My dogs would not attack either were someone to enter our premises, because they are not guard dogs. However, were I to have guard dogs, as our next door neighbours do (GSDs), and despite all the locks and warnings someone entered the property and was attacked, then tough titty. Shepherd dogs in particular have a very strong guarding INSTINCT, and whereas I would hope that next door's dogs would not bite an intruder, if they did how could you possibly want to have the dogs put down. that is outrageous.

If a child or adult wanders into a someone elses garden with a dog and the dog attacks them why should they be euthanised? (the dog I mean)

Its a dogs natural instinct to guard its territory and its a parents responsibility to ensure their child knows better then to wander into someones garden with a dog.

Why should parents all ways have the right to blame dog owners? Surely they have a certain responsibility to teach their children how to safely play around strange dogs and how to respect other peoples property.

I think the parents of the mauled swindon child are being completly irrasponsible in not accepting their own foult and sending out such a negative message about dogs.

Whatever happened to reins? My mother used them for me and my brother, and I used them for my daughter. They are a brilliant idea - as for the man of the beach, I would have told him to leash his f***ing kids!! Damn cheek!

Why not??? They were fantastic.

You get a mixed response if you post about reins on parenting forums - from the "yeah practically they're a good idea" to the "OMG LEADS ARE FOR DOGS THIS IS UTTERLY BARBARIC THE WORLD SHOULD PART FOR MY OFFSPRING, VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD YADDA YADDA" utter hysteria.

Personally - if she turns out to be a bit of a runner... she'll be on reins as a backup (possibly one of those cool backpacks with them attached)!

the world's gone mad if parents cannot see that reins are a fantastic SAFETY device for their sprogs.

I actually had a woman demand that I remove my 2 dogs from an open-sided barn at a village fete where we had all gathered as it was raining heavily because her child was allergic to dogs. I suggested that she might like to remove her child, and her reply was it was down to me because dogs are animals. I retorted what do you think that us humans are then, plants??! Stupid woman. I love kids, I like nothing better than mixing with well behaved children in our local pub, but I dislike intensely this modern day culture that children are the be-all and end-all. They are not, and if they are raised to think this, then God help the world.

Well said Pippam.

Or a good leathering (only joking!!)

I so agree with you, I have seen so many friends and family treat their children as if they were some sort of demi-god, every one of them has turned out to be unpleasant and selfish.

I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I just think it plain selfish of parents to indulge their children so - as you say, they grow up unpleasant, and it's not fair. It must be such a shock to a spoiled young adult to have to learn that the world does not centre around them and their wishes. I think children should be treated the same as our dogs, lots of love, but with rules, boundaries and limitations clearly set down right from the start (sorry, I sound like a certain Mexican who I know is not that loved on Dogsey, but I do believe in R's B's and L's!!).