Dogsey

Makes it an anxious time for us owners who do use muzzles from time to time. when all this is hitting the press and you walk your hound in a muzzle because you are in an area with lots of squirrels for example and are being responsible about a chase instinct in your dog , you get parents with children making the assumption you have a dog that bites to the extent of one woman screaming at the child to go nowhere near a that horrible dog ! I shall be avoiding the school run time as usual on my local walks.

I think there should be a licence system for dog ownership and like driving there is always the chance you will stopped and asked to produce your licence which should not just be handed out but be achieved by meeting certain criteria, yes it would be resource intensive but if it stops one more attack on a child then surely its worth considering ?

I think there has to be some sort of way of vetting dog ownership.

Thing is I would put money on it that dog attacks making the news would end up being an unlicensed dogs, unlicensed owners, etc.

Maybe instead of muzzling dogs, we should be educating people (including children) about dogs?

Many a time when I'm walking our two or playing in the park, a child runs full pelt up to them and either pats them or hugs them without checking it is ok with me first. I never did this as a child, I always asked and I always made sure I didn't make any sudden movements or noises which could frighten or upset a dog. I also know never to leave a dog and child alone in a room together - it's just common sense isn't it?

Good on Dogs Trust for speaking up - it will be only the responsible owners who abide by any rules put in place anyway.

The muzzle call has been around for a while. The mother of John Paul Massey set up a charity in his name to provide Muzzles for people to use inside and out side the house only taking off when the dogs eat.

I did an interview witha local counciller a while back and it was brought up then

Muzzle people who make stupid suggestions in public. With duct tape!

Taking the stigma out of muzzles is something I do advocate.

I am thinking of making a number of doggy vests with slogans on them like "because I'm snappy" "Because I eat things I shouldn't" "Because I chase bunnies" "Because I don't like dogs" and nice brightly coloured muzzles like Kismet wears when she is out because she is unpredictable with other dogs.

Muzzling all dogs is not the 'solution' and is obviously not something I would agree with, but there is danger in saying to a dog aggressive, or human aggressive dog owner that their dog 'shouldn't be muzzled it's cruel', or that 'muzzles are just lazy training', makes those of us who use muzzles responsibly look either cruel or lazy and owners who probably should muzzle their dogs don't want to because they think they'll get stick for using one.

If more people who knew they have an 'iffy' dog, felt that they could use a muzzle without stigma, maybe there would be fewer accidents.

Not none. I grant, there will always be 'those people'... but fewer...

Muzzles have their place in some dogs lives but not 24/7 as is being advocated by some

I think your idea of slogan vests to wear with muzzles is a brilliant one Magpye. I know there are a couple of Labs we see on the park and one Golden Retriever who are muzzled because of their disgusting habits of eating anything (think poop) so it is not always because of possible aggression.

I thought that a lot of dog attacks on children happened in the owner's home by a dog that was known to the child? I can;t see how anyone could enforce dogs being muzzled in their own homes!

My great-niece Abra got bitten by a Staffy belonging to her niece's landlord in his home and she knew the dog and had always been trained on how to approach dogs and to ask the owner-the dog just came up and bit her in the back and she had to go to hospital. Fortunately it hasn;t made her nervous of dogs though she was obviously very frightened and hurt at the time.

i can't quote Claireand Daisy however - what she said.

This woman has guilt for not protecting her child in the way she should have - she paid the ultimate price, but ultimately they let this happen.

The dog didn't start the chain of events the humans that failed him did.

like this quote i saw today

"Killing individual dog breeds is not the solution to a problem which runs through an entire species. Oh, and if you were left in any doubt, that species isn’t canine." - Ryan O'Meara

It is the owners that are at fault not the dogs. A loved dog will only attack in defence in my opinion as over the years I have had many dogs and now have 3 (pom / dalmation x / and a boxer rotti x) I would trust all of these with any child at any time.
Dog owners should be able to prove they can look after the dog.