[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I don't see our dog as an 'accessory',he is the family pet so I cannot go all the way with your comment there.

He is a Staffordshire and his temperament is one of the best natured I have come across in a dog. Naturally he will bark in his own territorial areas, but should anyone come up to him all he does is wag his tail and given the chance would lick their hands for ages.

All dogs can be Vicious, as I said on another thread the only dog I have ever been bitten by was a Jack Russell, it is down to the owners in the main and how they treat them and how they train them too.

I was 15 when we got this Staffie and this lad,as I was then, certainly never saw him as an 'accessory', I would say a minority of lads do in reality, they see them as loving pets to the lads people see with them not accessories.

Pit Bull's for example,adding immediately that I have come across really good natured Pit Bulls most of the time, are seperated as to the dangerous dogs list from breeds such as Alsatians and Staffies for the reason they are sadly trained at times by people who want to make them like fighting dogs rather than pets,they by doing that really abuse the dog.
All dogs though can extremely vicious and capable of doing what happened with these officers.

I think you or someone else made an earlier point though and I agree totally with it, that if a dog commits an attack on someone then one or more of the owners definately should be always prosecuted for that incident.

The only thing I am surprised at in this incident is that the Officers didn't find out or see if there were any dogs on the premises,which is why I think as with registering as to how many people and their names are living in a property if you have a dog then that should be registered too.

All breeds of dog can turn and be very vicious and attack people, owners and others need to be aware of that,as long as owners and others take care with their dogs,all should be far safer.

I and a student friend were walking my dog the other week, harnessed and on his lead but a child ran over to him to pat him and I stopped her, the Mother was nowhere to be seen, I was in an area where dogs were allowed off the lead but I rarely ever do that so I can protect him, except in our garden.
When the Mother eventually appeared I said had my dog been off the lead and attacked her child what would she have said and done, she just looked at me and walked off.

Sadly, in a number of dog attacks, there are other irresponsible people involved in the incident too not just the dog owners.

Sorry joey, i didn't mean all lads I just meant the ones who use a dog as part of their hardman persona. I see it a lot in my area, and they use them as a tool to intimidate, encouraging aggressive behaviour.
The situation that vicky described is not uncommon, its really sad.
It does always seem to be the dog that is blamed in these instances, so i totally agree with you are coming from when you say its the owners, However i still maintain there are breeds that will turn irrespective of their usual good nature.