Dog attackes risen by 40%

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GinaB

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Hoodies' dogs are behind the soaring number of vicious attacks on people, it was claimed yesterday.

Hospitals treated almost 3,800 patients for dog bites last year - 40 per cent up on four years ago.

In London the numbers treated more than doubled - up 119 per cent.

In the West Midlands it rose 80 per cent and the North East 23 per cent.


Dogs used as weapons and fashion accessories by thugs and gangsters were blamed for the rise. After the crackdown on guns and knives, MPs say villains are turning to breeds such as Rottweilers and Staffordshire bull terriers but often do not care for them properly.

Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb added: "These are enormously disturbing figures.

"Irresponsible owners are more likely to turn a dog dangerous than it being born a particular breed."
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One of the papers also stated that the biggest rise in attacks was those involving the under 18s.

Is it time there were stricter laws in regards to those owning dogs?

I do think there needs to be control of those that own dogs. Although how they would go about this I don't know.

Especially the likes of rottweilers, dobermans, staffys etc I am by no means blaming these breeds (they are particular favourites of mine in fact) but they require skilled handling and someone who knows what they are doing.
 
I think this is a big problem because
1) there are irresponsible owners who don't train, look after or keep their dog under control and therefore, they either attack out of fear or through not being socialized and

2) People are not being the dogs leader and are humanizing their dogs by having them as a substitute for a baby and dressing them up in jackets and having posh beds etc, the owners are being weak and soft, all contributing to the dog attacking because of dominance.

I dont think its any specific breed that is causing the problems, any dog can attack and bite its just that fighting breeds are much more powerful and cause more damage. And as GinaB said, people take on these breeds without knowing how to handle them.

I took my dog through the park last night, it was a narrow path so when a man and women came the otherway with their two bull terriers, I sat my dog at the side of me until the others passed. Both Bull terriers were straining against their collars to get to mine and the man was actually egging them on say' get it, get it' and then went away laughing. Its these people who have the problem, not the dogs, and they shouldnt be allowed to keep them for everyones sake.
 
I heard this yesterday, then I listened again...

It is the No. of people treated for dog bites... that doesn't necessarily mean they were attacked.. it appears to be a media spin put on the results...

My OH has been treated in hospital twice for dog bites, neither were from being attacked by the dog, he got bitten when splittiing up a fight between dogs.

So if I am thinking correctly these would be 2 occassions added into the NHS figures that actually aren't attacks as such. I expect a lot more would also fall into this category!!
 
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2) People are not being the dogs leader and are humanizing their dogs by having them as a substitute for a baby and dressing them up in jackets and having posh beds etc, the owners are being weak and soft, all contributing to the dog attacking because of dominance.



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I could dress my two up as Peter Pan put them in thousand pound dog beds and cuddle them all day long and it wouldn't make them attack someone. The amount of money/love you spend does not equal the amount of training skills you have or the way the dog will act
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. That's down to training and upbringing.
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You find that people think as they have a quite little dog such as a yorkie, chihuahua etc that they don't require training when in fact they require as much, if not more, than larger breeds. I don't call them yorkshire terrorists for nothing
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I see it every day on my way to work, it seems your average piece of brain dead pond scum absolutely has to have a staffy in a huge leather collar to be cool!!!

Don't know if they are all drug dealers but I see them hanging around on street corners !!
 
My personal pet peeve is owners with toy breeds who laugh at their dog's aggressiveness. We walked past a pomeranian last night and the damn dog was on an extendable leash and tried to bite Stella's nozzle, all the while yap, yap, yapping away, all of which the owner found hilarious.

While Stella has some very snazzy coats, sleeps on our bed etc., she's a balanced dog who knows that people are in charge. I think you can treat your dog very well and still be a disciplinarian.
 
As to more kids being victims of attack -
I was always taught as a child to ASK before approaching a strange dog, a rule which doesn't seem to exist now!

Staffies/Rotties/GSDs are intellegent and loyal and have no indication that a pat isn't an attack when it comes from a squealing 7yr old
 
TBH, I was quite pleased with this report.
For the first tiem I can remember a MP is saying beyound doubt its the owners NOT the dogs causing the problem ....just hope the message sinks in to the public
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