Another death by an XL Bully

Dog attacks by such terrifying dogs should treated the same as knife crime. They are a lethal weapon.

A murder charge if your dog kills is necessary but it doesn’t save the person from an horrendous death and the murderer will probably only get a few years anyway while a family is devastated I am afraid there’s got to be much more to it than that
As you are a good trainer and very responsible owner undines why would you not be able to train your dogs to be happy in a muzzle when out and about I think all big dogs should be muzzled outside
There are just too many dogs now and too little rules about keeping them

I will never understand why a dog’s feelings (about a muzzle for instance) takes priority. Since we don’t have enough police to deal with burglary I can’t see enforcement happening that way, but public expectations can change quite quickly and expecting to see all dogs muzzled would soon become the norm - look how quickly we adapted to face masks in the pandemic.

Well I guess they would accept a muzzle if I was determined But I’m not sure such blanket legislation works. When something awful happens everyone flaps about. All dogs muzzled all cars 20mph etc
But that doesn’t stop the real perpetrators who still drive dangerously or have vicious dogs. Also laws have to be enforced and there are not the resources

Nothing to be done, it's all too difficult. Oh well I suppose we carry on wringing our hands, saying 'how awful', offer 'thoughts and prayers' and wait for the next report of a mauling or death. We'll not have to wait long, these reports are coming much more frequently.

undines

Well I guess they would accept a muzzle if I was determined But I’m not sure such blanket legislation works. When something awful happens everyone flaps about. All dogs muzzled all cars 20mph etc
But that doesn’t stop the real perpetrators who still drive dangerously or have vicious dogs. Also laws have to be enforced and there are not the resources

But if the majority adhere, the minority stand out more and enforcement is easier. Masks, as GannySomerset said are a case in point.

Exactly If 90% of large dogs were muzzled we d soon see which ones weren’t, just like with seat belts or motorcycle helmets

There were plenty of people saying they d never wear a helmet in the ‘old days’ but you never ever see a motorbike without now do you
Same goes for seat belts very few people try that one now I think most people do wear their seat belts
Of course it can be done and must be done before more people are killed in this horrible horrible way

I agree, I think a weight/size ban is best, with little dogs they don't pose such a threat cos you can just pick them up if need be, but with an XL they are simply much too big. Our vet said they have recently put some dogs down because of potential aggression. Big dogs should also be muzzled and owners required to have a licence which includes training and serious penalties/prison for non-compliance. Most people would follow and with muzzles you'd soon see who wasn't. It would be hard to enforce and possibly mostly down to the dog warden, these always have been few and far between but now since the Tory cuts there are no doubt fewer. I remember as a child protection social worker being asked on a Friday afternoon to see a family with a dog called Satan. It was frightening and the dog was only medium sized, I'd be terrified if it was an XL or similar.

A weight/size ban is best? What do you have in mind? My female GSD is 40kg. Shall we just have little handbag sized dogs?

I have had my ankles savaged on more than one occasion by the Yorkies across the road who are expert at squeezing under their fence. I would certainly be in favour of universal muzzling for all dogs out in public. The threat of being shot by a person is unfortunately more of a problem here. Aggressive dogs being shot by people happens here as well as complaints about aggressive dogs being answered by gunfire on the part of the owner. Sigh.

My lab is 5 stone 30kg of pure muscle. He’s on lead except at a secure, private field, or in training classes where specific exercises mean dogs off lead.
I wouldn’t want to muzzle him, he’s great with people, adores children and if people ask to say hello, sits and waits on command. My problem is idiot I trained off lead dogs jumping all over him. He used to tolerate it but after an unpleasant incident with a Jack Russell can now react. Muzzling him but not the yappy terriers seems very unfair just because he’s the bigger dog

I saw 4 XLBullies driving 3 miles home from town yesterday. One on a harness, collar being handled by a big man, I saw handled - he was struggling to control it just pavement walking.

Is it possible to suggest all bell breeds are muzzled, neutered and kept in leads

The dangerous dogs act is the most terribly thought out piece of legislation ever enacted by parliament. It was brought in as a knee jerk reaction to similar circumstances as we have had this summer. Please can we give our parliamentarians enough time to think about what they are doing so we can have measured well thought out and watertight laws that are fit for purpose.

Can anyone please explain why anyone at all would want to keep this type of dog? Or any dog apart from disability dogs? I, for one, am sick of dogs everywhere I go. I see them fouling the grass verges and even if a responsible owner picks it up there is a residue which can get onto the fingers of toddlers. I hate being jumped at, barked at and being licked by dogs. And seeing them on the beach doing their business is even worse.

Why would anyone want to keep a dog apart from a disability dog? The most loyal companion you could wish for.

They don’t all behave in the way you describe.

Why does anyone want a dog breed for fighting and possible killing?

Indeed so.

Some are owned by drug dealers. They are allowed to have them but not (in theory) guns.

I worked as a social worker for many years and had to do many home visits. The rule was that the more aggressive the owners, the more aggressive and larger the dogs.

We need to move away from the idea that dog owning is a right. We do not have the right to own guns.

Dogs can cause injuries without biting. A friend was leapt at by a loose dog (labrador) on the common and was very scared - and her coat was ruined. I walk there every day - if it had happened to me I would have fallen as my balance is impaired - if I fall I am at high risk of breaking a bone as I have osteoporosis.

In this case the owner blamed my friend - apparently she should not have turned her back when the dog ran at her! What can you say?

Just keep dogs right away from innocent people going about their daily business. And muzzles of course, however small the dog.

They should definitely bring in a muzzle law straight away, for any breeds considered dangerous. Maybe for ALL dogs while outside!!
And mandatory to have their claws clipped regularly, as they're dangerous, too!!
No ordinary people want such dogs as XLs, but rather people who want to stand out as being 'the man' kind of thing!!!
I don't think they should be family dogs, either! They can just as easily turn on family, especially young children who like to play with their pet dogs!!!

I don’t think walking across a common is going about one’s daily business. To be fair, Luckygirl, I agree with much of what you say about dogs and their owners but you do actually seem to have a deep seated hatred of all dogs.

I wonder how many of the posters who want all dogs to be muzzled actually own a dog?

MayBee70

I don’t think walking across a common is going about one’s daily business. To be fair, Luckygirl, I agree with much of what you say about dogs and their owners but you do actually seem to have a deep seated hatred of all dogs.

Walking across a common is perfectly legal and a valid form of exercise, so it is one's daily business.

I agree with Luckygirl's last post and what if she does have a hatred of dogs? You say it like an accusation, but everyone is allowed to either love them or hate them, just as they can love or hate anything. It is hardly surprising that people are developing such a dislike of dogs, when there are so many of them jumping, scaring and biting people. We have a deluge of bad owners, but it's the dogs that do the damage and therefore the dogs that people dislike.

Germanshepherdsmum

Why would anyone want to keep a dog apart from a disability dog? The most loyal companion you could wish for.

They don’t all behave in the way you describe.

Totally agree the vast majority of dogs do not harm humans in anyway. I do not have my own dog at this moment for various reasons but I cherish the time I spent with the ones I did own.
There are too many dog attacks at this time but far more dogs suffer at the hands of cruel people.
I certainly don’t want to see muzzles on any dogs except where totally necessary.

Germanshepherdsmum

I wonder how many of the posters who want all dogs to be muzzled actually own a dog?

I would have thought dog owners would want all dogs muzzled too. We have far too many dogs in cities, and walking in a park can therefore be a very scary experience. I keep reading about innocent dog walkers having their dogs attacked by aggressive off the lead dogs, badly hurt and sometimes torn to shreds. It's surely in everyone's interest to have all dogs muzzled.

Now a cat has been savaged to death by one of these huge monsters, which was on a lead, but the owner, quite a big chap by the look of it, was unable to hold it. This was in the cat’s garden and the horrified owner came out to the injured pet hiding in a tree, but it died. What if this had been a child?
Something most certainly has to be done.

Germanshepherdsmum

I wonder how many of the posters who want all dogs to be muzzled actually own a dog?

Well, on reflection, perhaps our Yorkshire terrier should have been muzzled; he didn't attack people but he would have tried to take on one of these XL Bullies if they'd been around and were male.

Skydancer

Can anyone please explain why anyone at all would want to keep this type of dog? Or any dog apart from disability dogs? I, for one, am sick of dogs everywhere I go. I see them fouling the grass verges and even if a responsible owner picks it up there is a residue which can get onto the fingers of toddlers. I hate being jumped at, barked at and being licked by dogs. And seeing them on the beach doing their business is even worse.

That's the fault of the owner, not the dog.

Responsible owners pick up after their dogs.

Why would anyone want to keep any type of dog?
Where do I begin ........

Chestnut

Germanshepherdsmum

I wonder how many of the posters who want all dogs to be muzzled actually own a dog?

I would have thought dog owners would want all dogs muzzled too. We have far too many dogs in cities, and walking in a park can therefore be a very scary experience. I keep reading about innocent dog walkers having their dogs attacked by aggressive off the lead dogs, badly hurt and sometimes torn to shreds. It's surely in everyone's interest to have all dogs muzzled.

I don’t want to see all dogs muzzled. My little spaniel doesn’t need a lead never mind a muzzle. She trots along with me, loves children and if they ask to stroke her, sits quietly while they do. Sadly she’s on lead more often now to give me the best opportunity to walk her past the badly behaved packs walked by ‘professional dog walkers’ without a single qualification.