Killer dogs and irresponsible child carers

merlot I have to put in a word for staffies in general, as I feel they are victims of their own popularity amongst a certain section of society. They used to be called the nanny dog because they love and are naturally tolerant of children. Unfortunately they have been bred irresponsibly and then 'toughened up' by people who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a dog, before ending up in rescue. I have known a few staffies who had the sweetest nature and they are just as loving as any other breed. They are a huge problem at the moment but I don't know what the answer is.

mishap unfortunately DIL family are blinkered their judgement clouded over DIL health issues when my son was In hospital they asked me to look after it as DIL was in hospital for a few weeks,I refused and asked if her family could have the dog NO they couldn't because it had already attacked their dogs..I am so hoping the next person it bites is on of their family and not some innocent person who k ows nothing of this dogs behaviour...it is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Actually am sitting here cuddling my sons staffie cross he is a loyal cuddly loving little chap.
I think it is a case sometimes of bad ownership.
Where we lived in Essex staffies are seen as an accessory and all the "types" that have them are of the culture,and seen as "my dogs as 'ard as me" and IM well'ard
For me I will stick with my Lab.

Can you get a muzzle for it Littlenellie? It really would be awful if it bit another person.

As son and DIL have separated the dog that bit my son is with DIL .
We live about 120 miles away and son is now living with me,son and DIL have no contact apart from text messages to each other,that dog is not our "responsiblity" except morally where we can only make our feelings known to DIL family..she already owned this dog before she and son met....my sons staffie cross is muzzled and kept on lead when out,and as he is young will be taken to classes for agility training and socialising so he isn't bored and is easily controlled.

Your doing the right thing, Nellie by cutting yourself loose from DIL's dog. It's not your problem anymore even if your DS still bears the scars.
nightowl, I agree it's so unfair that all Staffies get tarred with the same brush. The first one I ever came across belonged to my friends on a neighbouring farm. We were all about twelve. He was a bundle of fun and went everywhere with us.

Martins little dog is like that always making us laugh and he loves Ellie my lab and E he goes round doing a head count if anyone is out Nd looks for us all..he is such a happy boy

My sister owns a Staffie. He is like a big baby. She has a number of grandcildren and he is as gentle as lamb with every one of them.

soop! That's what they all say. When it's too late.

I agree with Mishap on this. And I do like dogs. Just not the ones who want to eat people.

I would never approach a strange dog from the front with my hand out as suggested above. It would just make it easier for it to bite me.

Jings and if you turn your back on it, it could nip your arse instead.

I really like most dogs and often dogsit for my friend. They are great company on walks. However, I think the onus is on the dog owner to protect the public, although obviously sensible parents will not leave a very young child alone with a dog. My daughter had a lovely, gentle springer spaniel, but she developed a brain tumour and turned vicious overnight.
In New Zealand, every dog has to be microchipped and registered with the council every year. If your dog wanders, you can be fined and sheep worriers can be shot.

Wow - I was just looking at a forum I use for ex-pats in Switzerland and I saw somone advertising their sevices as a dog sitter. Even knowing how well regulated most things are in that tidy country, I was staggered to find out that you have to take a course and hold a certificate to look after dogs!
I won't be trying to earn any extra dosh and see more of Switerland via that route!

I bet they don't allow dangerous dogs though Greatnan. The dogs probably have to take a course and hold a certificate as well!

I was fascinated and kept on googling about dog ownership in Switzerland and my admiration grew. Every new dog owner has to take a course in dog handling and each new dog has to be schooled and chipped. There are rules about dogs having human contact, what kinds of leash can be used, etc.
I thought Britain was a good place to be a dog, but obviously Switzerland is much better.
Each canton sets its own laws but they seem pretty similar in their treatment of potentially dangerous dogs.
I am afraid France is not a good place to be a dog, especially a hunting dog. They are often kept in cages outside the village and get scant attention.

But they dont tell the owners about pooper scoopers in Switzerland-the streets of geneva in summer-ugh!

In respect of the original post - if it is the case I am thinking about the child was in his own garden and someone went out the gate and left it ajar and he wandered out into the next door garden. Yes, perhaps the person looking after him should have been more alert but I can't see how you can watch a child all the time - as far as the carer was concerned he was in a secure garden.

With regard to the dog - as I understand it this dog did attack police when they had cause to visit the property some time before and after the incident it took police with tasers to bring it under control. The dog was obviously dangerous and out of control. I gather the young owner later went on facebook moaning about the fact his dog had been put down and showing no sympathy for the child

People who own dangerous dogs are never going to consider neighbours are they? If I was living next to a family with a small child I would make sure they were introduced to our dogs. It must be horrible if you live with the knowledge that there are dangerous dogs in the vacinity and you have small children but that must surely mean you take extra precautions? An ordinary gate is not enough to protect a child who is likely to wander.

It sounds as though Switzerland has got it all sewn up - better than having to sew up the victims.

I might move there!

It is not always the parents fault when a child wanders. Even with the most caring watchful parents, children will suddenly slip under the radar. I can still remember my son going missing in seconds in a market. He was nearly two and I was heavily pregnant. I leaned over to pay for my shopping -- and he was gone! We found him a minute or two later, but it felt forever. He had slipped under the grass fabric draping the front of the stall, worked his way under the stall and out at the end - and then headed towards the road, presumably to watch the cars. I nearly had a premature birth!!

Of course there are careless indifferent parents but not every child who ends in a situation like this was badly supervised. The attack happened within a minute or two of the child lslipping out of supervision in an immediate neighbours garden.

When looking at photo's in the press, do you not think that these dangerous dogs look a lot more intelligent than their owners.!?
Which may be very much the crux of the matter.
These are people who are as thick as two planks who take on a being of a much higher intelligence.
The owners do not seem to have a clue.
Bad breeding, or in breeding does not come into it in this case I don't think.
I mean dog wise....

No, I don't, Johanna! The photos they tend to use in the press are of a vicious, snarling example of the breed in question.

And the dogs don't look too wholesome either, Anagram

Merlot

I knew that was ambiguous as soon as I'd posted it!