Dangerous Dogs

[crofter]

I can't say I've ever seen a dog in Lerwick that I would regard as a pitgull type.

 

Are pitgulls similar to the skories which dive down and snatch chips?

[Guest posiedon]

B*gger! the dug wus chowin on me leg as I was trying to type.

[unlinkedstudent]

I can't say I've ever seen a dog in Lerwick that I would regard as a pitgull type.

 

Are pitgulls similar to the skories which dive down and snatch chips?

 

I do believe Crofter you are mistaken and they are eagle hounds.

[Guest posiedon]

In the ten years I've been in Shetland, I have been bitten twice by dogs, a black lab the first time and a miniature schnauzer the second time.

Should these breeds be banned?

As I said earlier in this thread, there are no bad dogs; just bad owners.

[-chris-]

Interesting subject - I was bitten very badly when I was 6 years old, by an Alsation and was in a near-death situation. All I would say, is yes, all dogs bite, but it's the power behind the bite that can make all the difference! While looking around the net at this a bit more today, I came across the link below :

www.UKandSpain.com/dangerous-dogs

[Pleepsie]

Yes, both dogs will bark if they are out in the front garden (naturally accompanied by me) as like many other dogs, they are simply protecting their territory.

 

My pair are always kept on leads and Buff is a handful, being as thick as they come and wanting to chase every seagull in sight. Unlike the stray, I know of their background, how they were raised as pups, what their parents are like, etc.

 

Cheers for mentioning that I have the two only shar pei in Shetland.

 

Do you truly believe that if your two dogs took it in to their heads to attack a passer-by that you would be able to control/stop them? As you say one is a 'handful' and rather stupid. Even if they were on leads they would be able to pull away from you and do whatever they wanted. These are powerful fighting dogs, it is their nature to fight and attack, why anyone has them as pets baffles me.

[EM]

http://www.UKandSpain.com/dangerous-dogs

A very interesting and well reasoned article indeed. Sums up the madness of the currently arbitrary and inappropriate legislation perfectly, as well as the "ignore reality at all costs" responses of big dog owners.

 

 

Yes, ...

Even if they were on leads they would be able to pull away from you and do whatever they wanted.

Indeed so, especially since, if I remember correctly, she has some kind of disability.

[unlinkedstudent]

Yes, both dogs will bark if they are out in the front garden (naturally accompanied by me) as like many other dogs, they are simply protecting their territory.

 

My pair are always kept on leads and Buff is a handful, being as thick as they come and wanting to chase every seagull in sight. Unlike the stray, I know of their background, how they were raised as pups, what their parents are like, etc.

 

Cheers for mentioning that I have the two only shar pei in Shetland.

 

Do you truly believe that if your two dogs took it in to their heads to attack a passer-by that you would be able to control/stop them? As you say one is a 'handful' and rather stupid. Even if they were on leads they would be able to pull away from you and do whatever they wanted. These are powerful fighting dogs, it is their nature to fight and attack, why anyone has them as pets baffles me.

 

I must admit I am getting a tad peeved off by so-called "experts" on the breed of dogs that live with me knowing EVERYTHING about them. One poster I'm very familiar with, having most of his threads having a dig at what I have posted, even before I moved up here.

 

The dogs do not jump the fence. What leads you to believe it is their nature to fight and attack? Which marvellous bit of the web did you glean that off then? For your information, Shar Pei are not, by nature, fighting dogs - they were, in fact, used by poor farmers in China to hunt voles, mice, etc. Later on, they were given alcohol to fight but it is NOT in their nature to fight. However, as you have probably been around load of shar pei and know everything about the breed, you obviously know far more than everyone in the breed club I know, people in the Hong Kong Breed Club and, given that the total breed history was destroyed by the rulers of China, you probably know more than ANYONE in the world about the breed - long may you continue having your head buried in the sand.

 

If shar pei were as dangerous as you allege they are, don't you think they would be on the dangerous dogs list?

 

Edit: Apologies for the pun - shar pei means "sand dog" in Chinese.

 

Bettie weighs under 20kg - you regard her as a large, powerful dog then?

[unlinkedstudent]

http://www.UKandSpain.com/dangerous-dogs

A very interesting and well reasoned article indeed. Sums up the madness of the currently arbitrary and inappropriate legislation perfectly, as well as the "ignore reality at all costs" responses of big dog owners.

 

 

Yes, ...

Even if they were on leads they would be able to pull away from you and do whatever they wanted.

Indeed so, especially since, if I remember correctly, she has some kind of disability.

 

Cheers for being an expert on psoriatic arthritis too - I'll let you know when I have a flare up which is only so many times a year.

[EM]

I must admit I am getting a tad peeved off by so-called "experts" on the breed of dogs that live with me knowing EVERYTHING about them.

It is not a matter of knowing everything, but rather noting that what is known about them is somewhat worrying. Your own position seems to be that you do know everything on account of owning such dogs. I would posit that unless you've personally experienced a dog hanging from your chest with its fangs deep in your flesh, your expertise is somewhat lacking on the trauma such "pets" cause.

 

If shar pei were as dangerous as you allege they are, don't you think they would be on the dangerous dogs list?

If you read the above cited link you will note that the author is actually arguing that the current list and criteria for inclusion is in need of improvement.

[EM]

Cheers for being an expert on psoriatic arthritis too

I have no expertise in that condition, I referred only to "some kind of disability." I think it is generally true that the probability of someone being able to restrain an animal is lower rather than higher if they are disabled, whatever that condition is.

[Guest posiedon]

Pleepsie

Do you truly believe that if your two [dogs] cats took it in to their heads to attack a passer-by that you would be able to control/stop them?

My change from dogs to cats.

 

As you say one is a 'handful' and rather stupid. Even if they were on leads they would be able to pull away from you and do whatever they wanted.

Er no, well trained dogs do as they're told.

 

These are powerful fighting dogs, it is their nature to fight and attack, why anyone has them as pets baffles me.

I have what would be described as two "powerful fighting dogs" The only reason for the breeding of these dogs was to fight (100+ years ago)

Two more friendly dogs (both with people and other dogs) You wont meet.

I can't walk along Commercial St without half a dozen folk wanting to clap the dogs and they love it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, no bad dogs just ignorant owners.

[unlinkedstudent]

^^ Actually, EM, I was bitten by a border collie when doing my paper delivery round as a teenager. I wasn't even delivering to the house where the dog lived. It dragged me off my bicycle. The response of the owner - you shouldn't have been cycling past (I was on the road). For years I was nervous and yes, very nervous of dogs. I then grew up and realised that not all dogs were dangerous.

 

Yes, legislation does need to be revised but not hopefully to the extremes of what it currently is in Germany.

 

Out of interest, how many shar pei have you met? In contrast, how many "bad tempered" dogs of other breeds have you met, say, for example, border collies? Legislation is flawed. Each dog is an individual. Yes, breeds have characteristics but so much can make a huge difference - diet, socialisation, other people understanding dog behaviour, amount of exercise, etc.

 

Sensational reporting in the press does not help responsible dog owners. It is tragic when any animal attacks but unfortunately, the press do not tend to always report matters accurately and many a time, do not give all the facts.

[unlinkedstudent]

Cheers for being an expert on psoriatic arthritis too

I have no expertise in that condition, I referred only to "some kind of disability." I think it is generally true that the probability of someone being able to restrain an animal is lower rather than higher if they are disabled, whatever that condition is.

 

Thankfully, my voice doesn't suffer from a disability.

 

Are you against disabled people owning dogs? Perish the thought, out goes the window of helping dogs, dogs for the deaf, dogs for the blind ...

[Frances144]

The thing that strikes me is that we don't ever hear the full situation.

 

So many of these horrifying news stories don't tell you the set-up, the facts that led up to the attack.

 

I keep and train animals. I set myself up to succeed as best I can. A dog is a pack animal, a predator, a scavenger. The opposite is a horse, a prey animal - they all think completely differently.

 

We bring these animals into our home environment and then expect them to compromise in practically every way of their natural lives in exchange for food, water and shelter.

 

Fair exchange for some but others need more than that and they just don't get it. They are walked endlessly for miles on a lead, if they are lucky, they are not taught to socialise with people or other animals, they are teased, allowed no territory, peace or quiet.

 

They are given to granny to look after for one day a year, and supposed to know who granny is because she came around once for lunch six months back and then, OMG something flips and they attack.

 

Some dogs should not be bred from. The Kennel Club made sure that temperament is low on the list but looks are everything - the breed standard. The underworld likes to breed a tough fighting dog that will hunt and kill on command.

 

All the dog is trying to do is survive in a world that is not meeting its needs having made it reliant on man. My dogs like their world. They are exercised regularly, they are fed food low in additives (dog food is notorious as being tinned sharn), and their behaviour is controlled by me, the pack leader.

 

One terrier is bad with other dogs when on a lead, so we go out the back door at the vets. We set him up to succeed rather than exacerbate the problem for him. He goes out with his tail wagging, having been kept within his comfort zone and praised for his nice manners. He is an ancient rescue so not likely to change his ways though he is fine off a lead.

 

When a dog does so much damage to a human, one can only wonder what the lifestyle was that contributed towards it. My other terrier hates people shouting. Imagine if the telly was on 24/7 with Eastenders blasting, folk yelling and a constant noise battering her lugs. She would not be a happy relaxed dog. Up the central heating, feed her cheap dogfood with additives, don't walk her, give her a pile of young kids taking away her toys and that is a recipe for disaster. But she would be blamed and not the owners who set up the situation.

 

We never hear the whole story, we just hear the blame for the dog.