Views on Recent Events in the News

Many different views here of the current situation us as dog owners find ourselves in, this provided by the BBC news website. Please take a few minutes to read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21954533

it will all go away again soon,(i hope) when the next big story comes out, i have been finding that when i'm out walking Bruno, we have been pointed at, given dirty looks, people crossing the road, next i'l have the police at my door, because some idiot will say i have a pit, which i don't.

Its an awful thing that happened, but once again all the signs are there for a typical dog attack.

Was a "stranger"
Entered alone, was alone with the dogs
Had food
Dogs were not sufficiently exercised or trained
Owner appears to be a back yard breeder

Nearly every attack can conform to these statments in one way or another. So when will people learn!!

Well rounded piece of information there. For me this part sums up how I feel about it...

"If a dog is showing aggression towards people, there must be a severe threat that the owner of that dog can be punished by the law.

At the moment dogs which attack people are killed while the owners escape with a slap on the wrist.

The law hits hard at the dogs. It needs to start hitting harder at the owners."

If these owners thought they would genuinely get in REAL trouble they wouldn't even have dogs in the first place. I firmly believe these owners don't give a toss about their dogs regardless of what they say, and if they thought they might get in trouble for their irresponsibility and incompetence they wouldn't even get them in the first place.

I don't think the threat of severe punishment would bother some of these dog owners. They are too lazy to train their dogs and walk them properly. I can't imagine what it must be like living in a little house with 5 dogs that aren't exercised. The girls are a handful when they playfight I couldn't cope with another 3 bigger, stronger dogs!

Why the hell are all of the pictures about SBT's where's the balance especially as the SBT's involve were clearly not pure breds at all

It really is like their is a focus on our poor kids regardless of the facts

The front page of the Independent was a bit disappointing today.



Look at the picture, pathetic stuff.

Some interesting articles:

What causes a fatal dog attack? - http://www.ryanomeara.com/fatal-dog-attacks/

Dog bite stats, American but interesting all the same - http://www.dogsandbabieslearning.com/2011/07/18/dog-bite-statistics-do-the-math-before-you-freak-out/

Then there's the book 'Dogs bite but balloons and slippers are more dangerous'

Any fatal dog attack is freakishly rare and that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter because it does and one death is too many but when you look at it in the greater scheme of things, it puts it into perspective.

I think there have been 6 child deaths (as a result of a dog bite/attack) in the last six years in this country yet a child dies at the hands of their parents on average, once every ten days.

Considering all the awful things dogs are put through by not just irresponsible and/or abusive owners but also ignorant people using cruel and outdated training methods then I think it's a testament to the true nature of dogs that serious incidents are so rare.

I'm with the KC and think BSL should be scrapped and dog control orders brought in. And above all, education!

Tighter controls on what's considered cruelty to dogs would be helpful too IMO. For example, there's a dog near me that's NEVER walked yet because he's fed, the RSPCA can't do anything. Apart from the fact he's miserable, all his frustration at being locked up behind the same four walls and screamed and shouted at for being 'naughty' might just be too much for him to take one day.

Here's another interesting (but hefty!) read - http://www.pitbullproject.ca/placebo.pdf

Sad as stories like these are, it's certainly not fair to blame the dogs - if the dogs had exercise, and the owner stayed with them, this might not have happened. It's certainly not right to blame the breed. To anyone suggesting more BSL, I'd probably point to all the hundreds of thousands of dog attack's the DON'T happen every day.

So again they go with a picture of a Stafford which incase no one knows not one Stafford was involved in the attack on Jade. I hate the media so much propaganda all the time absolute joke they are.

5dogs in the same room as food and a stranger. Not a good mix in the first place its classed as a pack if one dog went for the food they all would go no doubt about that no matter how horrid this situation is a group of dogs would take seconds no matter what bread yorkie dogs could kill a young girl in a pack.

I have just returned from a wedding in the UK. I must admit, I was slightly nervous as to what people would say as the majority knew that we own a staffy and given the recent events, I did expect a barrage of questions or general negative opinions. However, I was pleasantly surprised when anyone asked what dog we have, or how is Brutus, they all had the same opinion "it's the owner, not the dog". I'd say half of the folk said they want a staffy as their next dog. With any luck the Government will stop anyone from owning/having dogs in the circumstances that led to the terrible situation a few weeks back and people will stop the dog blame game.

I would like to see statistics: how many (owned) Staffies are there in Britain? Next: what proportion of those dogs have ever attacked someone? I think Staffies are so much more visible because we have so many of them. I read the other day that they are the most popular breed of dog in London. Proportionally I reckon that Staffies are to an exceptionally large extent well behaved. I also think that they are the quintessential British breed. The country should start being proud of Staffs and what great dogs they are. We (as a country) invented and bred them. It is up to us as a country not to wipe them out (I don't think they will ever be banned) but to stop all sorts of horrible or inept people getting their hands on them.

And not only staffs... I met a woman in the park over the weekend whose friend had bought a labrador puppy ten days previously. A week later he decided puppy was too much like hard work. Luckily this friend was able to step in and adopt. Then last month I met an Italian student who had just bought a Staffy off the internet for £300 - he kept asking me whether I thought she was worth it (??? ps my Staff is a rescue). Then he told me that he had been kicked out of his flat because the building has a no dogs policy. He hadn't checked.

People are thick.

Rupertsbooks wrote:People are thick.

Truer words were never spoken!

BBC where at it again yesterday 16/5. footage of Staffys in a park with lager drinking hoodies.
I am collecting my two rescue dogs in the next week, they are so placid, they just stare at other aggressive dogs.
I was bitten on the left hand today by a Labrador, I had just given her treat with my right hand! In my line of work i encounter dogs on a daily basis, I have never had a problem with a Staffy, but I am always challenged or bitten by Lab's or Jack Russels. No coverage there, but the owners don't drink strong lager when on TV.

The problem is that some people get staffies for "status" symbols. But I absolutely hate the "reputation" they have.

My rescue dog was petrified of other dogs to begin with. Another dog came over to her (owners were a little distance away and dog was not on a leash) and wouldnt leave her alone. She tried to walk away from him but he kept pestering her so she sat down (protecting her back end) and showed him her teeth. Didnt lunge for him or snap, just flashed her teeth.

A while later the same couple were passing us and I heard one tell the other to pick the dog up as "that staffy is vicious and tried to attack him".

My dog was under control. She was on a lead and (as terrified as she was), was still obeying my commands. It annoys me when people let their dog just run up to another dog they've never met before. Their dog could be the friendliest thing on the planet but my dog might not be (shes miles better now but this was in the early stages when I first got her). Yet my dogs the baddy because of her breed.

Since getting her an extendable lead and a 50ft training lead, I've taught her to "wait". So if another dog is approaching, I can tell her to wait and check with the other dogs owner if its okay to let her approach.

She has converted quite a few people already from the "oh no not a staffy, they're dangerous" to "deed not breed", my own mother being one of them! She absolutely adores my Peppa now