Oh boy I am hopping mad!

http://www.bluecross.ie/news2.html

the problem i see here is one of  bsl, personally i would not be totally against the muzzling of all dogs in public, if policed correctly.it would i imagine cut the number of dog bites which can not be a bad thing.

> i would not be totally against the muzzling of all dogs in public

Heaven forbid!  What better pleasure than to see dogs playing at grabbing one another's ruffs and tails, chasing balls, licking us in affection - IMO anyone with that attitude should not own a dog :(

I've been around literally tens of thousands of dogs in two decades of multi dog ownership and widely attended activities and I can hand on heart say I have NEVER seen anyone bitten.

BSL as it stands is bad enough - BSL covering all dogs is tantamount to cruel and a shameful thing for any dog owner to advocate.

It appears that some breeds are just no longer welcome outwith those who know them intimately.  One of the ring crafts I attend is made up almost entirely of Rottweillers and Dobermans and a better behaved, friendly, amenable and thorougly well trained bunch of dogs I couldn't hope to meet.  I go there specifically to allow my much lighter framed youngster mix with bigger dogs and learn how to behave nicely around them and they have been fantastic for that.

It's a disgrace that so many lovely dogs of several breeds are tarred with the same brush as a minority which, through their owners irresponsibility or craving for macho status, has corrupted the characters of some individuals - but definitely not ALL of them

> It's a disgrace that so many lovely dogs of several breeds are tarred with the same brush as a minority which, through their owners irresponsibility or craving for macho status, has corrupted the characters of some individuals - but definitely not ALL of them <IMG alt=mad src="/images/mad.gif">

I agree here, its just ridiculous, what is this world coming to!! We have German Shepherds, 2, 1 which has to wear a muzzle as she is old and grumpy now! and our youngest pup who is a leap of life and so happy and friendly, it wouldnt be fair to muzzle her when she is just a friendly outgoing pup doing no wrong!! Makes me so mad!! How dare they tie every dog in a certain breed as being aggressive!! What about police dogs, they need to work, does that mean they cant do there job properly as they need to be muzzled?

This isn't a new Irish law though is it? I remember it being the case a good few years back - at least 5 when I was thinking about taking my shepherd to Dublin with me ....

no don't think it is new.. perhaps the list has changed in some way?
not sure, but I know that my friend who moved to Dublin 2 years ago knew of this law then...

From the ISPCA legal handbook:

The Control of Dogs Act, 1986 (Guard Dogs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1989 S.I. No. 329 amends Article 2(4) and paragraph 4 of the First Schedule of S.I. No. 255/88.

Q.32 Are there restrictions in relation to the keeping of certain types of dogs?

Yes, the Control of Dogs (Restriction of Certain Dogs) Regulation, S.I. No. 123 of 1991 requires that in order to keep the following types of dogs

Bandogs, American Pit Bull Terriers, Bulldogs, Bull Mastiffs, Doberman Pinschers, English Bull Terriers, German Shepherd (Alsatians), Japanese Akitas, Japanese Tosas, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweilers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers including any other strain or cross or every breed or type of dog so described - as specified in Regulation 4,

It is necessary to have these dogs controlled by a sufficiently strong chain or leash not more than one metre in length and by a person over the age of 16 years of age who is capable of controlling the dog, Regulation 5.

I find it amazing that an organisation who claims to be working for the welfare of animals asks vets and rescue groups to discourage the public from adopting restricted breeds,. I have fired off a few complaints and so have many others over here. It smacks of ignorance and gutter press.

> This isn't a new Irish law though is it? I remember it being the case a good few years back - at least 5 when I was thinking about taking my shepherd to Dublin with me ....

I know someone in Ireland that wanted a Doberman a few years ago but didn't want to muzzle him so went for a Boxer instead.

They have caved in under massive pressure from rescue groups, restricted breed owner and other peeps and have changed the statement. Link remains the same but they took out this bit:

In the absence of legislation to restrict ownership and breeding of the above listed dogs, the charity calls on welfare groups and the veterinary profession to continue their good work in encouraging responsible pet ownership and in so far as possible to discourage the ownership of these breeds. A greater understanding of the potential risks in keeping these breeds will assist pet owners to make more informed decisions on choosing family pets and pets suited to community environments

> One of the ring crafts I attend is made up almost entirely of Rottweillers and Dobermans and a better behaved, friendly, amenable and thorougly well trained bunch of dogs I couldn't hope to meet.

We also have 2 Rotties at dog training and they are both well behaved and friendly dogs.

I also get both dogs in for a bath and pamper and I must admit they are better behaved than some of the little white terrrier darlings I have to groom yet people think that these little darlings are a lovley little breed of dog . I am not saying that the terriers are all nippy as some are little angels but have they been put on the dangerous dogs list ? well some of them have been  !! well on my nippy dogs list  they have !!! No offence to any westie owners .