What is going on with ridiculous dog breeds ?

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

The breed has been weaponised by dubious individuals.

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.

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.

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.

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.