Dangerous dogs

[Teresa]

I know this will be off our usual "setter topics", but I'd still like to hear your opinion as dogs owners.

We in Portugal have a list of "dangerous breeds" wich you have to castrate and have insurance and criminal records and so on. Most people are afraid of these dogs, and among the listed breeds are Rotweillers and PitBulls (not a single portuguese breed however...)

There have been some stories of Pitbull atacks and this week an 18 month old boy died after being attacked by his parents Pitbull cross. Now, the parents were the first toadmit they had no conditions to own the dog, and had tried to put it to sleep last year and for "some reason" couldn't.

The dog lived in a balcony during the day and slept in the kicthen. It seems the boy walked in the kitchen during the night, fell over the dog and then was attacked, but the story is not very clear. The boy did not survive his injuries and the dog is know being put to sleep, according to our laws.

Now media and social networks are on fire with this case, with people going to extremes for "dangerous dogs should all be killed or at least put in cages in the zoo" to "the parents are the ones who should be put to sleep".

I personally believe there are dogs with an agressive, but this is not common or breed related. And most agression cases are because of the way the dogs owners handled them and not because of their nature. I'd like our law to be changed in a way owners had actual responsability on their dogs actions...

I was wondering how this works in other countries, and how do people react in when these kind of things happen. What is you opinion on this topic?

[Georgina]

Hi, dreadful experience for everyone.  But where were the owners of the terriers?   They had probably just turned the dogs out and let them take their chances and responsible people who are walking their dogs suffer the consequences and danger of untrained and unsupervised dogs.  It's not just Australia where selfish, ignorant, careless people exist whether it's dog related, child, noise - whatever.  Ignorant, bullies are everywhere.

You have chosen lovely names for your dogs, Benmore is great for a Dachs.  They have such aplomb, little legs going 90 to the dozen whilst their head carriage is high and held with great superiority.  What colour is he?

[Teresa]

Well, those are all sacry stories, and I'm sorry for everyone and every dog that was a victim. I'd be scared of them if such things had happened to me. I must confess I was not very keen on Pit Bulls, but then I met a "Pit Bull rescuer" and she does an amazing job! Her own dogs and very gentle and amazingly well behaved in any stituation, including ignoring a provoking dog! She goes out of her way to find perfect human/dog matches, and with such good results! They really are wonderful dogs in the right hands (right hands being the key to all this and a very rare thing to find, sadly)

I actually feel about Labradors the way you feel about Bull Terriers. Around here, they have a type of owner that does not socialize or exercise their dogs nearly enough, and then think it's just OK to let them off leash wherever they like! The have this conviction they are harmless because they are Labradors, but Pitanga has now suffered 3 attacks from Labradors that had no idea how to speak "dog" or how to interact with other dogs. Its a very sad thing to witness in such a wonderful breed, but I feel it's happening more and more...

[Georgina]

Hope she wasn't too badly hurt but it always make them wary next time they see a dog of the same type.

Golden Retrievers and red cockers suffered from a "rage" syndrome at one time which I think has been eradicated - but at the end of the day if the dog has an irresponsible owner we are all climbing up hill with a bag of rocks on our backs.   Oddly the unfortunate dog's owner is incandescent with rage if somebody, something impinges on what he sees as his rights and will fiercly seek compensation or revenge which is really hypocritical isn't it.   Their attitude is "I will do what I want but god help you if you upset me or mine".

Bullies all over the world, horrible.

[Teresa]

Fortunately, so far there was only one tiny hole once, and she did not seem to have her trust affected, because she actually "won" that fight! What was scary was that Pitanga in fact placed herself between the dog and a scared little kid this dog was chasing in the playground. Pitanga heard the screams and rushed inside the playground, taking the big Labrador away from the kids.

The dog was outside on his own, his owners used to let him out of the garden to go walk himself. There were plenty of witnesses (scared parents and grandparents who granted Pitanga a free pass to play inside the playground forever for her bravery) and we all talked to the owners and told them what happened. We never saw the dog out again, I imagine he is now stuck in his backyard forever...

[Georgina]

Thank goodness, brave little soul isn't she and intuitive too.   My little parson russell terrier, Jemima, has adopted my puppy cocker "as her own" and if she thinks Phoebe is under threat, even if it is a big breed, she defends Phee.   Dogs are just wonderful.

[Dianne cook]

Gosh....after reading all this it is very disappointing :(( I've experienced many issues like you all and so enjoy socializing our Irish and our family's other breeds in a leash free environment. One thing I said to my family when we moved to the country, was I don't won't to be stuck on this land and not get out to civilization with our dogs. I so love the contact with people and their dogs of any breed. But I honestly can say I still do put all the furkids in the car when we head to town, vets, parks anywhere just so they get that interaction. It's lovely to walk out our back door to vast open paddocks, hills, many smells and dams. I do honestly think the dogs enjoy the outing, coffee and chats we have with everyone we meet :)) more funny I guess is where I am it's the oddest sight a groomed dog, let alone an Irish!! Mainly pure kelpies and of course your Borders, the redkids are no herding pooch hmmmmmm.......maybe of the chooks and guinea fowl lol. So I agree with you all, it doesn't matter where you live small or big even working dogs can live in a suburban environment as long as the are excercised and their brain stimulated :)))

[Ellen Turberfield]

It's not only always the dogs you think that are dangerous, Finlay was attacked by a greyhound that was owned by a 82 year old lady, she had it only 5days and got it from the greyhound trust that rehomes racing greyhounds, this dog had pulled her over twice so when he pulled after Finlay she let go of the lead, i've never been so frightened around a dog before, Finlay had 9 bites on his back as he was trying to jump up for me to pick him up, what i wanted to know was why did they let a elderly lady have a dog like that, she told them what had happened and they just brought her a muzzel for the dog, sad thing couple of weeks later dog pulled her over again and she broke her hip so dog had to go back.

[Teresa]

I find that quite shocking! You'd think a rehome trust would consider the people they give their dogs too! A 82 year old walking a greyhound seems riscky tom me, no matter how good natured the dog was, let alone a clearly unstable dog! It's amazing how it's alaways the good natured dogs that end up getting attacked by these kind of dogs! Bullying is selective even in dgos! And the poor lady got injured on top of it!
Makes you wonder what the trust people have on their minds!