Another child killed in dog attack

For me, home just wouldn't be 'home' without a dog. They are the most wonderful creatures - they give such unconditional love and yet ask for so little in return. They are loyal, loving, empathetic, wonderful companions...I could go on and on. Growing up with a dog teaches a child a great deal too - about respecting other creatures, taking responsibility for another living being. Apart from my very immediate family, my dog is the most important thing in my life and if I had to, I would choose him over any other human on the planet. In fact, I would choose most dogs (and other animals) over most humans any day of the week.

Joseanne

I guess we have a dog for company, comfort, fun, exercise etc. They bring pleasure to some, no real logic involved, as for me I don't need to assess everything for its point or purpose.
(For 20 years mine came to work with me too!)

Oh wow! Came to work!!! For me that is an unbelievably unacceptable idea - unless of course you are a shepherdess!

Why? Because she’s a wonderful friend and companion, incredibly intelligent, loves people and delights in meeting them. I’m sure you will have seen programmes about German shepherd police dogs and the lifelong bond their handlers form with them.

I guess we have a dog for company, comfort, fun, exercise etc. They bring pleasure to some, no real logic involved, as for me I don't need to assess everything for its point or purpose.
(For 20 years mine came to work with me too!)

Germanshepherdsmum

💐*Kate*. Ironic that it’s called the black dog.

I would never describe any dog as cute, Lucky. Those who do just don’t understand that they are capable of killing in order to survive, should the need arise. I love my girl and she is gentle with visitors, but I have no illusions as to her strength and capabilities. The wolf is just below the surface.

Help me here .... I agree with what you have written, which for me begs the question: why have such a creature in your home? Just why? What is the point/purpose/reason/logic?

The DM on line has an interactive map showing where most dog attacks leading to death have taken place. There’s a steady increase which goes up from 2020. The north west and Birmingham seem to have more incidents, with London and now Suffolk after the woman was killed by the 8 dogs she was walking.

When she was about 15 minths, my huge gentle labradoodle brought me a young rabbit she’d caught, I told her ‘drop it;, she snapped it’s neck and dropped it at my feet, chest out, hugely proud of herself. I’d never had a dog with such a high prey urge. We live on the edge of moorland, so deer and sheep ever present. I learned a lot about teaching recall and having her walk at my side off lead, she was a very intelligent, trainable dog. Doodles often have a high prey urge, it’s one of the many reasons they end up in rescue. Her background was working lab x standard poodle. Two highly intelligent dogs from working backgrounds. She was a beauty - but cute/a fur baby -never.

Germanshepherdsmum

A child made a sudden movement. Exactly what young children do and why you don’t allow young children to be close to dogs. You can never move more quickly than the dog. How is a dog supposed to understand that a child means it no harm? It may well have been a dog that had never bitten anyone. It paid for that entirely preventable mistake with its life, as ultimately did its owner.

A friend of mine rescued her cocker spaniel from a family with young children who had literally tortured the poor dog as a puppy. As a result, he is now a nervous, very reactive dog who is especially wary around children - and who could blame him? She is a very responsible owner and has put hours into training and socialising him, but still has to warn off children who would run up to him. It's not always the dog's fault.

Germanshepherdsmum

💐*Kate*. Ironic that it’s called the black dog.

I would never describe any dog as cute, Lucky. Those who do just don’t understand that they are capable of killing in order to survive, should the need arise. I love my girl and she is gentle with visitors, but I have no illusions as to her strength and capabilities. The wolf is just below the surface.

I’ve never heard the “prey drive” expression before but it certainly described my terrier when she saw a squirrel. Most owners don’t have a clue how a dogs nature can change unexpectedly.

💐*Kate*. Ironic that it’s called the black dog.

I would never describe any dog as cute, Lucky. Those who do just don’t understand that they are capable of killing in order to survive, should the need arise. I love my girl and she is gentle with visitors, but I have no illusions as to her strength and capabilities. The wolf is just below the surface.

I appreciate you love your dog GSM. It comes across in your posts. I'm glad it helps you. We have depression in common. Some days it's hell. Most days actually. I'm glad your dog helps. I agree people can't understand who don't suffer.

Both dog-lovers and those who would be quite happy never to see/hear another dog again agree that "something must be done" - we cannot ignore these recent deaths. Legal intervention and controls need to be discussed.

Part of the problem is the "aah" factor. Dogs are seen as cute and loveable, which is fine as far as it goes, but there are those owners who forget that these are animals, not humans or stuffed toys.

I referenced above the photo on facebook of a new born baby and a small puppy pictured together - the baby was lying on a blanket and the puppy was sitting by his head, its jaws just inches away from his face. Until we recognise this for what it is - a tragedy waiting to happen - rather than a cute picture, we will go on having these dreadful incidents.

Dogs often react to children squealing: something to do with it being a high pitched sound. I think it brings out their prey drive. At least, that’s a theory I have.

In your opinion Kate, but you will never know. Like you I have suffered badly with depression for many years and still do. Always will. The unconditional love and acceptance of a dog is, in my experience, a great comfort when humans don’t understand - which, no matter how close they may be to you, they don’t if they don’t have similar difficulties.

A child made a sudden movement. Exactly what young children do and why you don’t allow young children to be close to dogs. You can never move more quickly than the dog. How is a dog supposed to understand that a child means it no harm? It may well have been a dog that had never bitten anyone. It paid for that entirely preventable mistake with its life, as ultimately did its owner.

Mr Dog was nearly knocked over by a dog today, funnily enough. It was a large dog - he said it could have been a german shepherd/retriever cross, and was on a lead with its owner. Mr D was on his way to the bottle bank, and wllked towards them to pass them, and the dog growled and put its paw on Mr D's shoulder, so they were literally face to face. He is well used to dogs and is not scared of them but it gave him a real start.

The owner was most embarrassed and couldn't believe what had happened. Mr Dog was unhurt, but understandably shocked, and anyone less steady on his feet could have been knocked over.

I don't mean to demonise dogs because I don't like them I totally understand that people love their dogs. However, some owners are completely unable to see the other point of view. I am not 'the poorer' for not liking dogs.

If anyone is interested in education, The Dogs Trust will come into school and talk about dogs within the family and in general. They also offer workshops for the children in school and provide free learning resources about responsible dog ownership and safe behaviour around dogs. Sometimes it is better for the children to hear it from the experts.

My Dh almost came a cropper recently with a dog that was on a lead. We went to a supermarket one late afternoon when it was getting dark. There was a dog outside but what my Dh didn’t see was that it had been tied up on an extending lead and Dh almost went flying over what was effectively a trip wire!

The DD of my df was attacked by a dog in front of 4 adults in the living room of their home.
She was aged 3 at the time and made a sudden movement across the dog (a pet belonging to her parents' friends)
Her facial injuries were terrible and she endured skin grafts into adulthood. The scars are now almost unnoticeable thankfully.
It was such a traumatic time resulting in the dog being destroyed and the owner becoming ill and seriously depressed. She died quite soon after.
That was supposed to be a dog who had never bitten anyone.

I suspect it’s an inner city and urban issue mainly gsm. Country and farming folk understand animals. I live in what was a quiet but expanding village over fifty years ago. Children still rode bikes and ponies on our roads. There were a few pet dogs numerous farm working dogs
Since the pandemic the number of pet dogs has multiplied. Many of these first time dog owners either don’t train or they believe yiu can train a dog to do anything if you throw enough treats at it. They’re always surprised when it doesn’t work . They use extendable leads and think dogs are fur babies

People want them for the reasons explained above. There’s much truth in the saying ‘the more I see of people, the more I love my dog’. If you don’t understand, you are the poorer.

I've seen a few around here GSM. I heard some shouting one day and looked out of the window. There was a lady across the road with a small dog on a lead. She was shouting to two young men to call their two big dogs which were bounding towards her little dog. These big dogs looked like pedigree, well cared for dogs, maybe Huskies or similar. They were walking down the street with the young men behind them. The dogs had harnesses but no leads.

Kate1949 I'm with you. You're so right - people are obsessed with dogs. I can't stand them. Why on earth would anyone want them in their homes? When I see them sniffing around other dogs it makes me feel sick.

Are uncontrolled dogs off lead a regional problem? I didn’t encounter it in rural north Essex, nor now in rural north Norfolk. I have never encountered it at all. Ever. Is it more of an urban problem?

The attitude of some (I did say some) owners is unbelievable. A friend was walking on a cold day with the hood up on her coat. A dog leapt up at her and the owner shouted 'Take your hood down. He doesn't like hoods '. What a bloody cheek.