Milan has brought back breed selective licensing

[Bellasophia]

Pitbull, American bulldog, Pastore dell’Anatolia, Pastore di Charplanina, Pastore dell’Asia centrale, Pastore del Caucaso, Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese, Cane da Serra da Estreilla, Dogo argentino, Fila brazileiro, Perro da canapo majoero, Perro da presa canario, Perro da presa Mallorquin, Pit bull mastiff, Pit bull terrier, Rafeiro do alentejo, Rottweiler, Rhodesian ridgeback, Tosa inu, American Staffordshire, Bandog + molossoidi di grande taglia, Bull terrier, Boerboel, Cane Corso, Lupo Cecoslovacco, Cane lupo di Saarloos, Cane lupo italiano.

Seventeen breeds listed.
Obligatory testing( approx cost 200e) dog owner has to follow ten hr series of lessons ( online). Then has a 4 hr course with behaviorist who will issue the owner a license if it passes testing.

so far Milan has brought out this legislation...but probably other cities will follow.
It’s a modified version of the D.D act that was scrapped years ago.

I found an English link here..

https://www.italy24news.com/en/2021...st-special-dog-licenses-after-the-course.html

 

[Smitty]

Well, what a brilliant thing, if it can be made to work. But I expect, if it were adopted here in the UK, the owners that were always going to behave responsibly would do the course and licence their dogs and the element with the weapon and status dogs who probably cause more trouble, wouldn't, so it would need to be strictly enforceable.

There are some truly potentially dangerous bull and guarding crosses, originating from overseas, cropping up daily on the freeads websites and I am sure they do not all end up in responsible homes.

Gone are the days of sandy coloured Heinz 57s, lower dog and people population and GSDs being a status symbol for some in my area. Only yesterday I read of an elderly family terrier pet being attacked by 3 out of control pitbull/Staff types resulting in it's destruction and I think, and this will not be popular, that these types of dogs need to be muzzled in public as a matter of course.

 

[skinnydipper]

and this will not be popular, that these types of dogs need to be muzzled in public as a matter of course.

Where are you going to draw the line?

One of my dogs was badly injured by a Husky, are you going to muzzle ALL Huskies? My GSD was attacked by a black lab, muzzle ALL labs?

When I was a child, collecting Christian Aid envelopes with my dad, a Yorkshire terrier rushed out of one door and bit my leg. Lets muzzle Yorkshire terriers shall we.

Oh no, forget all that, because some idiot will come along and say ALL DOGS should be muzzled in public.

 

[Smitty]

You are absolutely right of course Re where to draw the line err, and I am that idiot I'm afraid, as I would not have a problem with mandatory muzzling of each and every dog in public, although my little terrier has never shown any aggression.

 

[Bellasophia]

I think the point of this new law( at present in Milan ,not all of Italy) is to get the owners to become educated and pass a test to show their dog is socialized and equilibrated in a public setting.
Having owned a rottweiller and a dogue de Bordeaux mastiff ,I took both through more than one course ,from puppyhood,simply to ensure their socialization with other breeds.Both were great dogs,went to the city parks,shopping in the malls,fine off lead and on.
(both my dogs passed basic obedience and CDX levels .)
Ten months old..Rebecca dogue de Bordeaux ..a gem of a dog.

Sadly ,over here,you can buy any breed online with no breeder back up..the last years trendy breed was lupo checozlovakia....now being abandoned in numbers in canile.Last year a lady was killed by her 5 chec.lupo dogs in her own courtyard..imo it is not a breed to be sold as a companion dog .
in Italy all dogs on trains or buses are required to be muzzled.
Milan is a busy city with many pet owners,to me this test makes good sense if the dogs are to be brought to city parks and released into dog offlead areas.
The idea is to avoid generic muzzling,if the dog passed its test for compatibility with others.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I have often wondered why there has been such a significant increase in dog attacks - I see it everywhere, literally everyday on social media. Be it friends of mine, or shared posts or in the news; and I think the mindless crossing of bully and guarding breeds, or high drive breeds and then flogging to any Tom, Dick and Harry who wants one is the reason. People have bought en masse during lockdown and they just don't have the access to help that they normally would have, or they don't have the desire to get it - yes some of the culprits are 'normal family breeds' but the types of dogs now available can't be helping. That alongside dogs who now have separation anxiety, or are so closely bonded with their owner who never leaves the house that they are now reactive to both dogs and humans.

I saw a Doberman x Husky the other day, on what planet is that going to be anywhere near a family pet, or a pet for someone inexperienced who wants it for status?! Or a great Dane x Bully breed, senseless!

 

[Smitty]

Well, this is just it. With so many potentially lethal dogs on the market and no restriction to whom they are sold, I wonder where we go next.

Bellasophia, I applaud you on your comittment to training your dogs but there are so many owners out there who a) will not bother b) have no idea they need training and c) want their dogs to be aggressive

I would be so pleased to see this work but have zero confidence in the entire dog owning population of this country to embrace it and do wonder if for the safety of all, muzzling of all breeds in public should become compulsary. I would love to walk my dog without fearing attacks ..