Another baby killed

This is the dog breed that killed Bella, not a banned breed, but scary.
www.bubblypet.com/american-bully-xl/

I watched a dog expert on TV some years back who said that nobody should be allowed to have a dog without having completed some training first.

What might seem as unprovoked attack could very well be the result of the dog being put under stress for many years, just because the owner didn't realise the dos and don'ts of dog treatment.

SIL had an Akita/German Shepard cross breed. It was a rescue dog. It was very placid but had been treated badly by its owner. The dog was massive and absolutely beautiful. SIL would never leave GC alone with the dog. In the park one day a woman with a young child asked if she could take a photo of the child sitting on the dog as it would make a great photo. SIL told her she would report her to SS for endangering a child. When she told her dog walking friends, it appears this woman was known for trying to get photos of the child with dogs.

Totally agree, GSM - it's a two-way street. Dogs have to be trained properly and supervised around children, but children also have to be taught from a very early age how to behave around all animals, not just dogs. They are not toys or playthings and they need to learn to respect them.

I would add, don’t let a young child be close to a dog unless the child has been taught how to treat the dog and you really understand that dog. They can attack in a flash if they feel threatened by a movement such as a child lunging at the dog or, as I have seen, thrusting a toy towards it to ‘play’. The dog can move far more quickly than you can intervene.

Never trust any dog with a baby, those that do are taking a risk, its their choice entirely to do that, it’s not just big or dangerous dogs, a small dog like a terrier with hunting instincts can do a lot of damage.

I repeat, it’s a risk you choose to take, never leave a dog alone in the room with a baby.

I know where mine are.
They were far too unstable to have a dog; both with their own issues, and had been reported before about the dog, as it was unsurprisingly very unpredictable.
It was found to have pitbull genes, but nothing was done to deal with the whole sorry mess.

That's horrible MissA not sure where my sympathies lie in that situation.

My neighbours daughters boyfriend was killed by their dog.
He used to torment the poor thing to upset the daughter, and it was cooped up in a tiny flat.
They found him dead, covered in bites.

Our dogs breeder has just done a family tree. The foundation bitch is now 14 and still plays in the dog park with her other dogs. The only puppy she’s sold on that has died had a tragic accident. Apart from doing all the relevant health checks she does everything with the pups during the 8 weeks that she has them. Leaves them on their own for periods of time. Takes them out in the car. Visits people with them.Cuts their claws each weak ( and shows their new owners how to do it). Gives them a variety of foods so they are happy to eat whatever the new owner wants to give them. She’s the most affectionate, confident dog I’ve ever had.. I had a couple of litters from one of my spaniels and thought I’d put a lot of effort into it but I’m ashamed now at how little I knew about puppies (although I kept in touch with their owners so I know they had happy lives). I like bull lurchers in general; they usually seem to inherit the best characteristics of both breed. I do think some rescue agencies don’t do their homework when it comes to rehoming.

I have had a lurcher before too. This was a bull lurcher actually without an owner in sight. Maybe left behind by coursers? I was just a bit shocked by it, I still am. I suppose I am even naive myself

As well as the status dog in the hands of people with no idea about it’s needs or how to meet them, the influx of street dogs/worse puppies bred in Eastern Europe to be sold to the gullible, we have unscrupulous breeders. Good breeders interview prospective owners, they won’t place with inexperienced owners or people working full time.
Our current two dogs came from breeders with good reputation. They don’t advertise because the pups go to previous owners or people with recommendations.
Sadly, breeding kennels and hobby breeders are coining it. Making the kind of income they couldn’t earn elsewhere
Could breeding be better regulated.

rosie1959

JaneJudge

Recently me and my husband witnessed a lurcher type dog kill a really big deer and it was actually quite frightening.

Lurches have a strong prey drive
They actually make good family dogs due to their relaxed personality around humans but for exercising you have to remember what breed they are

We are very careful with our whippet and only let her run free when there are no distractions of any kind. Sighthounds are the most wonderful companions as all they want to do in the home is snuggle up to you. Ours has a basket full of cuddlies that she’s had from a puppy and has never damaged any of them. She’ll bring them to us throughout the day. But if she saw a real life cuddly outside shed be off. Unusually my daughters little dog was attacked by on off lead rescue bull lurcher. She did what you’re supposed to do in such circumstances which is grab the dog by it’s back legs, something I’ve got no idea how you manage to do. It attacked another dog recently as well.

JaneJudge

Recently me and my husband witnessed a lurcher type dog kill a really big deer and it was actually quite frightening.

Lurches have a strong prey drive
They actually make good family dogs due to their relaxed personality around humans but for exercising you have to remember what breed they are

PECS, with you 100 % on that

I think there should be a ban on importing stray/ street dogs from overseas. There are already full dog shelters and we seem to be adding to the numbers when prospective owners realise they are unprepared manage a former stray/ feral dog from Romania, Cyprus etc etc. .

Recently me and my husband witnessed a lurcher type dog kill a really big deer and it was actually quite frightening.

I’ve seen lots of complaints on Facebook and mumsnet. British dog rescues are accused of being too picky in expecting garden fencing, no young children, no owners who work full time and so on.
There are good reasons for these expectations. There’s an influx of street dogs or puppies imported from other parts of Europe. The puppies lack the care and socialisation they need in those first important 12 weeks. Many of the older street dogs find it stressful, don’t take well to living inside. They often run at any opportunity, our local Facebook group has regular requests to help find a dog like this, don’t approach, s/he is terrified and will run, photograph and contact x.
Yes, these dogs are also arriving in dog shelters .

My daughters dog went to a terrier rescue, where the staff were terrier mad!
They openly said that a lot of terriers wouldn't pass the rehoming tests, as they can be snappy and mad.

I worried terribly that she may end up in the wrong home and blot her copy book, but thankfully, she went to a marvellous couple who were fully aware of her strange ways.

Deedaa

I do see a lot of complaints on Facebook from people who have tried to adopt a rescue dog and been turned down because they have children, so reputable rescue centres are careful about where they rehome dogs.

This is very true. When we lost our old dog almost two years ago, we did look into rehoming a rescue dog, but we didn't meet the criteria because our grandson, then aged 2, was living with us at the time. And I totally understood why they had these criteria in place.

I do see a lot of complaints on Facebook from people who have tried to adopt a rescue dog and been turned down because they have children, so reputable rescue centres are careful about where they rehome dogs.

Blondiescot

Germanshepherdsmum

The rescue kennels I have obtained dogs from have insisted on seeing my home as well as asking detailed questions. It would be difficult to pretend I didn’t have a young child, the evidence would be there.
It’s a shame you have had such negative experiences with dogs Kate. Properly trained and looked after, you couldn’t ask for a better friend.

Absolutely, GSM. I actually feel sorry for kids who will never know the joy of growing up with a dog. But it all comes down to owners being responsible and training the dog properly - and children being taught how to behave around animals too. Far too often you see kids being allowed to pull a dog's ear or tail - 'oh, they're only playing' - then when the dog's patience finally wears thin, it's the poor animal which gets the blame. Dogs enrich our lives, they can teach children so much about responsibility, caring for another living creature etc etc - give me dogs over people any day of the week. And hand on heart, if I had to choose between any dog and a human (outwith my immediate family), then I'd choose the dog every time.

Yes to these posts .
Our rescues came from shelters that visited our home, met the children and interviewed us, asked to see photographs of previous dogs
The breed charity I volunteer for has a policy of not placing adult dogs in homes with young children. Some of our dogs are very big so the rule of thumb is children over 8. Gardens have to be high fenced as agility is a feature. All surrendered dogs go to experienced foster carers for assessment then matching. We find many are aged 7-18 months, the cuddly pup is a teenager. Many of the problems identified by owners are simply training, exercise, diet needs.

There are often pictures on Facebook of small babies lying next to huge dogs and it makes my blood run cold.

Sorry to hear you had such negative experiences Kate.
But it really is down to the owners. Our home was inspected before we were allowed to have each of our dogs and rightly so. I live on quite a large estate with a dog walking enclosed area, a park and big green areas. However we still have dogs running loose, children walking German shepherd's, huskies, staffies and border collies. My friend and l are often have to re route our walks just to keep out of their way.
One man in particular refuses to keep his 2 pitbulls on a lead, this has been going since before lockdown. He insists they are friendly, they are not, they have attacked 2 other dogs.
I know the council have sent him numerous letters threatening court but he ignores them. I worked for the council before recent retirement and repeatedly reported him.

I’m with you 100% there Blondiescot.