Killer dogs?

Question

Another young life lost to a killer dog. When are we in this country going to have the courage to ban these killers.
And killers they are, because it is bred into them, just as a feral cat can be fed but can turn at any moment.
It's no good just saying it's the owners fault, some people are too stupid to think for themselves.
It needs a law to protect the innocent, because anyone can see, the vicious dogs act is way too liberal.
Why are these dogs not registered? If the law makers are too weak, at least lets have a licence for all dogs, with these dog owners being made to pay heavily. I would also advocate that all dogs to be insured, then at least recompense could be sort if someone is hurt, or god forbid another killing happens.

When will someone somewhere wake up.

Hi, this certainly put the cat among the pigeons.

Thanks for the answers, everybody should have their own opinion.

Answer 1

You know there was a movie called "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" and it was about as realistic as the statement you just made. There is no such thing as a killer breed of dog. So unless you banned ALL dogs, made it illegal to own any, you can't be guaranteed that an individual dog of ANY breed will not harm someone because EVERY breed has a few individual dogs that can be dangerous. Or PEOPLE can make dogs viscious and then it's those PEOPLE that should be heavily fined.
There have been two cases in recent times where even POMERANIANS have killed. Labrador Retrievers have had some of their breed kill or maim people. Any breed can. But you want to know what is REALLY scarey?
This year, about 2,000 children were killed by THEIR OWN PARENTS. So maybe people should have to get a license to breed.

Answer 2

I agree with what you are saying in some respects. I believe that ALL dogs should be registered and insured. Some people should not be allowed to keep a dog the same as I think some people should not be allowed to have children!

I don't believe that Rotties are 'killer' dogs. Yes there has been some bad press for the dogs over the last few years with a few isolated cases. One case of a someone being maimed or killed is too much but I feel that it is unfair to condemn the breed as a whole. I have met many rotties and have yet to meet an aggressive one but I have the respect for the breed to understand how powerful they can be. Owners need to be educated BEFORE they get a dog.

I have a German Shepherd who as a breed have also had bad press over the years but I am an experienced responsible owner who would never take a chance with my dog even though she has never shown any sort of agreesion previously and she is now 7. My dog is register with the Kennel Club, insured, micro-chipped and fully vaccinated. I have socialised her with other dogs and children since she was a puppy but I would still never leave her alone unsupervised with a small child.

Answer 3

I dont know how I stumbled on here, but here I am....

I live in Detroit USA - which has such a problem with the four breeds collectively known as "pit bulls" that all four breeds have been banned within the 300 square mile city limits - no questions asked, they are escorted to the humane society and put down.

I have also been bitten by three of these dogs on different occassions....

And yet I can't blame the dog....the problem is that they are "fashionable" to the wrong darned people - people who tend to compensate for weakness or fear in themselves by getting a dog that they have no other reason to own.

Its a real shame, they have some lovely qualities, but they have some that can be "made" real ugly, and require a vigilent handler - sadly, all too often this is not the case.

I can't say much on your assertions about the laws in the UK. This summer we had several fatal maulings, which resulted in second-degree (indifferent) manslaughter and negligent homicide charges, which came with prison sentences.

I wish we could influence rappers and others in the "ghetto-fab" media to carry something a little less threatening as a status symbol, something like say, a cairn terrier.

At least, thats what I wish here in the Motor City.

Peace and Joy in 2008.
Be Well All

Answer 4

I have know several dogs of so called 'vicious breeds' and they have all been lovely dogs to spend time with but then they have all had good owners who have taken time to socialise them properly and have always supervised them around children and strangers.

This child being killed was a tragedy but while we are quick to blame the breed of dog we also have to look at the fact three young children were left to go to the dog. The baby was carried to stroke the dog by his 7 year old aunt. There were no adults supervising them and the closest thing to an adult (a sixteen year old aunt) was upstairs.

This sort of thing is terrible and my heart goes out to the family but it is preventable by responsible owners.
Introduce dogs and children slowly, teaching both how to behave and to respect each other. Make sure children know some dogs are shut out for a reason and not to go to them without a grown up there.

I do agree though that these breeds seem to be attractive to the wrong sort of owner and prehaps some sort of licence with a mininmum amount of training being required may help.

Answer 5

you have answered your own question with the rantings like are always present when a rottie has been involved, there are thousands of responsible rottie owners who have dogs that are well trained and well behaved, no one could have written a law that would have stopped this happening, at the end of the day the dog was kept outside, was not a family pet or allowed in the house to mix normally with the family, and these 3 children where being looked after by another child of 16 years old, where is the responsibility there may I ask? a knee jerk reaction to banning rotties would not solve this nor erradicate dogs attacking humans, its down to the humans to be aware of situations, make sure the dog and the child are safe, I would be happy for regulation to come in as they have in some european countries where you are 'vetted' before you are allowed to own a large powerfull dog, until 'pets' are not so easy to purchase or even get free you will always have owners who dont train thier dogs or thier kids how to behave around each other,

Answer 6

Why the hell was a 16yr old left to look after children so young with a dog? (It's awful though that they have had to learn the hard way.) It's not the dogs that need to be registered it's the owners.

People should earn the right to own a dog. Responsible dog owners would gladly pay to be tested to earn a license, you have to have a fire arms licence to own a gun, why not a licence to own a dog, both are as dangerous as each other in the wrong hands.

The government can't control illegal immigrants, so we've got no chance of them sorting dog licences out.

Answer 7

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqSf8marJHZBc8xerGBXSK_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071221052543AAeEXra&show=7#profile-info-8038b3adc016b548c310b6c4926bb475aa

Yes, many breeds are bred to be animal aggressive, but animals used fighting ring are also bred to be NON aggressive towards humans. It's a matter of people being able to handle the dogs before during and after fights without being bitten. The majority if not all people that get bitten during dog fights (all dog fights not just ring fights) get bitten when they stick an arm or leg in the middle of it. Which I was taught as a young child never to do. Read some of the examples I gave in that answer. If a dog is human aggressive it has been made that way by training or abuse. Dogs have been with people for thousands of years, many of these "dangerous" breeds for hundreds of years. The difference now is that people neglect their responsibilities as parents by not teaching their children how to behave around dogs, people also neglect their responsibilities as humans by not training, mistreating these dogs and abusing them so that they become vicious. No bite is unprovoked, it is either caused by the human being attacked or the owner making the dog that way. It has nothing to do with genetics. It has to do with people getting away with training for and letting their dogs get away with this behavior and not being punished when the dog attacks someone. (see the part about the woman in ontario).

Animal aggression and Human aggression are two completely different drives. Animal aggression is based off the prey drive and human aggression is based of survival/fear drive. Only the uneducated don't know the difference and equate the two.

MissTraceyRick: To me it sounds like your in the UK (mentioning the house of commons), if I am wrong correct me. Pittbulls are outlawed in England. No responsible or caring owner would risk their dogs life by trying to keep one when it has the potential to be taken away and put down. If that person was really mauled by Pittbulls, you have your answer, the owner was negligent and irresponsible. They are automatically criminal for owning the dogs and obviously didn't care. Those dogs were there for one reason and one reason only and I can guarantee you it wasn't to be a family pet. I hate BSL but if you live in an area that already has it and you insist on having the dogs, any responsible caring owner would move... Nobody that cares about their dog would put that dog in danger, no matter how much they disagree with the law. I hate it, but if your no longer paying taxes to that city, they will lose out in the end. I absolutely loath BSL laws, and wish that people would educate themselves more and that more people were prosecuted more harshly for attacks and mistreatment, that is the only way to discourage this sort of thing. You ban one breed and eventually they will move on to another. These people don't care about the laws in the first place so it doen't work on the targeted individuals and the only people it punishes are caring and responsible owners.

Answer 8

First and foremost, the main issue that needs to be raised is why are these stupid people leaving children alone with dogs? No responsible dog owner will ever do that, no matter how much they trust their dog.
It's not the breed's fault. If there were stricter laws on owning dogs in the first place, it might help. If Rottweilers were banned then there'd only be another breed targeted next.

Answer 9

My heart goes out to the parents of that baby, its so very sad. I agree with you on the law and the need for a license - my friend was mauled and horrifically injured and his dog mauled to death by two pits back in october ( lots on here didn't believe it had even happened??? ) and through speaking to my local MP and the press and the police, my MP took it to the House Of Commons and tried to have the dog law changed - they wouldn't ammend it and look whats happened??? Nothing will change until its one of their kids or pets thats mauled to death, thats the plain fact really! That rottie was in the gran's garden and was kept as a guard dog and the 7 year old took the baby out there to say hello??? If anyone's to blame for this death its the parents of the 7 year old - why wasn't she taught never to go near, or bring anyone else near this dog? Also, the gran didn't live in a palatial palace with jewels worth millions - why did she have that dog in the first place? It wouldn't be to protect her because the neighbours have been on the news saying it was always kept in her garden - methinks drugs will pop up in the equation somewhere??? Not all rottie's are killers though, most of them that are loving, loyal family pets and are raised within the family and know their boundaries just like any other dog, are wonderful, wouldn't hurt a fly.

Answer 10

I think the government should make owners from dangerous dogs get licenses or something. I know that doesn't seem fair to all the responsible owners of these dogs but something has to be done to discourage the yobs from owning dogs like these just for the street cred.

Almost every night at some stage I end up carrying my shih-tzu, who is on a leash, part of the way when we go for a walk because most of west-london streets are full of them, and their sh*t, and the owners have them without leashes. So help me God, if one of them ever attack my dog or myself I will make it my mission in life to make sure all hell brakes round the owner and the mp's!