome one from the Boxer protection league. As he has great experience with these types of dogs he was asked if he could rehome a particularly mistreated one. Max had had two owners, the first was a elderly lady who could only let him out on her balcony and the local lads used to offer to walk him. It was later found out that these lads had been kicking him and violently abusing him. Max then moved to a new home where he spend most of his time chained up. Now Max has never been aggressive towards humans (expect the postman) but if he is in the company of another dog he goes mad.... straight for the throat. Which is why he is never allowed out the house without a mussel.

When my dad realised how aggressive Max was he spent a lot of time and money in trying to find a way of helping him calm down. He even took him to a dog psychologist... mad I know but it wasn’t to recondition Max it was all about the way you treat him. Now my dad know how to control him he is the most friendly gentle dog I have ever met. He truly has changed and become a wonderful family pet. This instance it wasn’t the animal that was in the wrong but the previous owners that had treated him so badly that he had been conditioned to be aggressive.

If a dog is breed purely for aggressiveness or fighting then the owners must be held responsible. Its the crossed mixed breeds that are highly dangerous and should you have an aggressive dog then it must be musseled.

[Sunny_01]

I think the whole idea of dog fighting is reprehensible to be honest Tanser and agree with what you say about having the book thrown at them. They are knowingly causing pain and suffering to animals as well as ensuring that given the opportunity these dogs will bite a person!

Kiz it is wonderful to hear that your dad has been able to help a poor dog from ending up being a "dangerous dog" and helping him become more like a wanna be lap dog lol.

Like I said I would trust my 2 dogs with any person especially small children who they become all ga ga over :cheer:

I have to say I do love the lion cuddling the person that has been in the news - what a perfect example of what nurturing can do :kiss:

[Tanser_Man]

Yet another dog attacking a small child today near Birmingham, Stafford to be exact. Three rotweillers attacked a youngster and bit him/her twelve times, now the kid will more then likely need plastic surgery. One of the dogs has been put down and the police are looking into it.

Now at the same time feeling devestated for the child, i'm also feeling sorry for the sog who was put down. Yes the dog bit the girl and scared her for life, but i'm still thinking the owner should have been punished and the dog worked with to make him safe and luvable.

[~Kizwiz~]

Originally posted by Tanser_Man

Now at the same time feeling devestated for the child, i'm also feeling sorry for the sog who was put down. Yes the dog bit the girl and scared her for life, but i'm still thinking the owner should have been punished and the dog worked with to make him safe and luvable.
Exactly! Why arent the owners being investigated??? The dog may have been conditioned to be aggressive. And thats just wrong!

[Tanser_Man]

Originally posted by kizwiz
Originally posted by Tanser_Man

Now at the same time feeling devestated for the child, i'm also feeling sorry for the sog who was put down. Yes the dog bit the girl and scared her for life, but i'm still thinking the owner should have been punished and the dog worked with to make him safe and luvable.
Exactly! Why arent the owners being investigated??? The dog may have been conditioned to be aggressive. And thats just wrong!

The thing with the police, they react straight away without thinking about the situation. Sometimes there supposed to do that and it's needed, but for this instance, why?!

It's almost as if they've done it to appease the public, which is silly really.

[Sunny_01]

To have a dog destroyed straight away it is the choice of the owners - police would have to cart it off to doggy death row and get a court order before they could destroy it. So the poor dog was put to sleep by an owner who is feeling pretty guilty about now.

I hope the little girl is ok though

My dogs are currently chewing a squeeky thing each ARGHHHHH

[Tanser_Man]

Bump.

The other thread kinda promtped me to bring this one back from the dead. :rolleyes: