Dog Attacks

Honest John Back Room » General discussion ( non motoring )
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Sun 4 Jun 2023 09:52
Dog Attacks - sammy1

I like many others am a dog person and love dogs. They are great companions and working dogs of all breeds are extremely useful to humans with their intelligence and unbeatable sense of smell.

As an owner I am always concerned when out walking with my dog of some owners and other types of dog you meet and have had a few incidents of dog on dog attacks which I suppose is to be expected.

It is a much different matter when almost daily there are reports of people of all ages being attacked usually but not always by powerful breeds often banned breeds or certainly of similar cross breed. From children to pensioners regularly being killed is frightening and something really must be done about it. How sad is it when a pensioner or child is killed by a dog owned by some selfish member of society. Why is the register of banned dogs not being immediately updated and serious action taken against owners long before incidents occur. In my immediate area there are at least 3 dogs which are a danger to other dogs and should not be walked in public but there is little you can do about it.

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 10:38
Dog Attacks - FP

"... there is little you can do about it."

What would you like to see done?

In the case of the three dogs mentioned, which you say are "a danger to other dogs", how do you know they are a danger? Have they attacked other dogs? Are they not being controlled by their owners?

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 12:11
Dog Attacks - bathtub tom

I know of no dog owner who bothers to train their dog. I no longer have one as I believe it would be unfair on the mutt if it outlived me. Of all the people I know with dogs they seem to think that all they have to do is buy it and feed it, hence the animal has no order in its life.

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 12:30
Dog Attacks - Bromptonaut

Son's dog is absolutely fine with people but a begaroo with other dogs. She's a rescue having been a 'pandemic puppy'. Never socialised with other dogs when growing up. They're trying to get her straightened out but it's an uphill task.

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 12:26
Dog Attacks - sammy1

"... there is little you can do about it."

What would you like to see done?

In the case of the three dogs mentioned, which you say are "a danger to other dogs", how do you know they are a danger? Have they attacked other dogs? Are they not being controlled by their owners?

Thank you for taking an interest in my post. Over the years you get to know lots of other dog walkers and owners and share experiences. Yes dogs do attacked other dogs and no they are generally out of control by their irresponsible owners. The police were called to one instance when a spaniel was attacked by a mastiff which locked onto its neck. The police could do nothing or did nothing other than warn the owner of the mastiff and suggest they pay the vets bill. The point of the post is the attack on humans. When people are going about there lawful business and are getting killed by dogs and it could be you or me then certain breeds need to be more intensely policed. How often do you here "oh yes it has attacked before" You cannot be naive as to what is happening in this area it is on the news everyday almost

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 12:44
Dog Attacks - Bromptonaut

Over the last few years deaths from 'being bitten or struck by a dog' have been in the order of 3-5 a year. Obviously, the number of people with life changing injuries will be far higher than that.

It is likely. given the significant number of people who got dogs during the pandemic and don't know how to train and look after them that the number of attacks will rise in the immediate future.

I'm not convinced however that we're at or near the point where 'something must be done'. The current Dangerous Dogs Act which proscribed the PIt Bull and a handful of other supposedly aggressive breeds was the product of just such a panic. It's widely quoted as an example of how not to legislate. Cases have swallowed up weeks of court time over whether Furry Freddie is, or is not, a Pitbull.

This is an area where carrots may be better than sticks. Training for dogs and owners at low/nil cost would one possibility.

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 14:51
Dog Attacks - Terry W

Getting the police to actively pursue folk with potentially dangerous dogs is wishful thinking - the best we can realistically hope for is they will act when a dog becomes a clear and present data, hopefully before an attack.

I am not a dog person, will never own one, and will only very occasionally even have one in the house., although I accept that many feel differently.

An alternative solution to control of dangerous dogs would be make owners fully responsible in law for the actions of their pets. Death resulting from a dog attack is manslaughter. Serious injury is GBH. More minor injuries an assault.

I am aware that inappropriate behaviour by those subsequently attacked may contribute to the incident and should be taken into account in sentencing. This would not apply when children are attacked (say 12 and below).

Owners would very rapidly understand the consequences of failing to properly tran and manage their pets!

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 15:36
Dog Attacks - sammy1

Apparently there have been 15 deaths due to dogs since November 2021 not far off one a month and a horrible way to die for anyone let alone witnessing such an event.

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 15:52
Dog Attacks - galileo

I'm old enough to remember Dog Licences, I think 5 shillings in the 1950s.

At least it provided a list of names and addresses of dog owners and people were fined for not having a licence. (hard to believe, nowadays)

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 16:38
Dog Attacks - Bromptonaut

This piece from the Graun covers recent incidents:

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/04/american-b...s

As the URL notes something called an American Bully XL is the 'Pit Bull of today' responsible for around half of recent deaths. But the breed is not recognised by the Kennel Club or any other UK organisation. If you ban it how will the dogs be identified?

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Sun 4 Jun 2023 17:45
Dog Attacks - badbusdriver

Seems to me that a lot of people choose a dog as a fashion/lifestyle accessory. They choose the dog based solely on what it looks like with no thought towards it's inherent nature and/or requirements re stimulation and exercise. As was mentioned earlier, these owners think their responsibility extends only as far as feeding it.

I have lots of customers who have dogs and, for by far the most part I always get on great with them. But I had one customer, not sure what breed the dog was but possibly Rhodesian Ridgeback, and I did not trust it one little bit!. Most times when I am cleaning the windows and there is a dog inside, the dog is fixated on my brush. But this dog, it would look straight at my face. Because of the way it was looking at me, I had absolutely no doubt that it would go for me given the chance. After a couple of near misses where I'd went round the back only to notice the French doors were open (and beat a very hasty retreat), it was agreed that I'd txt the customer the night before to make sure the dog was in and the doors closed. Anyway, towards the end of last year she said that the dog had been put down because it went for one of her friends. I didn't say so, but it really did not surprise me.

But in 14 years i have only been bitten once by a customers dog (touch wood), that was a Bichon Frise.

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