Daily Express Article 6th February, 2024.
JAMIE PENRITH
Association of Responsible Dog Owners
THIS harrowing event is tragically not the first attack of this kind and unfortunately it won’t be the last.
While very few breeds have the power, ability or instinct to actually kill people, plenty of poorly trained, poorly controlled dogs still escape to attack or bite.
Statistics show that this is only getting worse.
There is a wider, core issue here. Dogs are dogs. Not teddy bears for grown-ups.
We must drop the dangerous Disney daydream that dogs are misunderstood «fur babies” who must be bribed with biscuits to stop bad behaviour. Dogs don’t understand laws or have morals. Dogs understand consequences.
Responsible dog ownership starts with accepting these facts. If we do not raise them responsibly and train them meaningfully, any dog can seize the opportunity to become the natural predator that they are.
Dangerous Existing breed specific legislation does nothing to protect people and prevent attacks in private premises.
The Government thinks that a dog is only capable of attacking people in public – where breeds like XL Bullies must be muzzled. However, tragedies like this confirm a more dangerous reality.
Moving forward, responsible dog ownership should focus on educating people about what dogs are and what specific breeds or groups of breeds require to keep everyone, including the dogs, safe and satisfied.
Dogs with strong fighting, hunting or herding instincts are largely unsuitable as simple family pets and people should be strongly discouraged from owning them in a family pet capacity.
Dog training should be results-based as opposed to the existing Government mantra “reward-based”.
And discipline is not a dirty word.
