Good points well made. I was over the moon when I heard about the government proposal. I said about bloody time targeting the right end of the lead at last! I should imagine that a dog that kills someone would still be PTS. but you have to ask yourself in such non.accidental cases could you have any other outcome? Is such a dog not tormented? some things are worse than death

Hi Well I suppose I got there in the end,my only beef at the moment,was reading that very few puppies get proper training or even good citzenship,instead of wasting money on haveing a special police unit,how about offering people training when they get a puppy,they have managed to get people now to Micro-chip,and that started by making it a part of the sale,if when you get a puppy people are so enamoured I think they will if given the right encouragement want to do the best for there new puppy,before the honeymoon period is over.Sorry Baxter over and out Gemini54

Is microchipping part of a sale? I didn't know this. how would. you define and enforce puppy training classes though? Whose methods for example? And the sort of people that cause the problems wouldn't do stuff like chipping and training anyway? How would you deal with them . as regards the police I can see the necessity in specially trained officers for certain kinds of crime for any type of crime but if the government goes ahead with this new law it just means any policeman can arrest any person for using a dangerous weapon just as they would for guns knives or cars

Hi I understand that KC breeders do offer micro chips as part of the sale,you then update the micro-chip to yourself good breeders also offer the service so to me that is a step in the right direction,but don't get me started on breeders who just breed at home these cockerpoos etc weakening the gene pool and makeing incredible money for very little effort to fuel a fashion fad.Gemini54

My thoughts too - I know of no 'requirement' for micro chipping in that context. And whatever rules and regs are brought in regarding breeders - how will that apply to people who are just 'given a dog' when someone else's dog has pups?

Julie, I actually responded to this post on page 6 but it seems to have got lost in the conversation

Ok I think I'd like to clarify a little what I said. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned ridgebacks, especially as I have no actual proof of what I said about them. The only thing I wanted to point out is that some dog breeds have been used (not bred) to attack humans more than staffies/pits.
Among them was the ridgeback, because I've read in the past that people in Africa have used (abused) them to attack black people.
I never thought ridgebacks had a bad reputation though and I've never heard of anyone saying they're aggressive towards humans. That you said some people panic at the sight of your dog really surprised me! I find them amazingly beautiful and I'm sure they are lovely, though I've never met one myself.

Anyway, all I said is that if people start saying that staffies and pit bulls have been bred for aggression (selectively chosen more aggressive, more easily provocable individuals to mate which does have an influence on genetics) and that therefore they are a danger to humans, then they are wrong. Because staffies and pit bulls have been selectively bred to have an extremely high bite threshhold with humans, over decades or even centuries. And that the breed specific legislation is absolute nonesense because there are a lot more breeds out there who haven't been selectively bred to be tolerant towards humans and have perhaps a lower bite threshold with them.
Of course nowadays anyone is mating any dog with any bitch in their backyard (mostly staffies) and the outcome is that some of them might have a difficult character due to genetics, their mother's behaviour and the experiences they made (or didn't make) as puppies. But that's not a problem of the breed, that's a problem of idiots doing what they want without considering the consequences it has for other living beings.

no Isaid Iwasn't going to reply on this subject anymore as you were dragging up the last two pages again and Iwas thinking of Baxter feelings . but of course Ican accept your apology . no offence intended but Ican understand you getting knee jerk on the street but can't see how that equals taking posts out of comtext and not reading earlier posts when Ihad said the opposite about ridgebacks ? Isnt tgat the same sort of generalization you are complaining about re people and your dog ?

The whites and the blacks just means that. Maybe that isnt. your political correctness ? Fair enough. that's just not my cup of tea as long as I didn't say sambos or honkies that's right and wrong to me I'm just casually typing on the internet on aphone which is pretty difficult actually . I wouldn't read too much into it tbh

Hi I enclose a link from kc re micro-chipping

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3397 Gemini54

Maybe I'm too sensitive aswell because I have a staffie x. But it's not fun to be hearing people being very negative when you are out and about with one. I have had loads of people comment how lovely and sociable she is. But I went to a dog show yesterday and a lot of people avoided her and wouldn't let their dogs say hello. we had a few actually being shown in the dog show but a lot of people have a very negative attitude towards them. I'm very proud to have a staffie x. Someone I met recently couldn't get her daughters staffie booked with a dog walker because they aren't sociable and friendly dogs.