Of course the dog should have been on a lead and it would not be the DM if it did not exaggerate - "torn apart" in the sub headline, and "limb from limb" according to the owner - yes, the poor do was so very badly injured that it had to be pts, but those expressions are, I think, a bit too OTT even for the DM.

One of the comments stated that Akitas are "are also known by their generic name "Japanese fighting dogs".

I might be wrong but AFAIK it is the Tosa that is known as a "Japanese fighting dog", not the Akita.

What does it matter what they say about alternative names for them? Does it make what happened better or worse?

When the Akita here killed the 5 yr old boy it was widely reported all over that they were originally used to hunt bears and therefore not suitable as housepets etc.

Whatever is said about them anecdotally or factually won't bring the poor lady's little dog back nor bring the little 5yr old back from the dead.

It seems to me sometimes that there are some who would only be happy if the BREED of dog wasn't mentioned at all whenever there is an attack or killing reported.

Poor Daisy. I do feel for her owner, I have seen my dog attacked a number of times and it is horrible to see.

The Akita will probably pay the price one way or another. When really if it had been on a lead this more than likely would not of happened.

If they manage to track the dog and the owner down.

And if the guy couldn't manage to pull his dog off perhaps he wouldn't have managed to prevent it lurching at the small dog anyway. It was in a very public place with people sitting around drinking coffee.

Of course it is immaterial as to what breed a dog that has killed is - I was commenting on the exaggerations of the DM and the inaccuracy of one of the comments - a comment which has had over 2,000 people agreeing with it.

Here's what they reported about the Akita that killed a cat a few months ago:

This one has been ordered to be kept on lead and muzzled at ALL times after mauling another dog.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/new...s_another_dog/

And here's what was said earlier this year when the 3yr old in Derbyshire was attacked by one

If you look further you will see they are very OFTEN referred to as 'Fighting Dogs'.

And if a big powerful dog killed my dog or maimed a child of mine I wouldn't care what people said about the breed of it. Or how many horrible comments were made about it.

From another earlier report of an attack by an Akita on the Dangerous Dogs in UK website

They are hardly likely to use terms like cuddly, fluffy or friendly when reporting vicious attacks that leave people maimed and scarred for life are they? Even if you know several that are cuddly.

More here from an attack in January (it's not just the Daily Mail)

Read more: http://www.thisishullandeastriding.c...#ixzz2Xh6UtcSQ

If you feel strongly enough about Akitas being referred to as 'fighting' dogs you had better get busy complaining to a hell of a lot of different places.

In fact if you look up the real history of the breed in Japan you will find lots of references to 'fighting'

http://www.japaneseakita-inu.co.uk/Files/History.htm

Also on Wiki under the Japanese history of them.

But if you look back int the history of a lot of dogs you will see that they have been bred for aggressive reasons be it guarding breeds or ratting breeds that are bred to shake and tear and rip unit the thing stops moving! And he's size makes a difference but do we do what I saw reported on here the other day? Ban all dogs over a certain height and weight just because they could do damage? Only allow toy breeds that were bred as pets? Even though they have a high bite/snap rate? Mini pins were originally bred to kill weren't they? To chase and rip and shake until its prey was dead? But they are now bred as companions.....so why can't the same be said for other types of big breeds?

The more and more people blame the type of dog the more they excuse the owners negligence is raising a well balanced pet. Of course there are rescues with issues and of course there are dogs who develop issues as they grow BUT for every few of a certain breed of dog that makes the headlines for killing something or someone there will be many many more of that bred quietly living a peaceful life!

I'm dam sure if a Daily Mail reporter had seen Tonks returning on a walk with a dead fawn in her mouth there would not have been a balanced report with sensible advice on how to prevent her doing it again in the future. She would have been branded a Bambi killer unfit to be around young children.

If you have a larger breed these sorts of incidents and how they are reported really do affect you because we are often the subject of discrimination and down right abuse because of our dogs...and sensationalist reporting only fans the flames rather than point people in the right direction of positive training, early socialisation and responsible dog ownership. My two and four year old girls have watched me be verbally abused and listened to people's views on what Tonks might do. One lady verbally attacked me shouting at me to 'get my viscous looking dog out of her path. You'll be sorry when she rips your children's faces off...then you'll see what they are really like' a
All the time with Tonks in a sit stay while I got of stone out of my toddlers wellie.....and the woman's toy breed was straining at the lead snapping and snarling at Tonks.

My friends daughter was bitten badly in the face by a JRT and she is now petrified of all dogs. She has come to our house twice but we have to manage the situation very carefully. She is only 3, we meet her outside the house with both dogs on lead and then return home so that there is no barking or excited dogs. Tonks has to sit in Remus' crate because she actively loves children and there is no doubt in my mind that she would try to kiss her, accidentally knock her over and then kiss her to say sorry. Remus is more reserved and just mooches slowly around.




We no longer judge lots of smaller breeds by their original violent history, even when they do kill,...but we jump to do so if they are bigger more powerful dogs.