Dangerous And Agressive Dogs or Dangerous and Agressive Dog Owners?
Not all "Bull" dogs are Aggressive Dogs
The news is full of stories of Dangerous Dog Breeds, dog attacks, and vicious dogs, but what really is a dangerous dog? Is it the breed of dog that makes it dangerous, is it the irresponsible owners, or is it just sometimes within the nature of the dog. People see my dog and they cross the road, and shake their heads, looking at us as owners for having what they see as "dangerous dogs", what, because of the way she looks?
This is a reality here in not only in the the UK, but in a lot of countries too, there is strict legislation in place that all dog owners must adhere to Owning a dog has its responsibilities, not just to its health and daily care, but also how your dog behaves. I am all in agreement of responsible Dog Ownership, and embrace it.
The number of Dog attacks has risen by 60% in the last decade, and has rightfully prompted action from the Government and authorities giving them more power to intervene if there are complaints about a dog behaving dangerously.
Picture Credit my own dogLisa Auch
Warning Dog signs - Signs to warn that you have Dogs on your Property
You legally have a duty to warn everyone you have a dog on your premises. They have then been warned.
Can any Types of Dogs be Dangerous
Yes,
Any dog can be a danger to the public, awareness of responsible dog ownership has been heightened by the government campaign and new legislation banning certain dog breeds within the UK.
Any dog can be a danger to the public, but certain types of dogs are banned in the UK. If you own an unregistered banned dog you are committing a criminal offence.
But Owning a "dangerous" dog, the classic pitbull type looking dogs, has become BIG business in the UK, and being bred to use as status dogs among the criminal underground.
There is big money paid for "pit-bull" cross breed type dogs.
The British Sociological Association has revealed in a recent study they found that there has been a rise of 551% in hospital admissions for dog bites since 1991.
What Types of Dogs are Dangerous breeds of dogs
or are there just Dangerous dogs
The nicer side of Owning a Dog - so many benefits, and can play big part in our lives, for me creating some of the best childhood memories I have.
Studies have shown us that Dog owners lead healthier lives, not only good for your physical well being but also your emotional welfare.
There is also strong evidence to suggest that dog owners have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and are less likely to have minor and serious health problems. And sometimes the dog just gives a person a "need to be needed".
I own 2 large breed dogs. and they are just big babies, very good natured and well behaved, but people do tend to walk on the other side of the road and draw us looks, claiming "that's these dangerous dogs", funnily enough we ended up by default with our breeds, we saved the both of them from uncertain future, and have provided training, love and care to them. I was brought up surrounded by fluffy little King Charles Cavaliers.
Roxy the BullMastiff (the darker dog- pictured above) will follow the kids around, it is as if she knows she must take care of them. She is also very perceptive, and knows when I am not well, lying by my feet, not letting me go far, without her being there.
There are rules in our house though, the dogs are big and can send you flying if they were to jump up on you, or can get very excited (Molly the Bordeaux) is still a pup. But we have a good routine, we even ask visitors to ignore the dogs until they have settled down, and the dogs go to their beds when it is walk time to get their leads on, they wait for their dinner and only take it after being told, because they are so big, you need to be aware of other peoples fears, perceptions etc.
My daughter can confidently walk each dog, as we have spent lots of time and effort training them.
It bothers me that my dogs are pre-judged because of the "look" of them, especially since the recent rise in dog attacks, and the release of the dangerous dogs Act
Types of Dogs - Join in the debate
Do you think the dog is to blame or it is the owners fault that a dog is aggressive
Banned Dogs in the
UK
Banned dogs
There are four types of dogs that are banned in the UK, the:
* Pit Bull Terrier * Japanese Tosa
* Dogo Argentino * Fila Braziliero
These dogs are not recognised by the government as breeds in the UK. It is illegal to breed from, sell, abandon or give away a banned dog also it is illegal to own any of these dogs without specific exemption from a court.
Picture credits Wikiipedia
Make sure you train your Dogs
Out and about with your dog.
So once you have your dog, it is your responsibility to look after it.
You are responsible for its health, this can be costly and as an owner of 2 very large dogs I would suggest Pet Insurance. After a costly trip to the seaside, after Roxy followed a seagull over the edge of the cliff taught us that expensive lesson.
Within your home your dog may be the sweetest dog there is, but I know by having the 2 dogs, how they can change when they get outside!
My dogs appear scary, but they are my gentle giants, but I have to be extra careful. People are wary of them, even scared of them, and that is what sometimes the problem is, and will even cross the street when we are walking.
So a few things to help with keeping your dogs safe whilst out in public, and keeping on the right side of the law.
* Making sure the lead and collar are correctly fitted.
This will ensure your dog cannot slip his/her collar and is under your control
* making sure your dog wears a collar tag when out in a public place,
so your dog can be returned to you if lost
* cleaning up after your dog, dog fouling is an offence
if you do not clean up after your dog, you can be fined by the Police
* Do not let your dog off its lead if it will not return on command, You must keep your dog under control at all times,
Look out for a local puppy training class this allows your pup to become used to other dogs (socialzing) and other people.
I love Victoria's approach to spoilt or badly behaved pooches!
You must Exercise your Big dog
Exercise is so important for your dog. We live very near a coastal path way, and we meet many dog walkers out and about, By the time the dogs chase each other around and play in the water, they are tired out.
Go on give us a Paw,
I completely agree, the dog is innocent. Dog owners are the demons.
Wow I had not realized that the UK had banned so many breeds of dogs. I am surprised.
I think dogs are like people, some behavior can be attributed to the owner but some dogs may have personality issues and bad attitudes for one reason or another.
I absolutely agree with this lens. Some people only believe that the "aggressive" dogs are the ones that can attack. I've seen some pretty nasty and aggressive tiny dogs (more so than the larger breads) yet those ones never seem to be reported mostly because of the size of them. It's not fair. Yes if a bigger dog is aggressive they will cause more damage than a smaller one, but it still doesn't make it right.
If we all teach our dogs with respect, gentleness and kindness from the beginning, they will learn from that and use it in their daily mannerisms.
~BLESSED~
From the way we breed dogs, socialise or bring them up, care for them we are responsible for them. Dog ownership is something to be taken seriously and carefully considered way before anyone gets a dog or pup. I often feel that it might be useful if there was a pre ownership class or something to teach everyone about responsible dog ownership and choosing the right dog for the right family and circumstances. I have seen many dogs in rescue that have been neglected or ill treated or just misunderstood or underestimated their needs(exercise,feeding,grooming,time etc) or the work involved. I have loved the dogs i have had and they have contributed so much to my life. Dogs do worthy jobs for us -assistance dogs, guide dogs, hearing dogs for deaf people, police dogs, rescue operations, our pet companions and therapy dogs to name a few. However, we have to breed them well, raise them well and train them well and that takes commitment.
Great page Lisa for raising awareness.
Such lovely animals - pitbulls are singled out here, I had one in my early twenties and she was the lovliest dog. I think dogs also naturally react to coming across fearful strangers, they react to protect their owners. Small dogs appear 'yappy' when they do this and are easily controlled on a leash. A big dog that recognizes a fearful stranger could present more of an issue with control, so it's just about awareness of how dogs and humans interact in different settings. So it's not only the owners, but the public at large that needs to overcome a fear of dogs in general. Excellent lens, loved it.
I've had German Shepherds in the past and have also experienced people and other dog owners crossing the road from us. I took them all to training classes especially for German Shepherds and even though I knew how to handle them, the discipline did them the world of good.
Great lens on dogs behavior...Thanks.
Great lens on dangerous dogs or dangerous owners, which I agree that it is the owners responsibility to train and control their dog. With that said you have some beautiful dog photos. Luv the "bunny" who is the boss that's too cute.
Having wioked as a vet tech for many years I can attest that all breeds of dogs have "nice" ones and "bad" ones. Sometimes the dog is truly unbalanced but in nearly all cases it's either the owners owners doing deliberately or inadvertently because they didn't know what they were getting into. Certain breeds require more from people to get them balanced and happy than others. It's unfortunate that some dogs are selected by people based on looks other than what it takes from the owner to create a "good" dog. And no doubt pit bull type dogs attract more people based on perceived ideas and status symbol looks over their knowledge of how to handle these powerful dogs.
It is so important to be responsible as pet owners. I have seen and heard of too many people being injured by pets that weren't properly attended to. Just stopped by again to say hi, really!
I feel strongly about qualifying "people" to be pet -- dog, cat, etc. -- owners -- much like a debate I've seen around about licensing or qualifying people to have "kids" too. Great page!
Hello Lisa, a Squidoo Greeter here! "Responsible dog owners" the most important words! This is why I like Cesar Millan, he has brought out in the forefront the problems of Humans and dog ownership...a dog is a dog and owning one regardless of breed is a responsibility. I would like to see stricter breeding policies and more responsible breeding. Unfortunately there are those that think it's cool to own a dog of an aggressive nature,...this only feeds to the fuel.
Two paws up for the thoughtful article!
Good job on this topic. I'm not afraid of dogs, even big ones! But I do take note of signs that say "Beware of Dog" and keep my distance from fences that separate me from "aggressive" dogs. I think if people can't take good care of a dog they shouldn't own them - it's not fair to the dogs or other people.
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