What is going on with ridiculous dog breeds ?

Stronger penalties for breeders and no second chances for a dog of this size/breed who bites. Enough of the excuses from dog behaviourists and the usual it's not the dog it's the owner brigade. Stiffer penalties too for the owners of the dog. Time to clamp down on this, I love dogs and have my own two rescues but it has to be people first.

Unfortunately there are owners of such breeds who say their dog would never hurt anyone. These aggressive traits, bred in to them generations ago are inherent.

I have a French sheepdog, who, despite being blind, will set outside moving her head to work out where sounds, that I cannot hear, are coming from. I mentioned it to the vet once and he pointed out that it was bred into her ancestors who guarded sheep and stayed alert for the occasional marauding wolf. She also knows when thunderstorms are coming, sometimes an hour before they hit us.

I've had terriers who haven't had lone access to the countryside but who have found moles with great ease whilst out on walks. Bred into their ancestors.

sodapop

Stronger penalties for breeders and no second chances for a dog of this size/breed who bites. Enough of the excuses from dog behaviourists and the usual it's not the dog it's the owner brigade. Stiffer penalties too for the owners of the dog. Time to clamp down on this, I love dogs and have my own two rescues but it has to be people first.

Completely agree and I would go as far as to say this breed should be put down. They are vicious and deadly. They have an instinct to kill and it IS the dog and not the owner. Why anyone would want one of these monsters is beyond me.

These fighting dog breeds are being bought deliberately to intimidate others and deliberately mistreated to make them aggressive.
A licensing system for all dog owners is needed, to protect the public and improve dog welfare.

The breed has been weaponised by dubious individuals.

It used to be the case years ago that any dog that attacked a person was immediately put to sleep. That should still be the case in my opinion. Some are of course, but there seems to be much more reluctance to do this now.
Licensing won’t stop any of this, nor will chipping, because the type of person who owns a dangerous dog won’t comply with the law.
It’s also difficult to know which ‘breeds’ are the culprits. American Pitt Bulls are illegal but still exist in this country. They have been bred with other bull dog types to create these XL Bullies, but in truth they are mongrels, bred to be fighting and aggressive dogs. They are a status for some people.
My solution would be to destroy every last one as soon as it is found. That way there would be little incentive for anyone to acquire one. Of course I know that won’t happen, more’s the pity.

Katie59

These fighting dog breeds are being bought deliberately to intimidate others and deliberately mistreated to make them aggressive.
A licensing system for all dog owners is needed, to protect the public and improve dog welfare.

The sort of people who have or breed dangerous dogs are not going to purchase a dog license and even if they do who is going to police it.

Until there is compulsory attendance at and participation in proper dog-training courses for all owners (and I don't think that will ever happen), we are going to be stuck with irresponsible owners who will not train their dogs. They will not be able to deal with the kinds of breeds which have been, as it were, purpose-built to be aggressive. IMO for the protection of the public, we either need to have enforced muzzling of dogs when outside or a clamp-down on aggressive breeds. Who, apart from drug-dealers and the like, seriously thinks that it is a good idea to have one of these dangerous animals as a pet?

The police are so under-resourced by the Tories that regulating dogs and their owners is likely to be a low priority or no priority at all.

Well, Sunak is promising to add American Bully's to the banned list, and, meantime, make it compulsory for them to be leashed and muzzled away from the home.

The trouble is that people then just cross breed the dogs.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-66818862

I don't think that all dogs should be put to sleep if they bite someone. When my DH was young his cousin was bitten by his family's elderly lab. The dog was sleep in his basket and the boy went to it and the dog bit him. It turned out that the dog was blind in one eye and the boy had approached him on that side.

A few years ago I adopted a blind dog. The son of that family went into his basket whilst he was asleep and he woke up and bit him. He was taken to a vet to be put to sleep but the vet refused and so he was taken to a refuge. I don't think the previous owners knew that he was blind.

Most people don't realise that he is blind but our vet confirmed it. This dog is what the French call a loulou. (rough translation - sweetheart) He is extremely nice natured and is affectionate to most people he meets. He will growl at people he's not sure of but that's as far as he goes.

I agree, Dinahmo, that euthanasia should not be carried out automatically if a dog bites a person. The surrounding circumstances are relevant as you have demonstrated.

Look, lets be realistic. Of course there are people who like the idea of owning a fierce aggressive dog that has the potential to kill other people or animals, I am not sure they are fussy which. They like scaring people, like people to be scared of them and like using them to bully and control, and of course, often use these characteristic for criminal purposes.

These dogs have been deliberately bred and trained for their aggressive trndencies and it is not just their owners that are the problem, all sorts of animals from mice to farm animals are bred for particular characteristics: milk output, muscle, calmness, speed - and aggressiveness. These dogs, that have killed so many, if owned by the most peaceful pacifist out, would still be aggressive and unpredictable and not safe in public.

They are being banned and that is right.

I have to say that in these cases it IS the dogs. These animals have obviously been bred to be too strong, too aggressive and too unpredictable for even the most experienced dog owner to control. What is the point of them, apart from a macho status symbol? I am glad that they have been banned...

They need to be banned and ( unpopular I know) but ALL large dogs should be muzzled in public Why would people mind it’s not supposed to hurt the dog but will protect children and all folks from being killed or badly injured
Of course it’s partly down to the owners but some dogs are just too big, strong and aggressive to be pets You wouldn’t walk a tiger around the streets

Good post, BlueBelle.

There seem to be many owners who want this type of dog who are obviously not at all concerned about the safety of the public IMO.
The ‘breed’ has been in the news recently in a very negative way. If I had owned a dog like this then I would have taken extreme measures to make sure my dog was no danger to anyone.
But hey ho it’s happened again. Are they so ignorant that they don’t realise the strength of their dogs and the damage they can do?

Blebelle Absolutely. I was attacked by 2 dogs too strong for their owner and because they were both muzzled I got a badly bruised arm, but nothing more.

I did say dogs of bully breed/size Dinahmo my own JR accidentally nipped a grandchild whilst taking a ball from them, after that every time said grandchild came in the room the dog would hide in the corner.

Very good post BlueBelle.
I stand by my post, all these XL Bullie type dogs should be put to sleep. They are aggressive and unsuitable to live amongst people, just as a lion is unsuitable to live amongst people.
Since that won’t happen, attacks and killings will continue. If you are okay with that I have to say, I am not.

well ~I have just seen the report on Channel 4 news on this topic.An owner was interviewed whose American bully was soft and gentle. He had probably bought it from aI believe it is the owner reputable dealer , not one if the downright rogue breeders and he had obviously spent time training his dog. It does seem unkind that a well trained dog should have to be put down because of these people who buy them, not as a pet but as a status symbol and cant control them themselves.
A lawyer was also interviewed who specialises in dog cases and he felt that much more detail was needed before people could be sure what was the right thing to do.

sorry about the muddle on line 3. ~it should say from a reputable dealer

sodapop

I did say dogs of bully breed/size Dinahmo my own JR accidentally nipped a grandchild whilst taking a ball from them, after that every time said grandchild came in the room the dog would hide in the corner.

I wasn't responding to you but to Maddyone

I did have a fox terrier put to sleep a couple of years ago. He was OK with visitors but I think he thought he was the house pack leader. He would sleep under my desk whilst I was working and when I go up he would wake and jump up at me teeth bared. Many t-shirts bear the holes made by his teeth. I talked to our vet about hon and we tried to find a behaviourist. The nearest one was probably two hours drive away but i made the appointment. The day before it was cancelled because apparently they only dealt with dogs involved in court cases. (I'm in France)

One day he bit my had and I had 10 stitches. When I arrived at the doctor he asked if I'd killed him and I said, no, not yet.

I then spoke to the vet who explained the French procedures. It meant that we had to keep him for 15 days. I spent that time wondering what else I could and when we went to the vet I said that I was still undecided. He said he was making the decision for me because it had to be done. I could not stay in the room, which I have done on many occasions with sick dogs.

I’ve just posted on one of the other threads, reference to the way the XLbullies were created in America. One dog, Killer Kimbo (yes, really) is said to be genetically linked to many XLBullies in Britain. Kimbo was bred from two dogs with the same parents. His descendants have been linked to dog attacks causing death in America and Britain.

Inter breeding contributes to health and temperament problems. These dogs are linked to increasing numbers of dreadful attacks. I’m a dog lover, currently share my life with two. I’ve rescued and fostered dogs. I’ve no hesitation in saying XLBullies are all potentially dangerous. I don’t want to share my public spaces with them