Yet another staffy attack on a defenceless child in Sheffield!

[truman 10]

 

STOP TRYING TO BAN BREEDS, PUNISH THE OWNERS INSTEAD!

 

I know what you're saying but wouldn't it be too late once the dog's attacked someone?

[jrowl 10]

Ah the old "it's all the nasty meeja's fault" argument!

 

Are you saying that the attack referred to in my opening post never happened and that all Staffy attacks reported in the media are completely made up?

 

Not saying it does not happen but what makes a better news story,Sausage dog bites kid or Bull dog bites kid even though there are more attacks from Dachshund's(sausage dogs)You never see it in the tabloids.

[Kassy 10]

Ah the old "it's all the nasty meeja's fault" argument!

 

Are you saying that the attack referred to in my opening post never happened and that all Staffy attacks reported in the media are completely made up?

 

No, but they're completely ingnoring all the other attacks that happen by other breeds of dog. I know people that have been mauled by Jack russels, mixed breeds and Retreivers, badly as well, but i don't see that on the front page of a newspaper.

 

It's all media hype, and people need to pay less attention to them.

[NHSslave 10]

My brother has a staffie and my children will never go to his house unless the dog is outside and even then its very rare! My brother says the dog is well trained and wont hurt them but my 2 kids are my life and if anything happened to them which could have been preventable ie not going to a house where a staffie lives then imo thats bad parenting and i would be riddled with guilt!

[danot 10]

Ah the old "it's all the nasty meeja's fault" argument!

 

Are you saying that the attack referred to in my opening post never happened and that all Staffy attacks reported in the media are completely made up?

 

You're obviously uninterested in what those of us that know the breed have to say, you seem too intent on reveling in the bias media hype that you read.

[GordonBennet 10]

No, but they're completely ingnoring all the other attacks that happen by other breeds of dog. I know people that have been mauled by Jack russels, mixed breeds and Retreivers, badly as well, but i don't see that on the front page of a newspaper.

 

It's all media hype, and people need to pay less attention to them.

 

I disagree for two reasons.

 

A story becomes "news" because it's unusual. Events that are so commonplace that they are unremarkable don't make the news unless they're really extreme. We only read about the reported staffy attacks, not the everyday ones that don't result in serious injury death but are nevertheless terrifying for their victims so if anything you could say that the media are underplaying the Staffy problem.

If anything a story about a placid breed like a labrador or poodle savaging a child would be far more newsworthy simply because it would be so unusual.

 

"Staffy attacks human" these days is no more a story than "night follows day".

 

Secondly it's not just the attack it's the severity of it. If a labrador attacked someone it would probably just give them a playful nip and run off. I know from experience as a labrador once bit me when I was working as a paper boy - all I got was a little mark on my knee.

 

When a Staffy attacks it doesn't let go so it can quite literally be a fight to the death.

Edited March 30, 2010 by GordonBennet

[GordonBennet 10]

You're obviously uninterested in what those of us that know the breed have to say, you seem too intent on reveling in the bias media hype that you read.

 

Well obviously if you own a Staffy you're going to be biased! You don't understand what it would be like to be out in a park minding your own business and to suddenly be attacked by a snarling, aggressive dog for no reason like the child in the report I referred to at the start of this thread!

[moke 10]

i haven't digested every word of every post, but it is clear that both sides of the argument in here are focusing on the dog, and debating the points around that.

 

in my opinion, the focus should be squarely on the owner, rather than anything to do with the dog. even 'dangerous' dogs are only a risk if you allow the circumstances for a situation to develop. i grew up with dogs as pets, but i wouldn't let my daughter alone in a room with any dog, for example. if i owned my dream dog - an english mastiff - i certainly wouldn't let it run loose in a busy park near kids, despite being a fairly safe breed usually (vesides, it'd scare most kids, being the size of a horse).

 

for what its worth, i think it's another example of lack of responsibility - because it's easy to blame dogs rather than people, that what we do. in many cases though, it's as daft as blaming the knife, and not the stabber.

 

despite the cries of stealth tax, i'd be happy to see a dog license introduced - owners need more vetting than pets.

Edited March 30, 2010 by moke

[Greavsy 10]

People with staffies are obviously going to stick up for the breed but it's a known fact they do attack.

 

What does pis* me off is when people have these dogs off leads! How idiotic could they be? If one ever attacked my dogs I wouldn't think twice about killing it.

 

I wouldn't care less if they got banned, atleast then when walking my dogs I wouldn't have to worry about these chav dogs charging upto my dogs.

 

In my opinion they are horrible dogs and I would never own one.

 

Children are not safe around them.

 

Who knows you people sticking up for staffies might be in the next newspaper headline.

[fox20thc 10]

My dog is not horrible. She's a bit stupid, and clumsy and noisy but loyal and well mannered and respectful. It's such a shame you choose to dismiss an entire breed in such a manner.

 

After all what's not to love about this?

[clea_4eva 10]

Yes some Staffies do attack but all dogs do let's ban them all shall we? Maybe we should ban cats while we're at it i've had a couple of nasty bites off them.

 

Saying all dogs of a certain breed should be destroyed is like saying a certain race of people should be destroyed because a selective few of them commit a murder. Pit bulls were banned because a huge majority of them were bred to be aggressive but unlike them, not many staffies are bred that way in fact most of them are family pets. Just because you hear about one or two being aggressive doesn't mean they are all from the same batch.

[clea_4eva 10]

My dog is not horrible. She's a bit stupid, and clumsy and noisy but loyal and well mannered and respectful. It's such a shame you choose to dismiss an entire breed in such a manner.

 

After all what's not to love about this?

Aww how cute!