An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
I would be interested in your opinions here.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main ... w_27092006
By Andrew O'Hagan
(Filed: 27/09/2006)
Lovely to live in a country where the foxes are safe in their holes, but babies aren't safe in their cots. Historians some day might be astonished to discover the number of man-hours that went into protecting countryside vermin from dogs and humans, while an average of 3,000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts with irresponsible owners.
After the killing of Cadey-Lee Deacon the other day – snatched from her bed by two Rottweilers and mauled to death on the roof of a pub – it might be intelligent to look again at the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which was always too perfunctory in its details.
That Act came into being because of the wildly increased number of maulings by English pit bull terriers, and it became an offence to be the owner of a dog that is out of control in a public place. But the breadth of that stricture misses the point: many of these dogs are bred (and adored) on account of their viciousness, and a great number of the people who have them as pets see them as being a symbol of both personal security and incipient rage.
I'm against those dogs. Just as I don't understand why anyone in civilian life would have use for an automatic assault weapon, I don't see why anyone should be encouraged to squire a dangerous dog around the streets.
In America, the right to own such a weapon is taken to be a matter of civil liberties, and some will say the same of those dogs: you can't stop people having them or training them, and can only insist that some of them wear muzzles. But I think there should be stringent limitations: update the 1991 Act so as to make it difficult to own one, unless you have a professional reasons to do so and can prove that you have the experience to handle the dog and to feed it and house it properly. One attack on children a year would be horrendous – but 3,000?
Many of you are dog-lovers and will already be reaching for the pen and ink to tell me off. I know your own pit bull is lovely and would never hurt a flea, I know he gambols sweetly in the meadow with your infant loved ones, but it is well known that these dogs can turn wild in an instant.
The instinct to attack cannot be eradicated in a pet just because you will it: the two Rottweilers that snatched Cadey-Lee Deacon were not serial killers, and they were not provoked. They simply responded to their instincts one day in a way that shocked everyone who knew them.
But they didn't know them. I have a scar on my arm where an Alsatian, a previously nutty but otherwise docile white creature, decided to bound across a garden and attack me. I was reading a book at the time. Years before that, in the place where I grew up, it seemed that every other garden fence had a sign on it saying "Beware of the Dog".
There was one house that became notorious for an Alsatian called Shane: it bit the fingers of every child who happened to touch the fence. The owners never properly walked the beast, so you had the sense of this threatening, caged animal forever pacing the garden and waiting to strike.
Nowadays, in various parts of Britain, you see these dogs, bowlegged and unmuzzled, straining at the end of some piece of rope held by a barely responsible teenager. I know from speaking to some of those youths that they like the notion that the dog is a law unto itself – they don't want the dog to hurt people, necessarily, but they admire the way it bares it teeth, and they wouldn't be caught dead tugging a Jack Russell down the street.
Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough, they seem to say. Many of those owners are involved in some weird cross-fertilisation of anger and aggression with those animals, and when something goes wrong it's always the owners who express surprise. "He was such a softy," they say. Yeah, right.
True dog lovers wouldn't want police dogs to be kept as pets. They would understand how cruel it was and how irrational: apart from that poor child, the two dogs were slaughtered the other day as a result of actions that should have been prevented by law.
Some people find it natural to blame all forms of modern viciousness on poverty, but that will not do when it comes to the keeping and ill-keeping of dangerous dogs. They are expensive to buy and to maintain, and let's not forget that the Princess Royal was once fined £500 when her vicious dogs set about two small children.
I have written before in this column about the arrogance of the human belief in our natural dominion over the animal kingdom. In this case, not only arrogance, but also stupidity: we think we can ordain what animals will and won't do by the force of our own needs, presuming we "know" our dogs and can reliably dictate their behaviour in line with our own domestic habits and comforts.
Some owners even imagine that their dogs can meet their own emotional shortcomings. I dare say they might, but the law should protect the general public against such lunacy, and treat these social rituals with at least some of the contempt which they found so easy to deploy when castigating foxhunters.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main ... w_27092006
By Andrew O'Hagan
(Filed: 27/09/2006)
Lovely to live in a country where the foxes are safe in their holes, but babies aren't safe in their cots. Historians some day might be astonished to discover the number of man-hours that went into protecting countryside vermin from dogs and humans, while an average of 3,000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts with irresponsible owners.
After the killing of Cadey-Lee Deacon the other day – snatched from her bed by two Rottweilers and mauled to death on the roof of a pub – it might be intelligent to look again at the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which was always too perfunctory in its details.
That Act came into being because of the wildly increased number of maulings by English pit bull terriers, and it became an offence to be the owner of a dog that is out of control in a public place. But the breadth of that stricture misses the point: many of these dogs are bred (and adored) on account of their viciousness, and a great number of the people who have them as pets see them as being a symbol of both personal security and incipient rage.
I'm against those dogs. Just as I don't understand why anyone in civilian life would have use for an automatic assault weapon, I don't see why anyone should be encouraged to squire a dangerous dog around the streets.
In America, the right to own such a weapon is taken to be a matter of civil liberties, and some will say the same of those dogs: you can't stop people having them or training them, and can only insist that some of them wear muzzles. But I think there should be stringent limitations: update the 1991 Act so as to make it difficult to own one, unless you have a professional reasons to do so and can prove that you have the experience to handle the dog and to feed it and house it properly. One attack on children a year would be horrendous – but 3,000?
Many of you are dog-lovers and will already be reaching for the pen and ink to tell me off. I know your own pit bull is lovely and would never hurt a flea, I know he gambols sweetly in the meadow with your infant loved ones, but it is well known that these dogs can turn wild in an instant.
The instinct to attack cannot be eradicated in a pet just because you will it: the two Rottweilers that snatched Cadey-Lee Deacon were not serial killers, and they were not provoked. They simply responded to their instincts one day in a way that shocked everyone who knew them.
But they didn't know them. I have a scar on my arm where an Alsatian, a previously nutty but otherwise docile white creature, decided to bound across a garden and attack me. I was reading a book at the time. Years before that, in the place where I grew up, it seemed that every other garden fence had a sign on it saying "Beware of the Dog".
There was one house that became notorious for an Alsatian called Shane: it bit the fingers of every child who happened to touch the fence. The owners never properly walked the beast, so you had the sense of this threatening, caged animal forever pacing the garden and waiting to strike.
Nowadays, in various parts of Britain, you see these dogs, bowlegged and unmuzzled, straining at the end of some piece of rope held by a barely responsible teenager. I know from speaking to some of those youths that they like the notion that the dog is a law unto itself – they don't want the dog to hurt people, necessarily, but they admire the way it bares it teeth, and they wouldn't be caught dead tugging a Jack Russell down the street.
Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough, they seem to say. Many of those owners are involved in some weird cross-fertilisation of anger and aggression with those animals, and when something goes wrong it's always the owners who express surprise. "He was such a softy," they say. Yeah, right.
True dog lovers wouldn't want police dogs to be kept as pets. They would understand how cruel it was and how irrational: apart from that poor child, the two dogs were slaughtered the other day as a result of actions that should have been prevented by law.
Some people find it natural to blame all forms of modern viciousness on poverty, but that will not do when it comes to the keeping and ill-keeping of dangerous dogs. They are expensive to buy and to maintain, and let's not forget that the Princess Royal was once fined £500 when her vicious dogs set about two small children.
I have written before in this column about the arrogance of the human belief in our natural dominion over the animal kingdom. In this case, not only arrogance, but also stupidity: we think we can ordain what animals will and won't do by the force of our own needs, presuming we "know" our dogs and can reliably dictate their behaviour in line with our own domestic habits and comforts.
Some owners even imagine that their dogs can meet their own emotional shortcomings. I dare say they might, but the law should protect the general public against such lunacy, and treat these social rituals with at least some of the contempt which they found so easy to deploy when castigating foxhunters.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: I made the mistake once of taking my daughter out with me to go flyering the nearby houses when I lived in Cornwall.
We were taking turns to do houses and luckily I was the one that put a flyer through this particular door-and not her (she was only 6 at the time).
Yet again there was a dog and NO SIGN on the door (I ALWAYS respect the owner when there is a sign saying "Beware of the dog" and leave the house alone) and I ended up in hospital to have 5 teeth marks sorted out in my hand.
I pity the postman (mailman)...he has NO choice but to deal with this. I respect peoples right to have a dog but I lose count of how many times they are allowed to run free on the streets-my kids are very scared of them..and with good cause.
Did you sue the owner, Hammy?
We were taking turns to do houses and luckily I was the one that put a flyer through this particular door-and not her (she was only 6 at the time).
Yet again there was a dog and NO SIGN on the door (I ALWAYS respect the owner when there is a sign saying "Beware of the dog" and leave the house alone) and I ended up in hospital to have 5 teeth marks sorted out in my hand.
I pity the postman (mailman)...he has NO choice but to deal with this. I respect peoples right to have a dog but I lose count of how many times they are allowed to run free on the streets-my kids are very scared of them..and with good cause.
Did you sue the owner, Hammy?
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: No OM....I don't believe in that blame culture...
There was a few choice words said to her though...she said it was her letter box hinge that got me! Funny that..with the five identical teeth mark shapes on each finger...Never seen a letter box do that...
Besides the dog got what for....as it clamped on my hand my first instinct was to pull my hand out of the letter box. The dog was still attached and so it got a whack on the head as it hit the door (good really as thhe shock of this made it let go).
I know some people will say "the dog was just protecting the house as it is supposed to etc etc.." Fine by me-just put a sign up!
To forgive is a loving act, Hammy. Good for you.
It is the responsibility of the owner to keep the dog under control. Even certain command words are illegal, such as sieze or attack.
There was a few choice words said to her though...she said it was her letter box hinge that got me! Funny that..with the five identical teeth mark shapes on each finger...Never seen a letter box do that...
Besides the dog got what for....as it clamped on my hand my first instinct was to pull my hand out of the letter box. The dog was still attached and so it got a whack on the head as it hit the door (good really as thhe shock of this made it let go).
I know some people will say "the dog was just protecting the house as it is supposed to etc etc.." Fine by me-just put a sign up!
To forgive is a loving act, Hammy. Good for you.
It is the responsibility of the owner to keep the dog under control. Even certain command words are illegal, such as sieze or attack.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Did I ever tell you how much I like you??
I did already? Ooh!! Er...
:o Shucks.
That is a compliment indeed from one who outshines me.

I did already? Ooh!! Er...

:o Shucks.
That is a compliment indeed from one who outshines me.
- cherandbuster
- Posts: 8594
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:33 am
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Did I ever tell you how much I like you??
I did already? Ooh!! Er...
Hey Hammie :-6
I've been singing the praises of our Ommmmmmmm for months now
There IS something about him, isn't there? :-4

I did already? Ooh!! Er...

Hey Hammie :-6
I've been singing the praises of our Ommmmmmmm for months now
There IS something about him, isn't there? :-4
Live Life with
PASSION!:guitarist
PASSION!:guitarist
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Hmmmnn...maybe we should get our own...er...thread??
Oh wait..this is your thread so thats ok!! :wah:
Flattery will get you everywhere :sneaky:
Hoho. That will make the Christmas meet up far more alluring.:-6

Flattery will get you everywhere :sneaky:
Hoho. That will make the Christmas meet up far more alluring.:-6
- cherandbuster
- Posts: 8594
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:33 am
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Hi Cher!
Yeah ..he kinda gives me the goosebumps! :-4
In all honesty, aren't there *several* FG men that do that? There are for me! :-4
We have a STELLAR group of men here! :guitarist
Yeah ..he kinda gives me the goosebumps! :-4
In all honesty, aren't there *several* FG men that do that? There are for me! :-4
We have a STELLAR group of men here! :guitarist
Live Life with
PASSION!:guitarist
PASSION!:guitarist
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)



Cher. We are outclassed by the fine ladies on this forum. We are the East End to your West End.

An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: He he he..OM have you got a Santa outfit? :sneaky:
No *innocently*. Do you?
No *innocently*. Do you?
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
ArnoldLayne wrote: I believe that behind every bad dog is a very bad owner.
Good responsible owners breed/own good well trained dogs
Blame the culture that owns dogs because of what they look like and thier reputation (Staffs, rotties, GSD) and then keep it without any control or training
I agree, and lack of training usually equates to lack of care too.
Good responsible owners breed/own good well trained dogs
Blame the culture that owns dogs because of what they look like and thier reputation (Staffs, rotties, GSD) and then keep it without any control or training
I agree, and lack of training usually equates to lack of care too.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Maybe....:sneaky: Have you been good or bad OM this year?
Well, I have spent more than I should have, I have drunk more than I should have, I have flirted more than I should have. Hmmm. Bad I guess.
Well, I have spent more than I should have, I have drunk more than I should have, I have flirted more than I should have. Hmmm. Bad I guess.

An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: Depends on what/whose standards!!! And compared to what? :wah:
I of course have been very good! :yh_angel
My standards are very low compared to yours. I could not imagine you being less than good.:-6
I of course have been very good! :yh_angel
My standards are very low compared to yours. I could not imagine you being less than good.:-6
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Hamster wrote: My friend had a Weimaraner ...which she trained and kept very well!
It was very protective of her family and children as was its purpose at the house. She had a sign up warning people what the dog was trained to do. When she took the dog out it had amuzzle etc.
This is great I think-if you entered her house illegally you knew what you were going to get. However-one word from her and this huge dog would leave you alone.
That's how it should be. The result of good discipline, nourishment, love and care.
It was very protective of her family and children as was its purpose at the house. She had a sign up warning people what the dog was trained to do. When she took the dog out it had amuzzle etc.
This is great I think-if you entered her house illegally you knew what you were going to get. However-one word from her and this huge dog would leave you alone.
That's how it should be. The result of good discipline, nourishment, love and care.
- LilacDragon
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:23 am
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
It is my understanding that there is considerably more to the story of young Cadey - Lee. Her parents were not the owner of the dogs, one of the owners was stabbed later that day, something about a murder - the waters are pretty muddy at this point, so far as I have read. And that doesn't even begin to cover the training and treatment of the dogs.
Yes, pit bulls were originally bred for fighting and dogs that were "game" were highly prized. HOWEVER - these same dogs were first and foremost prized famil pets and dogs that were game yet too aggressive to handle were not bred and were destroyed. The dogs that are viscious now are highly prized by dogfighters and thugs. If you dig a little deeper into the attacks - at least on this side of the pond - you will see that often times the owners have criminal records, drugs are found on the premises, guns are present and the dogs have been used to "protect" the owners property.
Two of the most famous Search and Rescue dogs on the West Coast of the U.S. are a pair of "pit bulls". If I am not mistaken, at least one of them was a rescue from a shelter.
As for rottweilers - a well bred, well raised rottweiler should be aloof to strangers, not viscious. For every one that has bitten someone, I can show you ten that are well behaved, valued family members that wouldn't bite without provocation -and that provocation would have to be major.
The answer is in holding dog owners responsible for the actions of their dogs. If my dog bites someone then it is my responsibility to stand up and take the blame. I know what types of situations my dog does not to well in and I make sure that my dog is not put in a position to have to defend himself. Therefore, he is in his crate when I have small children who are not "dog savvy" in my house. (FYI - I never, ever had to crate my rottweiler when people were in my house - she adored children and adults alike.)
As for the author of the article - he/she seems to represent the new breed of fear mongering journalist that seems to be rather prevalent in this day and age.
Yes, pit bulls were originally bred for fighting and dogs that were "game" were highly prized. HOWEVER - these same dogs were first and foremost prized famil pets and dogs that were game yet too aggressive to handle were not bred and were destroyed. The dogs that are viscious now are highly prized by dogfighters and thugs. If you dig a little deeper into the attacks - at least on this side of the pond - you will see that often times the owners have criminal records, drugs are found on the premises, guns are present and the dogs have been used to "protect" the owners property.
Two of the most famous Search and Rescue dogs on the West Coast of the U.S. are a pair of "pit bulls". If I am not mistaken, at least one of them was a rescue from a shelter.
As for rottweilers - a well bred, well raised rottweiler should be aloof to strangers, not viscious. For every one that has bitten someone, I can show you ten that are well behaved, valued family members that wouldn't bite without provocation -and that provocation would have to be major.
The answer is in holding dog owners responsible for the actions of their dogs. If my dog bites someone then it is my responsibility to stand up and take the blame. I know what types of situations my dog does not to well in and I make sure that my dog is not put in a position to have to defend himself. Therefore, he is in his crate when I have small children who are not "dog savvy" in my house. (FYI - I never, ever had to crate my rottweiler when people were in my house - she adored children and adults alike.)
As for the author of the article - he/she seems to represent the new breed of fear mongering journalist that seems to be rather prevalent in this day and age.
Sandi
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Lilac, in the main I agree with you. To this day, I have yet to meet an aggressive rottweiller, but I know any dog can be raised to be aggressive. However, 3000 attacks is hardly fear-mongering. There is a steady rise in people who own dogs but don't take proper care of them, keep them on a lead, or give them proper training - at least, in the UK. These people are not necessarily dogfighters, drug-users/traffickers, or criminals. I wouldn't be surprised if the dogs are ill-treated behind closed doors too.
- LilacDragon
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An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: Lilac, in the main I agree with you. To this day, I have yet to meet an aggressive rottweiller, but I know any dog can be raised to be aggressive. However, 3000 attacks is hardly fear-mongering. There is a steady rise in people who own dogs but don't take proper care of them, keep them on a lead, or give them proper training - at least, in the UK. These people are not necessarily dogfighters, drug-users/traffickers, or criminals. I wouldn't be surprised if the dogs are ill-treated behind closed doors too.
When my computer died, I lost a lot of links that I used when I was researching dog bites and breed specific legislation. So, I don't have the links to the sites to back up what I am about to say.
The number of dog bites have not increased in any significant degree. However - since pit bull attacks (and now rottweiler attacks) sell papers, the press is certain to latch onto anything to sell their papers.
You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning then you have of being bitten by a dog. More people are injured in their bathtub then are bitten by dogs.
A dog "attack" could be anything from what happened to Cadey-Lee to that annoying chihuahua that runs out from under Grandma's couch and bites your ankle.
Yes - it is fear mongering. They tell you a horrible story about a baby killed by a dog (or dogs) that have had no training, socialization and in all likely hood has never seen a vet and in that story they paint a vivid picture - then they give you statistics that only remotely relate to the story to make it seem like something that happens all the time and the free citizens of the world are in grave danger of being killed by "demon dogs"!
OM - I would be interested in knowing what method is used in England to collect and track dog bite data.
When my computer died, I lost a lot of links that I used when I was researching dog bites and breed specific legislation. So, I don't have the links to the sites to back up what I am about to say.
The number of dog bites have not increased in any significant degree. However - since pit bull attacks (and now rottweiler attacks) sell papers, the press is certain to latch onto anything to sell their papers.
You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning then you have of being bitten by a dog. More people are injured in their bathtub then are bitten by dogs.
A dog "attack" could be anything from what happened to Cadey-Lee to that annoying chihuahua that runs out from under Grandma's couch and bites your ankle.
Yes - it is fear mongering. They tell you a horrible story about a baby killed by a dog (or dogs) that have had no training, socialization and in all likely hood has never seen a vet and in that story they paint a vivid picture - then they give you statistics that only remotely relate to the story to make it seem like something that happens all the time and the free citizens of the world are in grave danger of being killed by "demon dogs"!
OM - I would be interested in knowing what method is used in England to collect and track dog bite data.
Sandi
- Bill Sikes
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An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: It is the responsibility of the owner to keep the dog under control.
Quite so.
OpenMind wrote: Even certain command words are illegal, such as sieze or attack.
Erm... why do you think that is so?
Quite so.
OpenMind wrote: Even certain command words are illegal, such as sieze or attack.
Erm... why do you think that is so?
- Bill Sikes
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An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Originally Posted by OpenMind
Did you sue the owner, Hammy?
Hamster wrote: No OM....I don't believe in that blame culture...
However, reporting a dangerous animal is one's duty. AOL with the sue/blame
culture bit, BTW.
Did you sue the owner, Hammy?
Hamster wrote: No OM....I don't believe in that blame culture...
However, reporting a dangerous animal is one's duty. AOL with the sue/blame
culture bit, BTW.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
LilacDragon wrote: When my computer died, I lost a lot of links that I used when I was researching dog bites and breed specific legislation. So, I don't have the links to the sites to back up what I am about to say.
The number of dog bites have not increased in any significant degree. However - since pit bull attacks (and now rottweiler attacks) sell papers, the press is certain to latch onto anything to sell their papers.
You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning then you have of being bitten by a dog. More people are injured in their bathtub then are bitten by dogs.
A dog "attack" could be anything from what happened to Cadey-Lee to that annoying chihuahua that runs out from under Grandma's couch and bites your ankle.
Yes - it is fear mongering. They tell you a horrible story about a baby killed by a dog (or dogs) that have had no training, socialization and in all likely hood has never seen a vet and in that story they paint a vivid picture - then they give you statistics that only remotely relate to the story to make it seem like something that happens all the time and the free citizens of the world are in grave danger of being killed by "demon dogs"!
OM - I would be interested in knowing what method is used in England to collect and track dog bite data.
Fair comment, Lilac. I stand corrected by a fact I should only be too aware of. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. It would be interesting to find out though.
The number of dog bites have not increased in any significant degree. However - since pit bull attacks (and now rottweiler attacks) sell papers, the press is certain to latch onto anything to sell their papers.
You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning then you have of being bitten by a dog. More people are injured in their bathtub then are bitten by dogs.
A dog "attack" could be anything from what happened to Cadey-Lee to that annoying chihuahua that runs out from under Grandma's couch and bites your ankle.
Yes - it is fear mongering. They tell you a horrible story about a baby killed by a dog (or dogs) that have had no training, socialization and in all likely hood has never seen a vet and in that story they paint a vivid picture - then they give you statistics that only remotely relate to the story to make it seem like something that happens all the time and the free citizens of the world are in grave danger of being killed by "demon dogs"!
OM - I would be interested in knowing what method is used in England to collect and track dog bite data.
Fair comment, Lilac. I stand corrected by a fact I should only be too aware of. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. It would be interesting to find out though.
- Bill Sikes
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An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
LilacDragon wrote: As for the author of the article - he/she seems to represent the new breed of fear mongering journalist that seems to be rather prevalent in this day and age.
As well as an absolute tawt (SP? -Ed.).
People lap it up, though. Things ain't what they were.
As well as an absolute tawt (SP? -Ed.).
People lap it up, though. Things ain't what they were.
- LilacDragon
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An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: Fair comment, Lilac. I stand corrected by a fact I should only be too aware of. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. It would be interesting to find out though.
In the U.S. - the Center for Disease Control is the "official" place to go to if you would like to find statistics on dog bites and other things along that line.
Here - reporting a dog bite is NOT mandatory. Some hospitals have computer programs that automatically send information to the CDC when someone is treated for a dog bite. This information is basic information about the victim and the severity of the bite. Further information - breed of dog - is determined by a random phone call system wherein someone from the CDC calls random dog bite victims and asks them what kind of dog bit them.
In a Colorado courtroom a couple of years ago - the men and women from the city of Denver who were responsible for upholding the cities pit bull ban were called upon to identify pit bulls. These individuals were trained Animal Control Officers and Veterinarians. They were unable to definitively identify the dogs that were brought before them. And yet these people condemned family pets, who were NOT accused of biting anyone, to death on a daily basis! Face it - a labrador/boxer mix looks like a pit bull to someone who does not know a lot about dogs.
In the U.S. - the Center for Disease Control is the "official" place to go to if you would like to find statistics on dog bites and other things along that line.
Here - reporting a dog bite is NOT mandatory. Some hospitals have computer programs that automatically send information to the CDC when someone is treated for a dog bite. This information is basic information about the victim and the severity of the bite. Further information - breed of dog - is determined by a random phone call system wherein someone from the CDC calls random dog bite victims and asks them what kind of dog bit them.
In a Colorado courtroom a couple of years ago - the men and women from the city of Denver who were responsible for upholding the cities pit bull ban were called upon to identify pit bulls. These individuals were trained Animal Control Officers and Veterinarians. They were unable to definitively identify the dogs that were brought before them. And yet these people condemned family pets, who were NOT accused of biting anyone, to death on a daily basis! Face it - a labrador/boxer mix looks like a pit bull to someone who does not know a lot about dogs.
Sandi
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
LilacDragon wrote: In the U.S. - the Center for Disease Control is the "official" place to go to if you would like to find statistics on dog bites and other things along that line.
Here - reporting a dog bite is NOT mandatory. Some hospitals have computer programs that automatically send information to the CDC when someone is treated for a dog bite. This information is basic information about the victim and the severity of the bite. Further information - breed of dog - is determined by a random phone call system wherein someone from the CDC calls random dog bite victims and asks them what kind of dog bit them.
In a Colorado courtroom a couple of years ago - the men and women from the city of Denver who were responsible for upholding the cities pit bull ban were called upon to identify pit bulls. These individuals were trained Animal Control Officers and Veterinarians. They were unable to definitively identify the dogs that were brought before them. And yet these people condemned family pets, who were NOT accused of biting anyone, to death on a daily basis! Face it - a labrador/boxer mix looks like a pit bull to someone who does not know a lot about dogs.
As a matter of fact, I'm more wary of lapdogs than any other dog I've come across.
Here - reporting a dog bite is NOT mandatory. Some hospitals have computer programs that automatically send information to the CDC when someone is treated for a dog bite. This information is basic information about the victim and the severity of the bite. Further information - breed of dog - is determined by a random phone call system wherein someone from the CDC calls random dog bite victims and asks them what kind of dog bit them.
In a Colorado courtroom a couple of years ago - the men and women from the city of Denver who were responsible for upholding the cities pit bull ban were called upon to identify pit bulls. These individuals were trained Animal Control Officers and Veterinarians. They were unable to definitively identify the dogs that were brought before them. And yet these people condemned family pets, who were NOT accused of biting anyone, to death on a daily basis! Face it - a labrador/boxer mix looks like a pit bull to someone who does not know a lot about dogs.
As a matter of fact, I'm more wary of lapdogs than any other dog I've come across.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: As a matter of fact, I'm more wary of lapdogs than any other dog I've come across.woof! woof!
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
weber wrote: woof! woof!
That sounded just like a red setter.
That sounded just like a red setter.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: That sounded just like a red setter.arf! afr! afr! woof!
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
weber wrote: arf! afr! afr! woof!
Weber, sit. *Pats Weber on top of head*:D
Weber, sit. *Pats Weber on top of head*:D
- LilacDragon
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:23 am
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: As a matter of fact, I'm more wary of lapdogs than any other dog I've come across.
My rottie was soooo laid back. My son could do anything to her short of riding her like a horse! If he tried to sit on her, she would sit down so that he slid right off. They were quite the pair and the only person that she followed around or spent more time with then him was Me!
My pom - the exact opposite! Rusty hates to be hugged and will only put up with a child's roughhousing for so long before he lets them know that he has had enough. He is crated every morning since I watch a 5 year old and an 8 year old who can't seem to understand "Don't hug the dog!"
My rottie was soooo laid back. My son could do anything to her short of riding her like a horse! If he tried to sit on her, she would sit down so that he slid right off. They were quite the pair and the only person that she followed around or spent more time with then him was Me!
My pom - the exact opposite! Rusty hates to be hugged and will only put up with a child's roughhousing for so long before he lets them know that he has had enough. He is crated every morning since I watch a 5 year old and an 8 year old who can't seem to understand "Don't hug the dog!"
Sandi
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
OpenMind wrote: As a matter of fact, I'm more wary of lapdogs than any other dog I've come across.
grrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllllll ruff! ruff! lap dog:rolleyes:
grrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllllll ruff! ruff! lap dog:rolleyes:
miriam:yh_flower
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
.................Charles Mingus
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
LilacDragon wrote: My rottie was soooo laid back. My son could do anything to her short of riding her like a horse! If he tried to sit on her, she would sit down so that he slid right off. They were quite the pair and the only person that she followed around or spent more time with then him was Me!
My pom - the exact opposite! Rusty hates to be hugged and will only put up with a child's roughhousing for so long before he lets them know that he has had enough. He is crated every morning since I watch a 5 year old and an 8 year old who can't seem to understand "Don't hug the dog!"
They sound like great dogs, Lilac.
My pom - the exact opposite! Rusty hates to be hugged and will only put up with a child's roughhousing for so long before he lets them know that he has had enough. He is crated every morning since I watch a 5 year old and an 8 year old who can't seem to understand "Don't hug the dog!"
They sound like great dogs, Lilac.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)

When I met my second husband he told me he had a dog. So naturally I asked which breed and he replied Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I had been bitten by a dog when I was younger so I was always a little afraid of some dogs. However as I was being taken to his home to stay with him and his family I thought I would make the best of it.
What greeted me was the soppiest, most loving dog I could ever have met. She is a beautifully natured, very loving, very caring animal. When it's just me in the house she sometimes comes and sits by the side of me. She is a loving animal who would never hurt anyone unconciously. She is a dangerous dog and barks if anyone comes near the door but then constantly wags her tail whether barking or just if you say "good girl". My youngest son adores her to bits and you can forget she is an old lady because she behaves like a puppy dog. She has never had puppies which is a real shame.
What I really wanted to say was it's not the dogs that should be looked at but the owners. These dogs are still animals and will, as such, behave like that. It's in their nature. However they can be trained to behave and act in a suitable manner. I agree notices should be put on doors where such animals live. When our dog barks I always open the door a little bit and check whether the person outside is frightened of dogs. If they are I put our dog in another room.
Animals should not be punished for behaving in a normal manner. The owners should be punished for owning such dogs and keeping them to make themselves look hard!
Enough soapbox! Forgive the ramblings of an old lady, lol

An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
annie58 wrote:
Hi there,
When I met my second husband he told me he had a dog. So naturally I asked which breed and he replied Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I had been bitten by a dog when I was younger so I was always a little afraid of some dogs. However as I was being taken to his home to stay with him and his family I thought I would make the best of it.
What greeted me was the soppiest, most loving dog I could ever have met. She is a beautifully natured, very loving, very caring animal. When it's just me in the house she sometimes comes and sits by the side of me. She is a loving animal who would never hurt anyone unconciously. She is a dangerous dog and barks if anyone comes near the door but then constantly wags her tail whether barking or just if you say "good girl". My youngest son adores her to bits and you can forget she is an old lady because she behaves like a puppy dog. She has never had puppies which is a real shame.
What I really wanted to say was it's not the dogs that should be looked at but the owners. These dogs are still animals and will, as such, behave like that. It's in their nature. However they can be trained to behave and act in a suitable manner. I agree notices should be put on doors where such animals live. When our dog barks I always open the door a little bit and check whether the person outside is frightened of dogs. If they are I put our dog in another room.
Animals should not be punished for behaving in a normal manner. The owners should be punished for owning such dogs and keeping them to make themselves look hard!
Enough soapbox! Forgive the ramblings of an old lady, lol
:)
Well said, Annie.

When I met my second husband he told me he had a dog. So naturally I asked which breed and he replied Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I had been bitten by a dog when I was younger so I was always a little afraid of some dogs. However as I was being taken to his home to stay with him and his family I thought I would make the best of it.
What greeted me was the soppiest, most loving dog I could ever have met. She is a beautifully natured, very loving, very caring animal. When it's just me in the house she sometimes comes and sits by the side of me. She is a loving animal who would never hurt anyone unconciously. She is a dangerous dog and barks if anyone comes near the door but then constantly wags her tail whether barking or just if you say "good girl". My youngest son adores her to bits and you can forget she is an old lady because she behaves like a puppy dog. She has never had puppies which is a real shame.
What I really wanted to say was it's not the dogs that should be looked at but the owners. These dogs are still animals and will, as such, behave like that. It's in their nature. However they can be trained to behave and act in a suitable manner. I agree notices should be put on doors where such animals live. When our dog barks I always open the door a little bit and check whether the person outside is frightened of dogs. If they are I put our dog in another room.
Animals should not be punished for behaving in a normal manner. The owners should be punished for owning such dogs and keeping them to make themselves look hard!
Enough soapbox! Forgive the ramblings of an old lady, lol
:)
Well said, Annie.

An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
At the risk of being redundant....irresponsible breeders deliberately breed for aggressive traits. Irresponsible (or perhaps immature) people buy them. The dogs do precisely what their breeding has taught them to do and then they are blamed.
And the dogs are put down.
What's wrong with this situation?
(Here's another example with another species. Recently (in a zoo whose name has escaped me), parents allowed their daughter to climb up on rocks and lean across a barrier over a meerkat exhibit.
She was bitten. (One might expect that, mightn't one?)
The law in that state requires that animals be tested for rabies, unless the bite victim is willing to undergo rabies treament without testing the animals. The parents refused to "put their daughter through that" and all seven of the meerkats were killed.
They didn't have rabies.
What's wrong with THAT situation?
And the dogs are put down.
What's wrong with this situation?
(Here's another example with another species. Recently (in a zoo whose name has escaped me), parents allowed their daughter to climb up on rocks and lean across a barrier over a meerkat exhibit.
She was bitten. (One might expect that, mightn't one?)
The law in that state requires that animals be tested for rabies, unless the bite victim is willing to undergo rabies treament without testing the animals. The parents refused to "put their daughter through that" and all seven of the meerkats were killed.
They didn't have rabies.
What's wrong with THAT situation?
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
What's wrong with THAT situation?
I like to think that these people are in the minority and that there are more people who do care than those who don't.
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Oh, I agree, OM!
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Lulu2 wrote: Oh, I agree, OM!
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
I was listening to a debate on the Jeremy Vine show about this. As Lilac said, most of these are minor incidents and the papers are not likely to report these as they don't sell newspapers. They report on the most horrific cases and this gives the impression that those 3000 incidents are all the same.
A suggestion was made on the programme to set up a system to track dogs and their owners. This is particularly important where a dog reared to be aggressive is sold on. Apparently, it was revealed on the programme that incidents that occur on private land do not come under criminal jurisdiction and the police cannot press charges. There was one woman who came on the show who related an incident that occurred to her where an aggressive rottweiller was purposely set on her when she called at a house. She was a social worker going to visit a woman who was being prosecuted to help her with her case. The BF set the dog on her and shut the front door. Now, she cannot control herself whenever she sees a rotty and has to get away or hide.
I think that the licencing requirement should be brought back with a requirement to show a proficiency in dog training and handling acquired by undertaking a course. This would be no bad thing for the dogs who would benefit from someone who knows how to care for them. Owners should be made responsible for dogs. Putting the dogs down does not solve the problem.
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
I was listening to a debate on the Jeremy Vine show about this. As Lilac said, most of these are minor incidents and the papers are not likely to report these as they don't sell newspapers. They report on the most horrific cases and this gives the impression that those 3000 incidents are all the same.
A suggestion was made on the programme to set up a system to track dogs and their owners. This is particularly important where a dog reared to be aggressive is sold on. Apparently, it was revealed on the programme that incidents that occur on private land do not come under criminal jurisdiction and the police cannot press charges. There was one woman who came on the show who related an incident that occurred to her where an aggressive rottweiller was purposely set on her when she called at a house. She was a social worker going to visit a woman who was being prosecuted to help her with her case. The BF set the dog on her and shut the front door. Now, she cannot control herself whenever she sees a rotty and has to get away or hide.
I think that the licencing requirement should be brought back with a requirement to show a proficiency in dog training and handling acquired by undertaking a course. This would be no bad thing for the dogs who would benefit from someone who knows how to care for them. Owners should be made responsible for dogs. Putting the dogs down does not solve the problem.
- LilacDragon
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:23 am
An average of 3000 people are injured every year by dangerous mutts (UK stat)
Lulu2 wrote: Oh, I agree, OM!
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
Lu - the numbers are off. The UK doesn't have a system of reporting any more reliable then the U.S. does, at least not that I have heard of. Please - someone correct me if I am wrong.
Also - injured could mean anything from a deep scratch to having a finger bitten off.
How many people do you know that have been bitten by a dog owned by a family member that they never reported?
I got bit by a rottweiler that I had for a while and I didn't report it. His foot was stuck in the sliding mechanism of side door of my mini-van and I had to lift him up to get it out. I knew I was going to get bit - the poor dog was screaming in pain. Anyway - I never reported the bite.
And yet...."an average of 3000 people are injured every year" in the UK alone.
Lu - the numbers are off. The UK doesn't have a system of reporting any more reliable then the U.S. does, at least not that I have heard of. Please - someone correct me if I am wrong.
Also - injured could mean anything from a deep scratch to having a finger bitten off.
How many people do you know that have been bitten by a dog owned by a family member that they never reported?
I got bit by a rottweiler that I had for a while and I didn't report it. His foot was stuck in the sliding mechanism of side door of my mini-van and I had to lift him up to get it out. I knew I was going to get bit - the poor dog was screaming in pain. Anyway - I never reported the bite.
Sandi