The relationship between dogs and humans is very complex. In the wrong hands/enviroments, dogs being pack animals get confused by humans who exspect a lot from them to understand everything. Especially happens around holiday times when humans are busy and don't give the dogs space ect which caurses them aniety ect.

I would not have any breed of dog around children without full supervison, for the wellfare of the child and dog.

Fair comment Mini, back on topic it is.
Dawn.

Come on Dani, I am replying to Kathy. Id be accused of ignoring if I didnt!

This is the thing that has always bugged me too, how do you legislate to protect the children/grandchildren of the dogs owners. Those very ones who are so precious that the owners would do anything to protect and yet attack after attack still happens in the home.

Yes, I cant see a way round this. The recent attacks of baby's etc.. IMO are totally owner responsible. The PB attacks in the states appear in many cases to be dogs out loose for whatever reason, not confined to this but often.

I dont think home aggression will ever be stopped and I do think that many of these "attacks" in the home may start out as nothing more than an inquisitive dog. I know my Terriers would run to a cot etc.. when the babies have been here if they heard them "squeak" or something, I think the same may be said of bigger dogs who may innocently jump up at a child, the child screams as it is hurt or scratched, then the screaming heightens the dogs mode, and they attack.
Dawn.

Attacks on young children in the home cause such an emotional response from the general public, that even if the parents/grandparents were negligent in anyway we feel we can't say anything as surely they have suffered enough with losing their child etc.
How can anything change if no one is ever to be held accountable?

That would be fine with me if it's fair and your posts about Angus are removed too, otherwise I think it's best they all remain. There, now we can be back on topic.

I would agree with you that BSL hasn't protected children in the home. I would go a step further and say no BSL can. I would be all for more control on dog ownership as long as it was not breed specific.

This is where I may come in for stick! If dogs on a "restricted" list, NOT banned but say restricted for want of a better word, dogs that are responsible for a fair proportion of attacks. maybe the owners of such Dogs CAN be held accountable? Like The PB case, it should never of happened, but at least to some degree the owner was held accountable and so was the grandmother (to a point!)

I dont want to think of any breed "listed" but as you say, how else can it be worked?

Fine by me too Kathy.

The problem I have with any list, is that it highlights certain breeds as being more problematic than others, when we all know all dogs can be lethal given the right or wrong set of circumstances.
Why shouldn't all owners be equal in the eyes of the law and accountability?
I also think 8 weeks imprisonment in those circumstances was hardly being held accountable, and I thought the grandmother got off, but I can't honestly remember.