Killer dogs and irresponsible child carers

Princess Anne's bull terrier attacked two children but escaped being put down, but then went on to kill one of the Queens corgis. [not sure what the moral of that is but I'm sure there's one somewhere; probably that a dog that shows aggressive behaviour once will continue to do so].

Princess Anne had to go to court over it so she now has a police record

crimson , maybe the moral is that just because you are Royalty does not mean that you are intelligent!!??

Glad you said it and not me, johanna. Orf with 'er 'ed......

Having just re-read the above posts , I started thinking about 'dangerous dogs , .When I was a toddler and a young child my only companion was an Alsation , totally devoted to me and always protective of me --- a very 'dangerous ' breed at the time . Later came the equally 'dangerous ' Rottveiller ,' Pit Bull Terrier ,and now the 'Staffie' . Which , I think , goes to prove that all breeds have one or two 'iffy 'dogs and proves that all dogs should be treated with respect , and maybe owners should go to some kind of behavior classes themselves .Through a lifetime of owning dogs I have only ever had problems with one dog - a corgi !!! . This particular little monster would bite anything and everything in sight . I have never heard the Corgi labelled as a dangerous breed .

Some have a higher average aggression level than other breeds though, mostly those which have been bred selectively for aggression.

Did we have all this trouble with dangerous dogs in the days when we had to have a dog licence? I don't suppose there are any statistics.

I think dog breeding has changed a lot since the days when we had licences Anno.
Doggy "personalities" have changed for the worst.

I love dogs and have lived with them most of my life. I was brought up with Staffies, which in my youth were more like pit bulls. When we had our children we had spaniels which are far more user friendly and have softer mouths. However ALL DOGS HAVE TEETH! And since they have no hands they are far more likely to use them. My grandchildren live with their own well adjusted spaniels who know and adore them but they are always kept an eye on and supervised, especially when other children come to play.

My mother, now 88, still lives with the latest in the line of Staffies. It's a sore point with her that her 10 year old Staffie isn't allowed to meet the little ones. She can't understand that her beloved dog, who (she says) wouldn't hurt a fly, leads a very quiet life and doesn't know toddlers and is therefore likely to react unpredictably, isn't allowed near them. Staffies have abnormal jaw muscles so the smallest snap is going to scar. They've also been inbred to have short noses, so the soft pallet causes breathing problems, and overheat in warm weather which can make nervy ones short tempered. Too often people buy dogs with no knowledge of what they are taking on.

Littlenellie that dog should be put down. Vicious dogs are rarely happy dogs - and neither are the people who have to live with them.

Sorry I've gone on a bit.

I am not a dog person, having been attacked by an alsation when I was about 2. However, I have to agree that its not the dogs that are at fault here but the owners who get what they consider to be a "hard" dog to enhance their own poor reputation. Perhaps there is case for teaching pet ownership in schools (something I learned when I was a Brownie!)

I had a friend who owned 2 rottweilers and an alsation. They were all well trained and obeyed her at all times, even I felt less apprehensive around them than I did strange dogs I saw in the street. The only time they attacked anyone was when her ex-husband turned up and threatened her - the dogs immediately lept to her defence and the ex made a hasty retreat!

But humans also have to take responsibility for in-breeding dogs to be vicious. Some owners want them that way.

And breeding them to be physiologically unsound: dachsunds who cannot mate without human help;boxers who cannot breathe properly as their faces are so squashed etc. I find it all completely distasteful. I am definitely not a dog-lover, but I get angry when I see dogs with docked tails - I find that unacceptable - so-called dog-lovers manipulating animal's bodies and temperaments.

There is a strong drive to control involved in manipulating animals to the whims of humans. Slightly creepy I feel.

NfkDumpling agree with you the dog should have been put down my sons ex and her family would not hear of it,it was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak and hastened the end of their marriage, my views were made known to them but from 150 miles away we are not likely to have any contact,my son is here with us in norfolk ,I hope the family supporting ex DIL know what they are doing and if the dog ,and it will bites again it will be those most blinkered to the danger......does NFK stand for Norfolk BTW ....

You guessed it! - Aylsham.

just seen the clip on TV news of the policemen being attacked by a dog, horrific..then the shooting of the dog in the street because the owner failed to call the dog off! Suspect he could not have done even if he wanted to.