Dog attacks

There is no such thing as a bad dog - just bad owners. Dogs want to please their owners if they love them. My staffie/lab rescue dog was unbelievable - never had a dog like her - but she had had loving owners before us. The cats bullied her, GC adored her & she put up with being dressed up etc. Having said that I don"t think young children should ever be left alone with any dog as children can be tough unintentionally .We did agility & she obeyed my every word. We loved her so we made sure she was perfectly trained & we could & did take her anywhere. All dogs deserve a loving owner & I'd like to see proper dog licences with owners vetted & random checks made on dogs welfare .

re border collies - we have had 2. We live out in the country and at one time had an enclosed field with some sheep so they were in their element.
But we moved to a smaller place and the male bc became very difficult, chasing vehicles etc He eventually chased one too many. We had tried all sorts of remedies even an electric collar, the habit was too ingrained.
We still have our other bc, she's a little darling, very obedient, aged nearly 14 now.
But she's very "highly strung", and when our GCs were little we didn't trust her around them, as someone else said the instinct to herd is very strong - they circle round the child, fixing them with her eyes, snapping at their heals if the try to move. She tries to herd the cat now but that doesn't work as cat just lies down and goes to sleep

claireseptember, do your family qualify for PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) who provide free treatment for animals if the owner meets their criteria of benefits. You have to register with either one of their hospitals if there is one near, or a participating vet. My local vet is one who does it. A wonderful charity to support and such a relief for eligible pet owners.

I thought it was the law now to have dogs put down when they have bitten someone, especially children.
Years ago a friend of mine's dog was attacked by a larger dog. It picked up small
dog in it's mouth and was shaking it. My friend prised open the dog's mouth to get his small dog out. Then walked to hospital with his hands dripping with blood. Big dog's owner took no notice.
My friend cannot use his hands as well as he would like to.

I often write to my (lovely regardless of his party) MP about matters in the news having spoken to others so he knows the feelings/opinions of Jo(sephine) Public.
After (yet another)previous attack by a dog I wrote to him and said dogs outside the home should be muzzled and his reply was that he didn't think that would go down well. And yet we have all this nonsense about 'dangerous' dogs-asDeedaa says ALL dogs are potentially dangerous.

I think it was a great mistake when they branded some breeds as dangerous. Any dog can be dangerous it depends on the circumstances not the dog. I've seen TV programmes where they've been comparing measurements on perfectly calm family pets to see if they are a "dangerous" breed when they should be concentrating on the people who are keeping dogs and what they are doing with them. We had a puppy savaged by a labrador but they are always considered such a safe dog to have around. An alpha dog of any breed needs firm handling. I've seen a family dominated by a very small, but nasty, dog.

A friend of mine had a border collie; she was v experienced with them. I went round one evening to see her, dog came in and sat on floor next to me. She asked if I minded and I said no, that's ok. Gradually the dog was pushing against me-friend said he's trying to dominate you! So I had to sit tight! The first few months going for a walk with them was miserable while she was training it but after that it was a pleasure to walk with and would even obey me too.
I passed a lady the other day with two terriers who were near face height of my young DGC so as we approached I swapped sides with the children so I was between them and the dogs-owner said they're v good and won't bite. I said "I'm not giving them the chance-ANY dog can bite"
I still feel ANY dog out in public should be muzzled and there should be a restriction on the number of dogs people can own too. The dog population seems to have soared recently.
And don't get me started on dog pooh!

oh dear this happened in a park just a few miles from where I live, I sometimes take DGD there to play. Its upsetting as its so near to home. The dog should have been put down and the owner. like other owners of dangerous dogs should be banned from keeping a dog for life.
This park is such a lovely tranquil place and I feel safe there, I wont feel the same again.

claireseptember the Border Collie is the best dog in the world but they do need lots of exercise and lots of things to do. Basic training, agility classes, Fly Ball if they feel energetic enough. They are so clever and have very long memories.

Our little girl is a working Cocker too, highly intelligent , and like yours Jp, full of energy and simply loves life!! We started her on basic commands and house training almost from day 1, and it's certainly paid off. We are lucky though as we have a small paddock mainly for our Exmoor Pony, which Cas can run and play in in perfect safety, as well as quite a big garden. This is our fourth spaniel, and our seventh dog!! She will be our last!

When I took my spaniel to puppy training classes, the teacher in charge made it clear that the classes were for the owners rather than the puppies!

My spaniel is a working breed, very intelligent, quick to learn and has boundless energy. The breeder who sold her made it clear that she must have plenty of exercise and stimulation. This would be the same for any working breed like a border collie.

Re: border collie pup, it is behaving as all little pups do. That is why training and socialisation have to start immediately. It does take time to house train though. But border collies being intelligent dogs, it should be quickly done provided it is done consistently. Puppies may look cute but they need a huge amount of attention. So many people just don't follow through like the owner of that Staffie.

Let's hope she is made to see the errors of her ways. Her behaviour beggars belief. The only dog I've ever had an issue with was a Jack Russell, but then terriers do tend to be snappy and yappy! They're not my favourite breed!!!

People talk of Staffies as "these killer dogs", but in the news a couple of years ago I remember a child being mauled and killed by a "sweet" little Westie, so it isn`t right to classify dogs as killers in advance, any dog can turn.

The woman hasaoowared in court and will be held in custody untill her next appearance in June

Oh my goodness Clairseptember. Vets fees are horrendous, our little girl has just been neutered and that cost us nearly £200! We've got Pet Insurance for her for any serious problems; (neutering isn't covered,) and although we've opted for life long cover, you can get annual cover for a much cheaper premium. Tescos do it, so it might be worth your family looking into some sort of insurance for their dog? Just thought I'd mention it as vets bills can be crippling.

Of course she should get jail ! SHE TOOK THEMUZZLE OFF , it wasn't as though she accidently let it maul the children , a dog with a muzzle has problems

Thanks for advice/ thoughts on border collies. Yes, they do intend to take him to puppy training classes as soon as he's had all his jabs and is able to socialise so I hope that will sort things out. Trouble is my DS was made redundant recently and DIL isn't working either so money is incredibly tight. We took the dog to the vets today to get some treatment for his dodgy tum and that came to over £50 which I ended up paying for. I just do not understand why they decided to take on responsibility for a dog at a time like this but am having to keep my opinions to myself as ever. Anyway, that's a whole other issue.
Again thanks to those who gave comments on border collies.

I have had dogs all my life, mostly rescue/Battersea, and unfailingly they have responded to kindness, however they have started out.
This awful situation is entirely the fault of the stupid woman owner and how I agree that she should be prosecuted . The poor animal should be put down because it can never be trusted again, but like others I have never known a bad staffie, and I have known lots of this breed; my father had two staffies when I was a tiny child and they were gentle, loving companions. The trouble is always at the other end of the lead - ignorant people who buy a dog and try to make it a 'weapon' to give themselves some stupid 'street cred'. as they swagger along with a fierce dog.

My guess is dog was never walked, never loved or treated well. IMO rotten owners have violent dogs. Poor children who suffered the horrible bites,

I totally agree with your comments about Border Collies N&G as this was our experience when we owned one. House training is very important from day one as bad habits are easily formed and very difficult to break. You do have to take them out very regularly and make it clear to.them that this is why they are being put out. Lots of praise when they perform well and they soon get the message! If they go in the house, put them out immediately, so that they realise that outside is the place, not the carpet!! There are lots of books on the subject of dog training, also plenty of advise on line for every breed!

There is no such thing as a bad breed of dog,just a bad breed of owners who do not have a clue how to control a dog or just want to seem tough owning one. I love dogs and have my own little cutie who would not harm anyone. I have had her since she was eighteen months old a rescue timid little thing who adores my grandchildren. Today we met a Newfoundland a huge dog who had a very nice owner and it was very friendly could have swallowed mine whole. My neighbour has a staffie she is very strong but dead soft another rescue dog who never barks. Such a shame for the children who were attacked as it will affect them for many years.

Claireseptember I have experience with Border Collies and I'm afraid unless they start socialising and training they are in for a hard ride.

A collie is a working dog and as such is smart and resourceful. They learn quickly( which is why you see a lot in Obedience and Agility shows). They need a decent walk at least once if not twice a day and you will walk every inch with them as they are not free ranging dogs.

If they are not exercised and worked in some way ( whether that be herding sheep or learning tricks) they are incredibly destructive . They can eat/ chew anything and a bored collie is a destructive one.

Biting cannot be tolerated in any way once they lose their baby teeth ( about 12-16 weeks) as they are not soft mouthed and when they bite they bite, it's not like a spaniel which might ' mouth' your hand without engaging teeth.

These are great , smart dogs but in my opinion are for working not necessarily as house pets although if you put in the effort they are loyal and friendly and relatively good with children. Please remember a collie herds by instinct and small children look like a herd !! We discouraged this from the start - they must learn their place in your pack and that's not as top dog !!

Good luck.

We have had labs for years. Now on our 5th. We got the first one when my oldest child was one as they had a reputation for being good with children. We now have 8 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. In all those years we have never had the slightest problem with any of the dogs and all the children were taught how to behave with them. However I would never have left any of the dogs alone with a young child as no dog can be trusted 100% Our ggc age 4 is absolutely besotted with our current black lab. I certainly don't understand why anyone would have a dog with an aggressive reputation

I have met lots of dogs who appear well behaved, well trained and 'soft as old soap'. I am neither a dog lover nor dog hater, and I do respect the rights of all species to exist (even mosquitos and scorpions - yuk!), but we do need to keep some sort of order in society and protect vulnerable individuals. In my experience some humans occasionally have violent and unexpected outbursts, so why would we expect a dog to be more reliable?

A human who uses a weapon (could a dog be called a weapon in such circumstances?) to attack others at random in a public place is likely to end up shot by police or in jail for a long time. Why? Because such behaviour is totally unacceptable and punishable in law. Should it be any different for a person whose dog does this? What do you think?

You should never leave any dog on its own with a baby or small child not even for a few minutes, particularly if the dog had shown any signs of jealousy. As for the spaniels, why on earth did their owner allow this behaviour? why weren't they in a secure place? It's often the fault of the owners when dogs misbehave, not the other way round. All dogs need proper training and discipline, as even the most placid dog could potentially behave badly. They are dogs, and as such have a limited understanding, virtually no reasoning, and if frightened or confused will behave instinctively..... like dogs!!