i dont wish to cause an argument, but why own a breed which is considered dangerous, surely they cant live a full life, not being alloud off lead etc.

It will be interesting to hear your replies
Alice
alice455@yahoo.com

Sorry don't accept your premise.
a\ that they are considered dangerous - by whom
b\ that they can't live a full live - what makes you think that
c\ why can't they be allowed of the lead - dozens are
d\ That you are not trying to start an argument - you are talking nonsense and I would suggest if you really wish to discuss the bull breeds, you join the forum and put your points.

Bull breeds in the Uk just get a bad press. They are no more dangerous than other breeds, providing they have responsible breeders and owners, but that can be said for all dogs.

My 2 bullmastiffs live a very full life, including walks off lead. Why would I not let them off - hmm, must be to stop them licking to death anyone they come into contact with?

Can I ask why you think bull breeds are dangerous?

>>>>but why own a breed which is considered dangerous<<<<<< By whom are they considered dangerous? I own a bull breed a Stafford and I do not consider her dangerous to anything other than a ice-cream :)

>>>> surely they cant live a full life<<<<<<Well I have owned two Staffords who lived until they were 16 how much fuller do you want?

>>>> not being alloud off lead etc.<<<<<<Well mine is 16 months and is walked on lead on the pavement for muscle tone, but in the park/away from roads she is rarely on the lead.

I am not sure who told you bull breeds are dangerous, but I would suggest they do not have a great deal if any experience of them.

Karen  

i total agree with Kazz

i have had 5 Staffords living in my house at the same time and that was with my 2 little girls.  and i have loads of pic that i can show you that well help you change your mind.
my dogs are also walked on lead for muscle tone and then off lead for fun. 

you are right guest.i am just making an appointment now with my vet to have all mine PTS in the morning :-)

Hello guest,

When I read your post I was sure that you were pulling our legs but on the off chance that you're actually serious do you mean bull breeds or banned breeds?
There are, as far as I know only 2 official 'breeds' that are currently banned by the Dangerous Dogs act (1991 version), the American Pit bull terrier and the Japanese Tosa. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion about these 2 breeds, but you are either very ignorant or very narrow minded about all other 'bull' breeds.  The history of these breeds is not the issue here, we all know what most of them were bred for, but to tar them all with that same brush is incredibly unfair.  I dont presume to be particularly knowledgable about the bull breeds but even I know that(with a few exceptions) they make wonderful pets in the correct hands.  Any dog can be a danger in the wrong hands, whether bull breeds or not, but to say that they should not be allowed off lead is ridiculous.
I'm going to stop this now, before I post something that I shouldn't:)
Ali :)

there are loads of pitbulls and other so-called dangerous dogs in britain and i dont know of any which are kept on the lead all the time or which dont lead a full life etc I thik the guest must be under the impression that people are actualy complying with the law which says these dogs must be muzzled in public, on a lead at all times etc which is most defiantely not the case!

cooper send booze down to me :) IIhave six staffords and all of them run off the lead.If some one appoaches i always put them back on leads as it is law in a public place. The problems start when other people just let there dogs run loose with no control over them. Recently while out walking 3 of mine, from around the bend came a german shepard (nothing against them my friend has a few )I put my dogs back on the lead and this dog came straight over hackles up growling at my dogs. By the time the owner got to it to put its lead back on it was too late he had got hold of my white girl and took a chunk out of her face. blood all over scars to prove.All the owner said was oh well im sure she will be ok and walked off. there is nothing wrong with any dog its bad owners that cause problems
All the best gwen 

Gwen
is your white girly ok ? :(

Guest, perhaps you have not met bull breeds in the flesh...this may then change your opinion.  I have 3 Staffs and many of my friends own a variety of Bull breeds...not one of them is vicious, aggressive or dangerous. 

I do know, however, of several other varieties of dogs (I won't mention them in case I offend owners of those breeds) that have the tendencies that you have mentioned and my 3 Staffs have been on the receiving end of their appalling behaviour.  Fortunately, my Staffs were relatively uninjured (although did have some wounds) and did not fight back.

My 3 are all allowed off lead, have excellent recall, are very dog and people friendly and enjoy lots of cuddles.  Not such a bad life, I think you'll agreed.

I respect a well-informed and researched opinion, perhaps you need to do some of your own research into all breeds and then reassess your opinion.

I did not know it  was against the law to walk a Staff off the lead??  I have been doing it every day and he is amzingly well behaved - never strays too far and his recall is great - so far!

As far as the question is concerned...what a ridiculous notion!  I fully agree with the sentiments posted so far - and am very envious of those who are able to look after a pack of Staffs :)  Must be like having your own amusement park 24/7!!

No its against the law to have any dog off a lead in a public place and out of control. Yep lel my lottie is fine just scarred round her eye the kids were scared to death though it really put the wind up them crying with her being white the blood was all over. Still it put you off letting your dogs off the lead all the best gwen

<<No its against the law to have any dog off a lead in a public place and out of control.>>

Since when? It may well be inconsiderate, but which Act of Parliament does it come under?
:)

Control of Dogs on roads order 1993 - It is an offence for a dog to be on or near a road off the lead. The fine is a maximum £200.*

if you also do a google search for control of dogs on roads you will find that almost every council in the uk has a byelaw stating that dogs must be on a lead when on or near a road

also, The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991,1997 and the Dogs Act 1871 make it an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control.

Z

Yes, but Gwennie's post gave the impression that it illegal to have a dog off the lead in all public places - ie the park, the common etc. It is always sensible to have a dog on a lead near roads whether it the law or not.

And we're talking (I am anyway) about dogs playing off-lead, not behaving aggressively towards people, so not 'dangerously out of control'.

in all public places you have to abide by the law of the land and also that of the local governing councils bylaws and i think that maybe that was what Gwen was referring to
and seeing as most councils seem to think that dogs are as bad as a cloud of incoming locusts they have bylaws banning dogs from all kinds of areas that you would normally think you could take your dog off lead
so if your area is covered by any such bylaws then it is indeed illegal to have your dog off lead

you may also see that at the entrance to nearly all public parks that still allow dogs they have a sign stating that dogs must be kept on leads at all times

as for dangerously out of control
a person only has to say that they "thought" they were in danger from the dog and your nicked under the DDA
the onus is then on you to prove otherwise and poor little mutley is on remand for the forseeable future till it gets sorted

Gwen lives up north
i live down south
yet the laws are very similar
all dogs on leads in public
not allowed anywhere of any interest at all to anyone
not allowed to go to toilet anywhere except in a prearranged 3inch square piece of land that must be treated for radiation, toxicaris, and contaminated moon dust within a 4 second period or you lose your house, car and second child
not allowed to bark at a decibel level above 30db or the same punishment as allowing them to foul anywhere outside their own garden

the list of seemingly outrageous limitations on dogs grows by the day

unfortunately this is the community we all now live in

if your lucky enough to have somewhere to take your dogs and let them play off lead with no worries about any other dogs or people bothering you then i would cherish and guard it because as soon as someone finds out that your actually enjoying being with and having your dog then they will try to put a stop to it

Z

I'll stay in the Midlands then, where dogs are allowed offlead on all common land, public footpaths and rights of way, provided there are no farm livestock in the same field. Even in the Country Parks dogs are allowed offlead.
:)

So the dog that bit my staff was his owner in control no i dont think so. It is an offence to have a dog out of control in a public place wether it be a park wood or what ever. i walk my dogs in several places and one a very big park in Derby they have a special bit for you to exercise you dogs off the lead if you let them off anywhere else you get fined by Derby council. So that must be a law. How many times do we get posts on here HELP MY dog wont come back ? The fact is this poster thinks bull breeds are dangerous and they are not All the best gwen

Are your dogs out of control when you let them off jeangenie? If we all let our dogs run loose without any reguard to other dog owners then all hell would be let loose what if that dog had got hold of one of my kids? would the owner have said the same if my 8 year old had blood running down his face. No i dont think so 

No, they are not out of control because they return when they are called. This is because they have been routinely let off the lead to mix with other dogs as as soon as their injections were completed. Thus being offlead among other dogs isn't the excitement it is for those dogs who are denied this.

Hope this helps.
:)

A dog would have to be dangwerously out of control in a public place to cause an offence.  Your Council is using local bylaws to restrict dog users to oof lead in some parts of the park, not same thing at all.

I have an independant breed whose idea of recall is a bit 'wait a minute' and they can tend to selective deafness.  They are well socialised and have been taught doggy manners really well, so that they do not case bother to other walkers, even if they can be a bit slow to recall.  They are also better with steady, walk on than actually come :D :D

Also you can't know how a puppy will be off lead until you actually let it.  No amount of work with a flexi or long line will tell you that.  I have a four year old bitch who came back to me at 8 1/2 months having already enjoyed uncontrolled freedom.  she is perfect to walk on a flexi, and knows well she is on a line, but equally knows full well when she is loose, or too far for me to get the line, and sometimes takes advantage of this.

I would hate for Dog walkers to be more restricted than already and it would become like the US where we had to go miles to an enclosed dog park to have off lead excersise, and have to pay for it to.

Most of the Parks and public commons would be totally empty most of the time if not for dog walkers.  Most other people use them at weekends and holiday time.  It is the dog walkers that in many ways ensure that councils do not sell off these green areas for development.

I tend to avoid the Country Park on Weekends with peak family use time, as it is just so much hassle with kids shrieking because they see a dog, riding bikes (where the park doesn't allow them) and stupid parents pulling their kids away or not stopping them interfering with every passing doggy.  Most other dog walkers do the same keeping off the Rugby pitches when there are games etc, it is a case of compromise so that we can all enjoy the facilities.  I eould hate it if it all had to become rules with no give and take, and it is people who are inconsiderate that get these foisted upon the rest of us.

i agree with jancx, just because there is a law which no-one bothers to take notice of, doesnt mean bull breeds should get a bad rap. there are lots of other dogs which have the same capability to bite, snap or cause harm, from toy dogs to collies and from GSDS to poodles infact if you took a survey of everyone who has ever been bitten by a dog, or had their dogbitten by someone elses you would probably find that attacks by bull breeds are no more common than any other breed but the bull breed cases did tend to get lots of press coverage thats why they have such a bad name its unfair as bull breeds can be very soft and loving dogs. we have an old collie who roams our yard and he would be far more likely to bite an intruder -without giving a warning bark first! - than any of our four staffies or our rottie. they want to be friends with everyone! luckily we live in a remote rural area so we dont get many visitors but there is a warning sign on the gate and it has a pic of a border collieon it, not a stafford or rottie as is usually the case!

All dogs can be dangerous dogs in the wrong hands - not just bull breeds.

I grew up with a staffordshire bull terrier from the age of 7 or 8 years old and he never once growled or bit me or my sister.  He was the most loving and gentle dog you would ever meet.  He hid under the bed when the house got burgled for god's sake!!!!

Apparently (and I'm not sure if this is 100% true) but the KC only recommend 2 breeds as "family dogs" and one of these dogs is the staffordshire bull terrier.

I don't let my puppy off lead yet because we haven't got the recall down to a tee yet but I do use an extendable lead and let her run to the end of that without worrying.  I WILL be letting her offlead once her recall is good enough though and I won't be worried about her attacking anyone.

xxx Ria xxx

We are lucky enough to have a number of huge parks near us which are about 3 or 4 miles in total if you walked round the edges (Danson park and Hall Place in Bexley) and take our girl over either one for a run and to meet the other breeds of dogs so that she will hopefull end up being fully socialised before she becomes an adult. She is let of her lead the second we get in the park and unless another dog is being threatening towards her then she stays off her lead till we get back to the car. She is 9mths old now and as such she gets very excited around other dogs and she is really playful, what puppy doesn't?, which I think some other dog owners get worried/nervous about as they think she is being aggresive but her recall is amazing and she is not only good at recall for us but also my brother who sometimes doggy sits for us.  Think some people confuse a Staffies endless zest for fun and games with it being aggressive as they are not aware of their playful nature.

Hi Luxnallstaffs

You must be just up the road from me then - I'm in Dartford!!  Maybe we could meet up at Danson Park sometime for our staffies to play together - at least then neither of us would be worried about their playfulness ;o)

xxx Ria xxx

Think she needs a play partner as she tries to get the other dogs to play but the owners get very wary when she starts to get 'over excited'. We will be over there on Sunday if you'd care to join us for a ball chucking session???

Staffordshire Bull Terrier - brief facts



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Is a Stafford good with kids?

Yes a Stafford is one of only 2 dogs recommended by the Kennel Club of Great Britain as being good with children.

It is also known as the "Nanny Dog" due to its loving caring, nature

Is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier a Good Guard dog?

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not a good "property Guarding Dog" due mainly to its love of people.

A Stafford should protect you if you had the misfortune to be attacked.

Whats this I hear about the Staffordshire Bull Terrier being a fighting dog?

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was originally bred to fight other dogs.

Dog fighting is illegal in the UK and has been so since 1835.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was recognised by the Kennel club of great Britain in 1935.

You would need to be careful with this breed around other dogs.

Are Staffordshire Bull Terriers Hard to train?

Staffordshire Bull Terriers can need a firm hand, but one of their characteristics is that they will do anything to please their masters.

This breed is not for everyone and should not be taken on without prior research.
(which should include required diet and excercise requirements etc).

A Staffordshire Bull Terrier IS a powerful dog and should not be taken on by an inexperienced person unless the new owner has fully researched the breeds character & training needs.


Remember that with a powerful dog comes responsibility.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers should be loving "family oriented" dogs and also very loyal.

Why do I hear bad reports of this breed in some newspapers etc?

As with any breed of dog, bad ownership and breeding can cause problems.

Any breed of dog however small or large can become aggressive with the wrong ownership/training.

The true temperament of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier dictates that it should "NEVER" be people aggressive.

Due to the ignorance of some people as to what a Staffordshire Bull Terrier actually is, it has been miss represented in the press on occasions and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is NOT a Pit Bull, as people have incorrectly suggested in some instances in the past.

The true Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not people aggressive by nature.

Individual deeds should be judged as that and not as breed specific.

I have never used leashes on either of my dogs,when their puppy shots were finished i started taking them to the park off lead,as they were pups they naturally stayed close to me and they have never lost that,they never stray too far away from me,the only time i put a harness and leash on them is if we have to go to the vet,we have parks every where around where we live, all off leash areas,i have never walked from one end to the other of any of the parks as they are sooo long,at least 15 kilometres.
As for the bull breeds,i'm afraid to say that i walk in the other direction when i see one approaching,i know they are loving to people and i dont fear for me or my kids being bitten,but when youv'e got 2 little dogs and a breed,bred for fighting comes your way i am not going to take the risk,all it would take for my dogs to be killed would be one shake by a big dog,they would have no hope and no chance of fighting back.I dont think i could survive if i saw one of my babies being ripped apart in front of my eyes.

Christine(Australia)

Ozzie72, this is going to sound like I'm picking an argument with you...I assure you I'm not, I'm just very curious..:-) You say you walk away when you see a "fighting breed" (I think that was the expression?) approach...do you also do the same when you see German Shepherds, Rotties, Lurchers, Greyhounds etc etc approach? 

The reason I ask is that, unfortunately, I know of several incidents where small dogs ie Yorkies, Westies have been killed by these breeds of dogs by being shaken by them?

I must admit I was very surprised when I heard about the death of a Yorkie by a Lurcher but the reason given was that the Yorkie ran and the Lurcher reacted to it as if it were a rabbit.  Tragic...

What sort of dogs do you have?  My Staffs play quite happily with a number of small dogs ie Chihuhua (sorry, sp!), Maltese, Lhasas and Yorkies and play quite gently with them...infact, my boys get bowled over quite often by the little ones! 

Not attacking you with this post Christine...just interested to hear your point of view...:-)

My staffie also has a yorkie friend called jasper my dog has known him since he was a puppy and is always very gentle.
My dog is not aggressive to any dogs humans or other animals(he lives with a 10 month old house bunny) He is definatley not a devil dog.
He was attacked a few weeks ago by another dog bigger than him he didnt do anything just lay screaming in the flloor since then he has been very scared of big dogs.
You cant say that all bull breeds are bad dogs any dog can be bad in the wrong hands.

I've had many yorkshire terriers and small breed dogs try to attack my puppy....  but Lola (SBT) just wants to play with them :-(

xxx Ria xxx

I can assure you Ozzie the only danger you would have from most staffies is being licked to death or being pushed over with thier excitement. Lacey has had all sorts of dog come up to her and she will approach almost any dog as she is curious and she has been brought up to mix with other dogs and to be friendly. She has met Yorkies who growl at her and bark at her all the time and on the other hand she has met Rotties and Irish Wolfhounds who run about like idiots with her till they are all knackered out. I take each dog we meet on face value and give the owner credit that if their dog was dangerous they wouldn't let it off a lead in a public place with other dogs. We love Staffies the same amount as you love your breed but you seem to want to punish us for it. Every breed has its good and bad points and its good and bad representatives and that will never change and that is why we say 'Punish the deed and not the breed'. If one of your babies attacked another dog would you want the breed to be outlawed? Shame there is a distinct lack of understanding or willingness to learn about other breeds by some people.

Juliet,i dont at all think you are picking a fight yours is a valid question :)
Yes i am a little paranoid of the other breeds you mentioned,i do realise all breeds are capable of being vicious.
I should have clarified myself better :p It is a very rare occurence to see a pure bred sbt around,i cant remember the last time i saw one,if ever :( The dogs i am worried about are the bull terriers cross between pit bulls or staffs cross between bullies etc. etc. and sometimes rotties,which is a great shame as i used to own 2 rotts. and they were the most gentle loving babies :)
Maybe i have just been unlucky in the past but the majority of times i have seen a bull x they have been fierce,the owner either puts it on a leash and vears around us or tells me to keep my dogs away as their dog WILL attack! My mums friends little fox terrier got ripped apart and killed buy a sbt x bull terrier,even tho the owner said his dog was fine Unfortunatly the majority of folks around here who own the bull breeds are the brainless young fella's who want a big vicious dog,the more vicious the better.
I couldnt agree with you more luxnallstaffs re; sbt being big sooks,a neighbour of mine,years ago used to breed them and they truly were gentle dogs who would only lick you to death :) Where oh where have all the purebreds gone?I know the media have alot to answer for with all their negative stories!! The annoying thing is that pit bulls are banned here,they are advertised in the paper as "american bull terriers" You see at least 10 advertisements of pups in the weekend papers.
I honestly hate being paranoid of other big dogs,but from previous experience it is better to be safe than sorry :(
It used to drive me mad when i had my rotties and people used to pick up their little dogs or make a big circle around us,and now i do the same thing,i am embarrassed to say!
I must go to the next dog show and see how many pure sbt's there are,out of curiousity. I can tell you i wouldnt be half as paranoid if i saw a pure sbt,rather than the crosses, which ARE the ones i am worried about.
I hope i have clarified myself a little better?? Oh by the way i have shih-tzu's.
You guys are lucky that you can take each dog at face value,but i dont have that choice,if a big dog wants to attack mine than it will most likely end in death.your dogs are able to defend themselves :)

Christine

Thanks Christine, I understand a bit better now! :-)  It sounds like a bad situation there in with the XBull Breeds, one I'm glad I've not encountered really over here.  Perhaps others in the UK have, not sure...