You miss my point, e.g. post 131

"Excuse me!! who the hell, do you think you are"

This is only one, I understand this is an emotive thread, however forum members must treat each other with respect, such repsonses should be taken off line via a PM

once again dogs are being humanised. this dog did not set out to kill a child. it did not sit and plot out when would be the best time to strike.

to 'club' to death a dog who is doing something a human being has actively encouraged in him is so very wrong.

of course that child should never have died. he should never have been placed in danger but, the humans did that. not the dog.

I started a thread to discuss how to decide what animals are suitable as pets, snakes & big cats etc. Please use that to go over that subject.

BTW, I agree it's a human or humans that are the villains of this story. The boy and the dog are the victims of some macho idiot from what info we have so far.

Excellent post Dani!
I agree.

A dog is not the result of humankind, its a dog and the result of evolution. I really think people need to get a grip on reality and consign this sort of sentimental tripe to the dustbin. If your dog takes a funny turn and snaps at someone despite your best efforts and training, is it your fault, has the dog no will or thought processes of its own?

As for devil dog, yep the Dobe has had that rep and still many shy away, and yes the danger is there. I does not bother me as I careful selected the breed line and knew the source and rep of the bloodline. I keep control, I socialise and train, it doesn't mean my dog will not attack someone or thing as its a dog, and has a mind of its own.

To pass the buck to owner wholly is incorrect and does not help in the cause of getting percieved dangerous breeds accepted in the public eye, this is where Dogsey falls down on so many levels proclaiming to be dog friendly and promotive when in fact the dishelved debates in fact undermine public opinion of dog owners, but importantly dog breeds or types!

I have a life thank you, there's really no need for personal insults is there?

Of course you don't have to agree, that is your right and opinion. But youcould've just said you don't like it, you didn't have to put it across in a way that seemed to be insulting, to those of us, who keep these animals. Wether you meant it like that, that is how it read, at least to me. I personally wouldn't have a cat, and keep it inside all day and night, but one of my friends does, do I think she is an evil b****** for doing it, no, she just does it a different way to what I'd do, and we both except it.

Of course, a wild boa, belongs in the wild. But what your not understanding, is, that my snakes have to an extent had their natural instincts/behaviours altered, for example, a wild corn snake that was captured, wouldn't take to well to being offered defrosted dead mouse for dinner. Unlike my captive bred one's, who btw, won't even constrict their food, never mind strike at it, that'd be far to much effort lol.

The reason why you can't have a snake slithering loose around your house like a dog is, simply, for their own safety. Snakes are curious animals, and are able to squeeze into gaps you wouldn't believe, and its not like they can bark, to let you know they've got themselves stuck. You can't house train them either, their not that bright I'm afraid.

Obviously, zoo's/private collections should be focusing there energy into endangered species, but they most likely wouldn't have the experience to look after specialist reptiles, if they hadn't started with the simple ones. It just so happened that other people got into it as well.

Personally, I'd like to get into breeding endangered snakes, but I don't yet have the experience to do so, which is why, I'm starting with the simple ones, so I can learn the basics in which to help deal with the challenging ones.

They have a simplistic beauty, that is both fascinating and captivating, and wether it is to keep them in the home, or in the wild, I'll fight and defend for that.

I don't expect you to understand, but all I do ask, is that you try to respect that my opinion is different to yours.


P.s

Sorry for the length. As you can probably tell, its a subject I feel strongly about.

you will insist on making a dog out to be manipulative and calculating. i have yet to see any evidence of this behaviour in canines and i have worked and lived with them for 20+ years.

my dogs would not attack anyone. they have not been encouraged to display such behaviour. indeed, i have the dog that is regularly used to push a point across. a jack russell. tenacious enough to take on a gsd. well not mine. she is not a ratter either. something else her breed are known for.

if anyone needs to get a grip on reality it is you.

could you gurantee that 100%?

i dont know anyone who could. no dog is 100% safe.

a dog, however well trained, will react to danger or threat. thats what dogs do.

With the risk of being shot down, I think it is important to realise that everyone has a right to express thier opinion.
As some of you know I was recently in this postion myself a few months back, and had to use a breaking stick to get the dog off the child.

First can I say.....if you ever hear a young child scream and scream out of sheer terror it is blood curdling, plus a dog (of any breed) hyped on adrenalin/thrill of the chase/trill of the prey....can not be reasoned with..I know!

I however do not agree with clubbing something to death either, have you tried swinging a stick at a dog already prepared to attack/or is attacking, they can be swift,

The child that I helped her Father wanted to club the dog to death whilst I held it....I have to say I was glad he was talked out of it, as I am sure the situation would of been alot worse.
In the case here, the owner stood back.....they had no control, for whatever reason, or maybe they were afraid....I can not tell you that, all I can tell you is here we have a little girl who is still afraid and still having nightmares.

I think it would be useful to know too, that although Police Dog Handlers came to this situation here.....they were no more willing to handle the dog as it owners were.

Maybe that was the same in Merseyside, and if they thought the dog was still aggitated that was why the did what they did......again I wasn't there.
But one thing I do know, until your in a similar postion it is hard to know what any of us would do.

My sympathies are with the child and to some degree with the dog, why he attacked may always be a mystery.

well my collie has been attacked twice now and did not retaliate. he has also been the victim of an abusive owner and did not retaliate. of course i can't say 100% but i would be pretty confident that my dogs would not just 'turn'.