Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier type attacks child, lets include articles and pictures of Rottweilers!
A dog described as an Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross attacked a four year old child in Somerford Christchurch less than a week after the tragic events in Leicester Thankfully the child is okay but has extensive injuries, what line does the local press take, it prints a three page spread with three seperate pictures of Rottweilers and an article entitled ‘just how safe or suitable are Rottweilers as pets? The article then has three Rottweiler owners giving their opinions of the breed.
There is also a double page photograph of a Rottweiler owner and his dog with two puppies, why is this picture in the three page spread? What connection is there between Rottweilers and this unfortunate incident?
Is it right for the press to use Rottweilers as a ’sacred cow’ to be trundled out whenever there is a dog attack even when the dog in question is not a Rottweiler?
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Simon,
I love dogs but I also very much love my children. I have four of those too. I agree that big dogs can do more *damage* more easily (for want of better words!) if they choose too.
I have big dogs but im not that big myself. I do have my dogs under control at all times tho and my dogs because of this, have never hurt anyone. This is the problem in most terms, the owners do not correctly train, socialise or control their dogs and that causes a problem. That is what needs to be tackled and should be done regardless of breed. I dont want to be bitten by any dog nor do i want my children to be. I dont beleive that any breed or type of dog is inherently dangerous but there certainly are dangerous owners out there.
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I’ve delivered parcels for several years and been bitten 3 times, all by small dogs. A Jack Russell jumped up and latched onto my stomach, it was agony. Another had recently lost it’s owner to cancer and bit the back of my thigh. I found the small ones on my round to be little terrors, but, not all of them, some of them were lovely.
I recently set a Rotties head alight with a cigarette (accidentally) I was slapping his head and he just sat there looking up at me doe eyed. The owner was walking them early and late because of all the abuse she was getting. All 3 were soft as butter. My niece has 2 Staffies and 2 children (another on the way) and they are the softest pair you could meet, boisterous “Yes”, dangerous “No”. Saying that the children have been taught to treat them with respect and consideration.
I had my mum’s chihuahua after she sadly passed and she was a little madam and would nip a child if they went near her, hated being picked up and grumbled for England yet people seemed to think it was fine letting their toddlers run up to her because she was tiny and cute looking.
I have 4 dogs at the moment, 3 setters and a Sheltie who are soft but still wouldn’t let a child approach them without first asking permission.
By the way, all 3 of my Setters have been attacked by the same Golden Lab, doesn’t mean I think all Golden Labs will attack them.
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There are a few things I would like to say here (1) many dog owners today need to be encouraged to get their dogs trained and socialized, but the problem here is that most of the trainers don`t have the experience of working with bullbreeds, we need to let people set up training units all over the place teaching and giving instruction to owners on how to install the breaks into a dog, all power and drive and no breaks is the problem, we need to make well trained, well socialized, and well behaved dogs attractive, open up competitive sports for dogs french ring sport, shutzhund, provide a platform for these dogs to realy show their tallents, (2) Get in touch with trainers who have been working with these dogs for years let them HELP stop dismissing them we love these dogs including APBTs we know that you have to do a lot of bad things to these dogs to make them aggressive to humans these were the NANNY DOGS but anyone who owns one is tared with same brush and dismissed, (3)there are no positive examples of bullbreeds available to the public we only see negative and irresponsible owners with dogs of which have been mistreated, misunderstood, and raised without being trained or properly socialized, theres no where for owners to take these dogs and recieve instruction, help and a positive platform for these dogs to show there talents.(4) time and time again I have met bullbreed owners and me included that have been in the situation where we take our young puppy to the park we have him on the lead when someone turns up with a big german sheppard, he`s does not care that you are in the park he lets his big dog off the lead it turns and run at you and has a go at your dog nothing serious just a look of growling and a nip, he apologizes to you no real harm you would think this happened to 3 time while my bulldog was under 6 months old except the last time the big dog bit my dog I have to fight him off and I mean fight him off and went to hospital, this changed my dog completely you other dog owners dont get it a bullbreed will become very defensive when he gets bigger and he will never and I mean never let that happen again, this the the main cause of the problem, we all want to use the open spaces when you go to the park remember if your dog has a perpensity to run at other dogs introduce him on his lead dont just let him off and be shouting he`s ok, he OK, because it is not OK and is not the way you introduce dogs to each other.
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Dear Simon,
Of course big dogs are potentially more dangerous – bit like stating a burly 6ft 3in mugger is more dangerous than a skinny, weakling 4ft mugger! The difference is, most owners of big dogs go the extra mile to ensure that their dogs are good, well mannered members of the community. The difference with the larger dogs is that most owners WORK HARDER with their dogs and will NOT allow aggressive or dominant behaviour in their dogs (be that to man or beast) – wish the same could be said of some of the owners of smaller dogs that are the bane of mine and my dogs life!
Regards,
Carly
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i have recently got meself an almost two year old white staff goes by the name of rafa (benitez) hes the softest dog ive ever known fair enough he might look scary but ive been taking him out for walks every day and so far 3 little dogs have tried to attack him and he just cries hes now my best friend and follows me everywhere. people are just to quick to judge im 6.5″ covered in tattoo’s with a shaved head but that doesnt mean i rob old ladies. if only these fools could see how soft these great dogs are around the house then maybe they would realise why we love them so much
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my son has two staffies.his wife is due her first baby in june 2009 dogs 8 yrs 10 yrs
she said she would not leave the baby alone with he dogs.sorry i don't like the breed
of dog-not pleasing to the eye at all–on top of that—- don't want any dog–not my cup of tea
why is it that doggy type people think we all should like dogs. back to baby in house with
two staffies–would any of the doggy types above trust them alone with a baby–their baby
How do I tell our much loved son & daughter-in-law we are scared to death of anything
happening to our eagerly awaited new grandchild, we cannot just '' wait and see'' but how
do we broach the subject?
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Noreen, no dog should EVER be left alone with a child or baby regardless of its breed. It really is that straight forward. In terms of the breed, bull breeds are one of the very, very best dog breeds with children – they adore them and dote on them. The introduction of child to dog is a process that should be handled with care and should be done properly. The following article contains some sensible advice on introducing a dog and baby – http://k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=1&a...
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Blaming An Entire Breed Becuase Of A Few Bad Dogs Is Wrong
Its Like Being Racist To All Asians Because A Few Idiots Cause Terror
I Have A Staff Andd Its The Softest Dog Ever
You Cannot Say One Type Of Dog Is The Worst
As Its How There Brought Up
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Staffies are a powerful breed. FACT. I am 17 year old girl, weigh around 8 stone and stand at 5ft 1, own a staffordshire bull terrier who is male, unneautered. Yet he walks right next to me every time I take him for a walk and has never put a foot out of line towards any human or animal. I could never imagine him actually hurting anything in this entire world!!! He has been around my cousins etc who are younger and just want to play all the time, and I mean they play by putting him in headlocks, yet he rolls over on his back and sticks his tongue out. IS THAT VICIOUS?!?!?!?!?!?
How many Staffies that are owned by responsible owners actually attack people on a daily basis? On another note, HOW MANY RESPONSIBLE PARENTS LEAVE THEIR CHILD ALONE WITH ANY DOG?!
It is not the dogs' fault that it attacks, it is the mindless individual that trained that dog or let their child tease it to a point where it ended up attacking. All breeds of dogs are the same as us, they have a certain level of tolerance-and this can NOT be taught to ANY animal.
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Excellent comment.
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why do you staff owners think your dog would never attack people. i had a staff and it was a quiet dog and never showed any aggression to anyone. but all dogs have a bad day and my dog attacked my nephew for no reason. now he has a scar for life. never leave them with a child!
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all dogs bite but its only theses type of dogs that get put in the pappers i have a staff cross pit and he is the most soppest dog u could ever no and i have 2 little kids and not once has my dog tryed to bit them he protects them its the owners that make a dog bite as they teach them to bite. it just pisses me off i get the looks people have a go at me in the street cos of my dog when they no nothing about the type of dog iv got all they do is judge when the nobs no nothing
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sarah Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
You are the “nob”!
It “pisses me off” when I can’t walk the family dog for fear of it getting attacked by a spiteful staffordshire and it’s irresponsiblre owners.
I hope one day that the staffordshire will be a banned breed!
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Ryan O'Meara Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Everyone has a right to an opinion.
Even people who are clearly too blinkered to talk a shred of sense. Like you.
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Mia Reply:
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
I find it ridiculous that you are referring to staffordshire bull terriers as “spiteful”. Staffies, and indeed any dog, cannot feel spite. They are dogs… doh.
It is ignorant of you to generalise that all owners of staffies are “irresponsible”.
I hope one day thick people will be banned from breeding but hey ho.
Lots of love,
Responsible Owner of Two Fantastic Family Staffies
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The whole point is that a true pit bull(not the ordinary staffie) is capable of doing so much more damage than other dogs. Maybe its true, some pit bulls have a good temper, but they are still bred to be able to kill and fight. If you are attacked by a pudle you will probably not suffer any major damage. Pit bulls ,on the other hand ,have incredible biting force and are even famous for being able to “lock their jaws”.
Most dog owners will claim that their own dog would never attack anyone. Still dogs do (all kinds of breeds), but pit bulls are one breed I sincerely am afraid of. Escpecially since it often attracts owners who should never own a dog.
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Alison Green Reply:
May 28th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
OM, you seem to be forgetting that pit bulls were bred to be people friendly. The “man biter” didnt live till morning let alone get bred from. People aggression was not tolerated at all.
I would expect most people attacked by a puddle to live
Having said that Poodles can and have caused considerably damage in the past.
The “locking jaw” fame…yes…you do know that not physically possible and there is no difference between a pit bull jaw and a poodles jaw dont you?
Pit bulls are not the only dogs to attract the wrong owners. That happens with all breeds and crosses.
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A Staffordshire bull terror jumped into my garden this morning and bit my cat in the face. Fortunately the cat was too fast for the evil mutt but he still had a small hole in his face from the dog. The poor cat is scared stiff now and the vets bills are going to be at least £50 for antibiotics and pain killers. More if he needs stitches. He’s a sweet cat that has never even caught a mouse he’s that gentle. He loves his belly rubbed, plays like a kitten and has never even scratched anyone in all of his 13 years. Soft as grease and a much better pet than that terrible thing that bit him.
The dog wasn’t on a lead and it’s owner, when I catch hold of him, will be paying the vets bill and is going to get a visit from the police. This vicious dog has had the taste of blood now and next time it may be a small chid. It should be destroyed.
Yes I agree, all dogs can turn. It’s in their genetic make up, and most don’t, but the bite of an ordinary family dog like a lab or spaniel is around 12% as powerful as the bite of a Staffordshire bull terrier and that powerful bite of a staffordshire is 30% stronger than that of a lion. So I ask you, would you allow people to walk a lion around housing estates in England? Especially off the lead?
If it were up to me they would all be neutered and spayed so the breed can die out.
Apparently now chavs are buying them and other vicious breeds to use as wepons instead of guns and knives.
You should have to take a test and be trained to keep these things as pets.
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Leigh Reply:
June 5th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I’m very sorry to hear about your cat. But please don’t start spreading lies about things you obviously know nothing about. This dog (obviously owned by someone that shouldn’t own a dog) is not to blame for having an irresponsible owner and no breed of dog is “genetically” aggressive.
Where did you find these “powerful bite” statistics? As it has been proven that the bite force of a dog is relative to the size of its skull. Therefore a large Labrador would bite harder than a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. But unfortunately these proven facts do not sell news papers or help thugs/criminals from using them to intimidate the public. There are a lot of myths around Bull breeds that started in the 70-80’s by newspapers and irresponsible owners to make the dogs sound more impressive, like bite pressure, bullet proof and locking jaws. All of these myths have been proven as false but still we have people spreading false truths, it’s about time these people grew up and used this energy into something helpful like promoting responsible dog/animal ownership and animal welfare.
I do have one question though, looking at your bite pressure stats do I take that if a Lab and Spaniel bites 12% of a Staffy but a Lion only bites 30% of a Staffie, does the Lab and Spaniel then both bite 18% harder than the Lion?
This would be very funny if it didn’t effect so many dogs and peoples lives.
Punish the deed not the breed!!!!
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I have a staffie I inherited after someone died who is very good with people. He is the friendliest dog I have ever had, would never bite a human.
I agree with what Steven Sharpe says above about certain dogs running up to others and being aggressive. My Staffie happily played with other dogs for ages, but in the last year he’s had german shepherds, huskies, and a whippet growling at him (I think the huskies were only making a few noises, but the german shepherds were snarling and barking, and the whippet was going for his neck).
Initially, he would submit, he rolled on his back after the whippet climbed on him. After each time he starts to retaliate more, going from a growl to really snarling. So I no longer let him off the lead unless he knows the dog, it does seem to be certain breeds he’s scared of (huskies and german shepherds).
What really hacks me off though is when someone’s dog is going mental off the lead and the owner says “oh, it’s because your dog is on the lead”. One guy was quite aggressive to me as if it was my fault his two german shepherds were snarling. Why don’t people get their dogs to not do that or have them under control?
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I have two staffies, who are such a part of my family we paid for them to be flown to Trinidad, West Indies where we now live.
Several of our friends in England have Staffs, they are all responsible owners and responsible dogs, well trained and beautiful.
I have read the comments above regarding Staffs and Bull breeds, some of you obviously understand this amazing, friendly, loyal breed and love them as much as I do, we have had people allowing their dog to “have a go” at our dogs in the past, which has now made our male dog untrusting of other dogs.
Pit Bulls are legal dogs here in Trinidad, they have the same temperament as Staffs, with the right owner, just a bigger size, just as loyal etc.
I never owned a dog before until we had our two staffs, I would never own another breed, ever, these dogs will always be my first choice.
But never leave any dog alone with a child, children are unpredictable and do strange things, the dogs generally react to that.
To the person who said all staffs should be an eventual banned breed, find a responsible owner, get introduced properly, I am sure you will change your mind.
One of our dogs was attacked by a spiteful Westie, all the owner said was “Well your dog’s a staff what’s your problem”
I guess if my staff had attacked his Westie he would have wanted our lovely girl put down.
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Mia Reply:
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hear hear.
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Some great comments here, I agree owners of larger breed dogs often have to work harder to make sure they are always well behaved and under control and of course seen to be, because the lack of education on the streets is staggering and media hype has changed people’s opinions of certain breeds.
I have three dogs, a cairn cross terrier, a labrador and a staffie and each is gentle and well balanced. Our staffie is a youngster and he attends training classes so that he can socialise with all kinds of people and dogs, he loves it, it’s fun for him and fun for us and when he sees other dogs on our walks he wags his tail and doesn’t feel threatened. I attribute many of the bias and stigma associated with certain breeds, to the press and their inability to write a decent story regarding dogs in the UK. It’s either a slushy sensationalised ‘essay’ piece regarding some enormous birth of pups that’s made the Guinness book of records, or a cruelty story that has nowhere to go save the headlines (the press make news, they don’t care about making better news by telling people how they can help) or it’s the usual ‘devil dog bites child’ story with a horror picture trundled out every time to shock the country into thinking we all live next door to a mad dog that will kill us and our children if we step outside.
It’s time for the press to begin writing more careful and informed editorials that they have actually taken some time to research and it’s up to all of us to be responsible owners of pets that enjoy life and get the most out of it that we can possibly provide.
As for sensational stories about dogs biting children, yes a dog bite is a terrible thing, it’s tragic when a child is bitten and I also have children and I feel concerned that we must do as much as we can to prevent such attacks. But, there is always another side to the story and it is usually one of human negligence when a dog bites a child. Where are the parents? Where were they when the child was bitten and could this bite have been prevented?
My children were raised with dogs and I grew up with dogs myself, my mother taught me how to respect them and how to stay safe around all kinds of dogs, it’s common sense and good parenting and animal care, we can all do it and it’s not rocket science. I was never bitten as a child and neither were my children. Apparently a lot of dog attacks happen to children when they are visiting their grandparents, well when I have grandchildren I will be as careful with my dogs and my grandchildren as I am with my own kids and I remember what I was taught as a child and that will hopefully be enough common sense to always keep my dogs and children safe.
Today’s law makers are quick to slap a plaster on a problem instead of getting to the root cause of it, legislation against so called ‘dangerous breeds’ is not going to teach common sense or educate people and children, it’s simply a knee-jerk reaction to a bad incident that in most cases could have been avoided with a little responsible and ‘aware’ behaviour from those who should know better.
If we always think it’s someone else’s problem we will never manage to think for ourselves or change this country for the better and we will simply be stifled by more and more suffocating laws that do not encourage grown adults to be responsible for their own actions.
How can we teach the next generation if we are not prepared to learn ourselves?
If you don’t agree with the way this country tackles dog issues, get involved and have your say, don’t be a victim of apathy or someone who moans and forgets about it.
Next time you see a ridiculous and sensationalised dog story that demonises a certain breed, write to the newspaper and tell them, the editors will soon realise that we do care and we have a voice and we can use it!
Our dogs don’t have the luxury of a speaking voice of course but if they did they’d probably tell us all exactly where we are going wrong!
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