well i have just been on the "mums forum" as per previous thread posted recently, and surprise surprise its page 2 and they are already attacking staffies !!

oh joy !
idiots.

To refer only to the dogs you felt were untrustworthy without any qualification regarding the rest of the breed population makes a strong implication that you feel that way about all AmBulls. You may not have meant that but you should not be surprised if your reader takes that impression.

If it were true that certain breeds can only be safe after years of careful handling then we should not be able to see these breeds being successfully owned by amateur dog handlers. Yet we frequently do which invalidates the argument you are advancing.

Certain lines - well, there I agree - but such lines are not commonplace and we have no reason to suspect that they are relevent in this instance. A backyard breeder slinging together a couple of convenient dogs does not create a optimised killing machine any more than they would create the perfect working spaniel or perfect showdog. It is overwhelmingly more likely that this tragedy is the result of enviroment than genetics. As such the Deed Not Breed mantra becomes very appropriate.

However, and for the sake of argument, lets assume that this was specifically bred for aggression. That makes the owners doubly culpable for both the breeding and the subsequent lapse of supervision. For you to then place the blame at the dog's feet becomes irrational.

The dog's fate was to die. That is the fate reserved for all dogs that take a human life. It's not because of justice because a dog has no sense of sin or morality and it shouldn't be out of revenge (although your preference for a more brutal method of despatch suggests that this is the angle you are approaching it from). It will die because it has demonstrated that it cannot safely live with humans in a human world. But if one has any sense of rectitude it will be an act of sadness because of what we have created and what we have allowed to happen. If we kill this dog without remorse then we are blinding ourselves to our own culpability for this awful event.

When you say that the dog is not a result of humankind in the same post where you tell how you have selected the bloodlines of your own or you say that 'passing the buck to owner wholly is incorrect' right after telling us of the efforts in training and socialising that you have made to ensure your own dog's safety the contradiction is plain.

I absolutely could not agree more!!

Wow, what you miss while you are at work 14 pages!

I agree 100%, I do think the dog should have been PTS but they should IMO, have taken the time to assess the dog for now well wont know what the dogs general temperament was like, and therefore the dog will play the role of the evil, snarling villain.

I didn’t say it did count. I was merely making the point that it shouldnt just be taken as a dog killing a child, why this happened and what provoked the dog to attack should be thought of. That’s all I was saying.

Agree 100% again.

but its hard to know if what they will say will be the truth, especially after something so tragic, they could easily try and pass the blame on to the dog.

I hope it isn’t a pit bull… I really do. But it said ‘resembling a pit bull terrier’ and most people have no clue how to tell breeds apart so that means nothing IMO…

but dogs need to stay onlead for their safety and for others safety (incase they go on to the road etc.), they can happy be in their owners house without having to be locked up. Also, some young children have reins to keep them safe, but no one would say they aren’t domesticated.

that is sick!! Most people here have agreed that the dog should be PTS, but to say you would want to club him/her to death!!! You have no idea why that dog did what they did!! For all you know the dog could have gone through hell or had a serious illness/injury! You don’t know! so what a sick and horrible thing to say! And what about the adults in the house??? What do they deserve for allowing this to happen??

I agree, what a horrible thing to say!! That makes me sick that someone would say such a thing!

RIP poor little love a preventable and tragic death.

Any breed/cross of dog comes under the DDA if it is dangerous, be it a pit bull, labrador or bishion frise. Whatever triggered this dog to attack the little boy may never be known but it attacked him sufficiently enough to kill him. That is reason enough to euthanasia the dog regardless of who's fault it was. I'm not quite sure what keeping it alive to 'assess it' would prove. Its not like you could simulate a batch of trials to see what triggers a response.
If it was an average family pet that suddenly turned, a post mortem could rule out/prove the existence of a brain tumor or other neurological problem, interviewing family and neigbours could rule out/prove that the management of the dog was to blame. this will haunt the family for the rest of their lives despite whether it was a 'banned breed', cross breed or kc registered pedigree. So my deepest condolences to the poor little boys family

L

I was going to put a lengthy reply.

But I can't anymore. I am tired of it.

These poor dogs who are bought, bred for a 'look' to satisfy certain people, encouraged to be aggressive in most cases.

It breaks my heart.

I grew up with Boxers. I love them. I love Rotties and Bull Mastiffs, I love Staffies, I love Bull breeds.

But people who are allowed to destroy the reputation of breeds through their own social deprivation, I am sorry but I detest those people.

I have been in tears through this because once again in a tiny one street village I will have to defend my dogs.

I am sick to my heart of it, something has to be done to prevent this happening. Not only for children but for people who are responsible who have lovely dogs who will no doubt once again bear the brunt.

My heart breaks for people like you who have done everything right and have to go through this. I detest these people as well but they are out there and something has to be done. The killing has to end.

No dog is born bad,they are made,
I'm so sick of hearing about these attacks,
and it's always the dog's fault.
When are people going to learn not to
leave a child alone with a dog,it's not rocket
science!!.

I do genuinely feel sorry for you, and it amply
demonstrates why the bleeding heart liberal approach doesn't cut the mustard.

This forum (and its a popular well known forum) is open to private viewing and some of the "not the dogs fault" comments do not help.

When will people realise that after Pit bull ban, AB's are likely next and after that maybe the Staffy, where will it end? Will they ever learn.

I stand by my comment I would have clubbed the dog to death, because quite simply I don't have a gun.

If I did I would have shot it there and then, but if it was attacking and savaging me or someone then I would have killed it with whatever came to hand, I'd terminate it with a spoon, might take a while but hey, whatever, and as for assess the dog ... is your world really that insular?
Hang on this dog is gnawing my child face off, does it have behavioural issues? Obviously the owners fault, whoah, its just clamped its jaws on my throat, think I'd better hot foot it down to the vets and have it assesed and possibly have it PTS, Get real people, you would have killed it there and then if you could.

There is a problem with Bull breeds and one that needs to be addressed, believe me when I say this because it no amount of dodging the issue will alter the stats, and crossed bull breeds even worse We have a male collie/staff in the village, not big and lovely with people but lethal to my Full male Dobe because it has the attack gene firmly hard wired to its brain. Cue more whimpering and whinging.

Feel free to carry on with your middle of the road namby pamby liberal approach that sits on the fence and doesn't acheive anything.

Stand up and be counted, do something about it, don't just try and plug the gaps because the Bull breed ship is sinking fast, its only a matter of time, and unfortunately when the ship eventually does go down the resulting backwash will take a few other breeds with it, probably my Dobes as well even though statistically your more likely to get mauled by a Labrador.

Wheres the Ostrich head in the sand Gif/smily when you need it?

A young lad has died, very sad and tragic, I cannot even start to contemplate how it would be to die like this, horrific doesn't seem enough. How anyone can try and defend this dogs action (saying its humanising whats that about?)

The Dogs a dog, it killed, its what these and many dogs can do, granted it may have been in the wrong hands, but do you buy a Bengal Tiger and then sob because it ate your Granny?