Boy of Four killed in dog attack Liverpool

[Guest bullterrier]

there are more pit and pitx in Liverpool than have seen in years i personally seen about 7 in are local park two of them ripping one another while theses dickheads just look on bragging have told theses lads that if ever one of there dogs come near any of my dogs ill drowned there dogs there and then in the lake as they have set there dogs onto a few peoples dogs have even been asked by one fella to cross his pit with one of my English bull terriers while walking in the park maybe a licence is the answer who knows this poor lad wasn't the first and will not be the last as some of you have already said when will people learn that dogs and kids don't get left alone together....john

[why jelly 0]

Good point John,whatever happened to dog licences anyway? Not sure if this would do anything about the dogs already on the streets, but I'd rather see some attempt being made to gets the chafs off the scene and the money ploughed into ridding this country of the peddlars

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

Good point John,whatever happened to dog licences anyway? Not sure if this would do anything about the dogs already on the streets, but I'd rather see some attempt being made to gets the chafs off the scene and the money ploughed into ridding this country of the peddlars

 

You and Main Man could probably do some grassing, that'd probably help?

[Helen 2]

Just my opinion, I have a Sport bred gsd, he was socialised very well and trained to a very high standard. You can take him anywhere he is confident, calm and very friendly, I would not trust him with a child for a minute.

Training makes a dog well behaved and teaches it appropriate reactions to situations, it does not change a dogs character if a dog is put under enough pressure it will react at genetic level not the level it was trained to.

 

RIP Little man.

[shepp 2,285]

Just my opinion, I have a Sport bred gsd, he was socialised very well and trained to a very high standard. You can take him anywhere he is confident, calm and very friendly, I would not trust him with a child for a minute.

Training makes a dog well behaved and teaches it appropriate reactions to situations, it does not change a dogs character if a dog is put under enough pressure it will react at genetic level not the level it was trained to.

 

RIP Little man.

 

Good point that Helen

[Annmarie09 5]

It appears that the boy was not at his own house but at his grans/uncles. I think the owner of the dog should be charged with manslaughter if the dog was an illegal breed. The point of charging him with that is (if the dog is a pitbull/cross) then he knowingly kept a dangerous dog. If it had been a labrador etc he wouldn't be charged with manslaughter as no one could have been expected to foresee what happened.

 

A local man was jailed for manslaughter a few years back as he hit and killed a child whilst driving at 40 in a 30 zone, if he had been driving at below the speed limit he would not have been charged with manslaughter as he wouldn't have done anything illegal, as the child ran straight out in front of him.

 

Of course we sensible dog owners know that a small child should never be left alone with a dog, but how long does it take? Assuming your dogs live in your house, do you take the dog with you every time you are out of the room for a few seconds, to switch the kettle on for instance? I am not talking about a tiny baby crawling on the floor, but toddlers, and small children.

 

Even if this man (and I use the word loosely) felt he could control this dog, he had no right leaving his mum in charge of it, he had no right allowing it near children, and hopefully a jail sentence may stop just one person who has a dog like this taking any chances with it around kids and save a life.

 

The majority of dogs don't just go in for the kill with no warning, unless there is something wrong with them, perhaps a brain tumour, senility, illness, or even inbreeding, and small children don't know how to read a dog's body language/warnings, like a small growl, stiffening of the body etc. You and I would know there was something wrong. Do we know what started the attack? Was the boy hassling the dog, did he pull it's tail, jump on it when it was asleep? Not the child's fault obviously as he was too young to understand.

 

Some breeds have shorter fuses than others and the average family dog (labrador or whatever) will put up with much more than certain breeds which are bred to fight. It is unfortunate that dog breeds are subject to fashion, and no one can deny that Staffies and other bull breeds are fashionable right now. Many parents at my son's school have them. But too many of the breeders are not bothered about the temperament of the dogs they breed, just the size, muscle, colour or whatever, so they can make as much money as possible. Look through the dogs available from any of the rescues which take dogs from pounds after their seven days are up and count the percentage of bull breeds. Too many, and it just isn't fair on the dogs.

 

In my perfect world, dogs with the capability to kill should be bred properly and carefully and only owned by those who have proved they can own them responsibly. We don't want to go down the same road as parts of Ireland where we ban certain breeds, like GSDs, Rotties etc and I know good and bad dogs of all breeds. But Pit bulls are banned for a reason. Correct me if I am wrong but were they not bred to fight against each other? We don't have any need for a breed like that in this country.

 

Rant over!

 

It is a terrible, terrible thing that happened and I really feel for the whole family, RIP John Paul.

[RicW 67]

 

The owner, a serving squaddie, has been charged with manslaughter and keeping a dangerous dog.

 

Ric

[gnasher16 30,049]

 

The owner, a serving squaddie, has been charged with manslaughter and keeping a dangerous dog.

 

Ric

 

 

was he charged with owning or breeding the dog ?

[RicW 67]

 

The owner, a serving squaddie, has been charged with manslaughter and keeping a dangerous dog.

 

Ric

 

 

was he charged with owning or breeding the dog ?

 

As far as I know, so far owning. Charge of breeding may follow.

 

Ric

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

Just my opinion, I have a Sport bred gsd, he was socialised very well and trained to a very high standard. You can take him anywhere he is confident, calm and very friendly, I would not trust him with a child for a minute.

Training makes a dog well behaved and teaches it appropriate reactions to situations, it does not change a dogs character if a dog is put under enough pressure it will react at genetic level not the level it was trained to.

 

RIP Little man.

 

Well said Helen, it all comes down to being responsible and sensible don't it.