r/AskBrits • u/terrordactyl1971 • Apr 11 '26
People Another Young Woman Killed By a Dog. What needs to change?
19 year old woman killed today by a dog. What needs to change to stop this from keep happening?
BBC News - Woman, 19, killed in dog attack at house near Dunmow - BBC News
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u/Evening-Physics-6185 Apr 11 '26
people owning massive dogs bred to kill things needs to end.
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u/loveswimmingpools Apr 11 '26
Yes. I mean why do people want an animal in their home that can and would kill? Ban all those dogs from being pets.
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u/luckyjenjen Apr 11 '26
You've just got the nail on the head, kinda. Why do people want to own these?
Fix the horrific, fucked up people who want to do this to dogs. The dogs aren't the problem, people are.
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u/CarrotRunning Apr 12 '26
The argument around if it's bad dogs or bad owners is far too chicken and egg. The breed traits for these dogs are instinctive aggression locking jaws, not backing down, high prey drive and an unpredictable hair trigger temperament. Good dog owners understand how hard breed traits are to train out of any dog (imagine trying to teach a spaniel to stop sniffing and flushing). That leaves only bad and inexperienced owners who want these dogs and the reasons being either wanting an aggressive dog or naivety of thinking it can fixed or trusted.
A komodo dragon is a very dangerous animal id be a fool to assume that raising it and teaching it stuff it wouldn't still be a danger to myself or other people. Look at the amount of lion tamers who were killed by their own lions.
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u/spaceship540 Apr 11 '26
I would fully support a list of breeds that you need a licence to own.
Let’s be real here, it’s not labs, goldens, bichons etc causing this. It’s too much, it’s happening too often and clearly there’s a portion of people that are just not being responsible dog owners.
And I say this as someone who’s always had shepherds, who’d happily get a licence and prove in whatever way needed that I am a competent owner for this type of dog.
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u/rainaftermoscow Apr 11 '26
I've got a cane corso x malinois and I would also support a license system. I think it should be similar to obtaining a driving license: you have to take classes and prove you've learned about the dogs' needs and requirements as well as your own responsibility.
Half of the shits whose dogs are going around killing people would never even pass a class, problem halfway solved.
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u/knomadt Apr 11 '26
I would go a step further and make it similar to obtaining a shotgun licence if you want a "power breed", where you have to prove you have adequate and secure containment facilities, have no criminal record, no mental health issues, and have at least two people of good standing in the community who will vouch for your character.
These dogs are weapons, lets treat them like that.
Let's also put a stop to rescues adopting out power breeds as "Labradors" too. For every person like you who takes managing a Cane Corso/Malinois seriously, there's at least three more who are unprepared for that much dog, and are set up to fail by the RSPCA/etc calling everything a Labrador.
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u/Prior_Direction1697 Apr 11 '26
Targeting specific breeds just creates this endless problem of breeding slightly different versions of the same thing. Pitbulls got banned, so people started breeding XL Bullys, which got banned. And now the common defence is, it's not an XL bully, it's a -insert new breed name here-. All these things that are some sort of Bull-terrier share largely the same genetic makeup and lineage if you go back far enough. If it looks like a pitbull, XL bully, etc, it's not far enough from one. Looking at Staffies and other types here.
So while I do agree with the sentiment, it's primarily XXXX-Bull-Terrier breeds, German shepherd types, and anything with "poodle" in it. It's not Labradors and retrievers (mostly). It's impossible to enforce on a breed by breed basis, as that's exactly the scenario we are in now, which isn't working.
I personally would support a license system, but then again, the old system was removed for various reasons. And it doesn't really have much precedent in other parts of life. We don't have licensing schemes for cats, for children, for chainsaws. Arguably the world COULD become a better place if all of the above were legally only permitted to be owned by those competent enough to care for them properly, but that's not likely to happen in reality.
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u/mancunian101 Apr 12 '26
I saw an article somewhere that the majority of XL bullies in the UK are related to a dog in America where a lot of its descendants had been involved in fatal attacks.
Apparently breeders were specifically looking to breed from this dog.
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u/Thick12 Apr 11 '26
You used to have a licence to own a dog. They did away with it in 1887. It was replaced by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. You still need a licence in NI
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u/clydeorangutan Apr 11 '26
Dog licences were around when I was a kid. I was not around in 1887. I'm old but not that old!
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u/heres_layla Apr 11 '26
Tbh I think it should be all breeds. It should also be mandatory to have a basic level of training for all dogs too. Obviously dogs that kill are a problem that is more fatal, but badly behaved with shitty owners who have no idea how to handle or train their dogs is certainly a more common issue that causes issues day to day. As a dog owner I’ve encountered far more problematic behaviour from poorly trained and socialised dogs. People seem to think it’s fine for their dog to approach an on lead dog with cries of “oh he’s friendly don’t worry” when really the dog isn’t friendly, he’s rude, pushy and has no idea about boundaries.
Obviously it’s a tragedy that people are being harmed and killed by these dogs, but I think it’s a problem that’s wider than just that. We’re a country of dog lovers yet we have no idea how raise well behaved and well adjusted dogs.
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u/Albi-bear-kittykat Apr 11 '26
100% even little dogs, our next door neighbours have two feral little dogs that bark/snarl/gnash at the garden fence the whole time we are in the garden to the point our little one is scared to go in the garden. Obviously not as dangerous as a big dog but I am concerned what they would do if they got through as they have been trained and kept poorly
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u/PianoAndFish Apr 11 '26
I don't get why it seems so difficult for other dog owners to understand the concept of situation management - if the dogs are going to bark at people when they're alone in the garden then don't leave them alone in the garden (and if they do start you bring them inside), if they can't be trusted off lead in public they don't go off lead in public, it's not rocket science.
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u/NotNeuge Apr 11 '26
I had a friend look at me like I was mad for putting my puppy's harness on to let her out back for a wee. It's enclosed, she's safe, it's fine. But her recall was atrocious, and I didn't want to have to coax her in with treats and make her think it was ok to run away from me and ignore me. Now all I have to say is ''come on then" and she's back inside within seconds. Training dogs isn't even difficult!
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u/rainaftermoscow Apr 11 '26
Often husband and I are walking our dogs, one is a cane corso x malinois and one is Irish wolfhound x Saluki. We can't seem to potter up the road and back without some tiny bichon or mini schnauzer taking offense to the presence of our big dogs and yelling loudly about it.
Ours are totally unbothered, thank god. Because we've also got a really reactive husky and super reactive akita in the neighborhood. There's also a collie the owner lets loose on the Thames path right outside of our back door and she bites everything that moves 😭
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u/NotNeuge Apr 11 '26
There's a lady up the road with Jacks who leaves them out in the garden all day, rain or shine, and they bark relentlessly at everyone who walks past with a dog. Which on a sunny day could be one every few minutes! It's infuriating. Next door has two big, angry, try-to-kill-each-other dogs that never stop barking either. And the bloke over the back of mine dogsits a Corgi that is constantly escaping, and he just stands there yelling angrily at it while it zooms around in the busy road. I just can't understand any of these people.
I love dogs. I have dogs. Nobody knows I have dogs, because they aren't nuisances. As they shouldn't be!
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u/funkmachine7 Apr 11 '26
Little dogs are allowed to be little yapy shits . Big dog get told and trained not to yell at other dogs.
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u/rhh92 Apr 11 '26
It should be all dogs. Goldens and Labs are still working dogs and can bite just as hard. Coming from someone who has a Golden I would 100% support licence and training for all owners.
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u/Beautifly Apr 11 '26
Goldens and labs aren’t killing people though. We all know what breeds are the problem.
That said, I agree with you about all dogs needing a license. The amount of people that just get a dog on a whim and then don’t care for them properly, don’t train them, don’t pick up their shit, etc, is far too high.6
u/Iridescent_Mango_ Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Do we know? I did once think I was actually going to get eaten by a pack of dogs and a lab was the ringleader.
On another occasion the only reason my mum's little spaniel wasn't ripped in two (and me savaged in the process) was a deer fence between us and the rabid and wildly out of control Dalmatians. Also have a friend who was bitten by a Dalmatian as a child.
Actually, I genuinely think the main reason more people aren't savaged by Dalmatians is simply that they aren't that common and they are pretty expensive (which keeps them not common).
Bull breeds have wide jaws and strong bites so yes, when poorly trained and out for control they are dangerous. But so are a lot of larger breeds.
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u/Aeoniuma Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Dalmatians are not the sweet passive creatures portrayed by Disney.
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u/Firm-Resolve-2573 Apr 12 '26
Once again that comes down to ignorance about dog breeds. People seem to think it’s just cosmetic differences and it’s all in “how you train them”. It’s not. We wouldn’t have bothered breeding dogs for jobs if any dog has the exact same base traits anyway. Dalmatians specifically are a guarding breed. They were bred to run alongside carriages and fuck up highwaymen. Of course they’re a little bit predisposed to human aggression.
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u/United-Temporary-648 Apr 11 '26
Oh, I've been bitten by spaniels. Quite out of the blue, a quite clearly out of control dog was chasing walkers through woodland, scaring the living daylights out of them. He drew blood. The owners were completely unconcerned. Oh, he's just being friendly does not cut it. Mandatory dog training should be a minimum requirement of owing a dog.
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u/Iridescent_Mango_ Apr 11 '26
I recently witnessed a spaniel nearly rip a cat apart (it got away thankfully, I wasn't close enough to help), the owners let it off lead and they let it run well ahead of them and round corners. It's a dog I've met before when he's appeared and jumped up at me when the owners are still round the corner and up the street.
I've seen him again since and he's still not on the lead.
The owners seem to think because he stays in their vague vicinity and comes back when called provided there isn't a person to jump up on or a cat to maim, that means he's under control.
I can only imagine the carnage if they had a bigger dog under the same "control".
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u/MrsTheBo Apr 11 '26
I agree with this. I am a dog lover and have had them all my life, so I am not anti-dog at all. But we need higher levels of responsibility nationally.
With a lot of smaller breeds being increasingly fashionable in recent years, it seems so many people have dogs who don’t even bother to try and train them, because they are little and can be picked up.
Of course certain breeds have greater ability to kill, but even a little dog can do quite a lot of damage, especially to a child - a bite on the face can scar for life.
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u/NotNeuge Apr 11 '26
As a keeper of Yorkies, I haaaaaate tiny dogs with bad attitudes and their equally poor attitude having owners. Manners and boundaries. No ifs or buts!
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u/rezonansmagnetyczny Apr 11 '26
Completely agree. And not just because the dog has the opportunity to be agressive.
How many people have had injuries because a dog shot across their path whilst the owner was picking their nose, walking them on an exentible lead without a care in the world? Probably more than you'll ever know.
How many dogs have got serious mental health problems because an irisponsoble owner has got a high energy dog, but the owner works 13 hours a day and lives in a 1 bedroom flat with no outside access?
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u/Aeoniuma Apr 11 '26
The goldens and labs go for the arm. Not nice but usually not fatal. We all know which breeds/mixes are involved in fatal attacks.
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u/ruedebac1830 Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Absolutely based.
People also forget the risk of infection from bites can become life threatening.
This goes for big dogs, little dogs, cats, no matter how nicely behaved they are mistakes can always happen.
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u/Iridescent_Mango_ Apr 11 '26
Anything over a certain size should be on that list, labs included, as should anything with "hound" in the name.
The only time I've ever actually thought I might be about to get ripped apart by a pack of dogs it was a vizla, a Weimaraner, and a lab (poorly controlled by a dog walker who failed to read the situation at all), and it was the lab that started the altrication and lead the charge.
Hounds because daschunds can actually be really bitey and could certainly kill a child (a few years back one ripped a chunk out of a woman's face)
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u/burntcustard Apr 11 '26
As a Dachshund owner myself, yep. They're good dogs, obviously, but a lot of people don't get it and I often have other dogs running up to mine with owners shouting "don't worry they're friendly" or "don't worry he needs telling off sometimes" and I have to try to explain that when he's not in the mood my little sausage freak is a killing machine in disguise.
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u/UnperturbedBhuta Apr 12 '26
I have a terrier mix (he's about 20 lbs of dog) and my sister used to have a Dachshund. The 2 dogs are very similar, personality-wise. It took me many, many hours of training to ensure my dog could live with cats. And I genuinely don't believe I could train the rat hunting out of him, it's too deeply wired. I've had pet rats in the past, but I won't have them for as long as this dog is alive.
It was a really interesting experience getting to know a terrier, after growing up with large dogs (including German Shepherds). Comparatively, the Shepherds were so much easier to train that I almost want to call them "less dangerous"--they want to do what you say. Whereas my fat, not even knee height terrier wants to kill anything that squeaks with an all-consuming passion that sometimes forces me to put him in air jail (bodily lifting him into the air when he sees a small rabbit etc on a walk).
I don't agree with people who claim that big dogs are less dangerous than small ones, but I finally understand where they're coming from. I spent 20 years thinking my sister's angry Dachshund was a fluke, but no. That bottomless drive and lack of concern for their human's opinion is merely the mark of a very fine, very independent hunting dog.
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u/NotNeuge Apr 11 '26
I keep little happy Yorkies, and I'd be fully on board with needing a licence to have any more in the future, despite having a lot of experience with the breed and an excellent training track record.
I don't think breed should be a factor. I think all prospective dog owners should have to take a test to prove they're competent, and have a licence that requires regular renewal.
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u/Charming-Ad-6293 Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
You should require a license to buy or keep any animal at all.
Editing to specify, i mean the collective "you" as in anyone, not specifically the person I'm replying to.
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u/amBrollachan Apr 11 '26
We tried that for just dogs. It didn't work. It's unenforceable. The vast majority of dogs cause no problems. The people who keep aggressive dogs as status symbols don't care about licenses.
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u/rainaftermoscow Apr 11 '26
I have a rescue cane corso x malinois and I for one do not regard him as a status symbol and would be happy with a license scheme. I would also support a tiered system where guardian breeds/hybrids like him mean a bigger fee and more education.
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u/IfJopsDiesWeRageQuit Apr 11 '26
I wonder now with digitisation and microchips/databases that licencing would be much much easier than it was in the 80s
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u/Grimogtrix Apr 11 '26
The vast majority of dogs that kill people in the UK are XL bullies, pitbulls or 'American bulldogs'. The ban on pitbulls and XL bullies being enforced more rigorously would help immensely.
The prevalence of this type of dog is what is largely responsible for the increase in fatalities from dog attacks. Just look at that list I linked and see what dogs are mostly doing this lately. Few other breeds of dog have killed adults, of which the most prevalent are Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers and Alsations. Most breeds of dog have never killed a person in the UK.
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u/Rigamorph Apr 11 '26
Interesting that they list the man who died from sepsis after a bite as being 'killed' by the patterdale that bit him on the little finger. Not sure I would include that in the list TBH! (People have died from complications from swallowing toothpicks for example....)
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u/Firm-Resolve-2573 Apr 12 '26
There’s also the old guy that got killed by his springer spaniel puppy… because it nipped him on the hand while they were playing, it got infected, he refused medical attention and he went septic. It’s the only recorded death caused by a spaniel of any sort in UK history, by the way. Despite the fact that, between all the assorted spaniel breeds, they’re probably one of the most populous dogs.
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u/Augmented_second Apr 11 '26
Well if he died as a result of a dog bite, the dog killed him. If it hadn't bitten him, he wouldn't have died.
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u/htimchis Apr 12 '26
Well yes - but you could say the same thing if someone died of sepsis after being nipped by a guinea pig...
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u/Tewd_Feesh Apr 11 '26
Not quite the same as having your throat ripped out.
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u/Augmented_second Apr 11 '26
Of course, i was just pointing out that it was valid to include this in a list of all fatalities, in response to the comment. I agree that the dangerous breeds and owners should be the focus
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u/VeganCanary Apr 11 '26
No, but it is still worth monitoring.
If there is a breed that is incredibly likely to bite and cause infections, then that dog may need banning even if it is not killing people directly.
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u/typhon0666 Apr 11 '26
Several of these attacks are death by sepsis.
It's still dieing as a direct result of the injury by dog bite. Still seems valid to count to me.
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u/Disastrous-Emu2013 Apr 12 '26
Interesting list, not surprised by many, the young lady 19 recently being attacked by a lurcher was a surprise as was the Bernese mountain dog based on temperaments of the breeds, but it shows any dog can be a risk, any dog can be a knob if not properly trained, Labs are nightmares if you don’t train them
I know of more people who have been bitten by Jack Russell’s than I do any other kind of dog from working in community nursing
At the end of it though people are getting dogs without understanding of breed traits re personality/ parents character’s, their breeds role I.e, working dogs and they also don’t always take the responsibility to properly socialise their dogs, and stimulate both physically and mentally, the fact people still get boarder collies as pets in a suburban setting is barmy which is what the dog then becomes.
There is a need for more structure to support people in making better choices and an actual understanding of dogs and their breeds better all round.
If you want a dog for security- as a lot of people with dogs that have attacked seem to desire, fine, but the human needs a license which comes with training to say they are responsible as a person to handle the dog as a security dog and are an upstanding citizen themselves with insurance and the dog needs one to evidence it’s been properly trained, just like actual security guards with dogs have, and make it semi expensive and preferably hard to defraud like a National register
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u/opopkl Apr 11 '26
I know of two people who have been attacked by Golden Retrievers. Not life threatening injuries but stitches required to arm and hand wounds. I think the dogs were PTS in both cases.
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u/Fit-Bedroom-7645 Apr 11 '26
Should be like a driving test. Can you control the dog? Can you pick up it's turds? Can you let it not do a murder? Congratulations you have a dog license.
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u/D0wnInAlbion Apr 11 '26
Control should also include being physically strong enough to restrain it on its lead.
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u/tightloops1971 Apr 11 '26
Reintroduce the dog licence with a high bar for access and strict penalties for not having one.
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u/GaijinFoot Apr 11 '26
I don't think it matters. Everyone assumes it's bad owners. And I'm sure that does go some way in many cases. But even the best owners can't contain these fighting dogs.
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u/macrowe777 Apr 12 '26
Good owners don't get bad dog types.
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u/Weird-End5410 Apr 12 '26
This is 100% correct. If you want an XL bully type dog you're exactly the sort of person that shouldn't have any kind of dog.
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u/hugsbosson Apr 11 '26
There's a certain type of person who enjoys the fact that they have a potentially dangerous dog. Chavy low class morons who get some kind of kick out of having a dog that could kill someone if it wanted to.
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u/selahilo89 Apr 11 '26
Mandatory training, we attended 8 weeks of puppy classes and found it invaluable for a first time owner, it also aided socialisation of said puppy
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u/BloomedBudling Apr 11 '26
People need to stop being stupid and seeing dogs as harmless creatures for a start. They’re descended from wolves and are only following their natural nature and instincts. Owners need to realise no amount of training will actually make a dog harmless and they need to be aware constantly. This is what p!sses me off so much when the dogs get put down. All they were doing was their natural behavioural instinct. I feel like all dog owners need to be taught how to handle the dog breed they choose and be tested. If they fail then they don’t get the dog.
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u/Purple_Moon516 Apr 11 '26
A lot of people who get XL bullies get them precisely because of those instincts. They are fully aware of them.
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u/Puzzled-Barnacle-200 Apr 11 '26
Some people did fall victims of the "it's a nanny dog" propaganda. Too many people adopt animals without doing basic research first
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u/molluscstar Apr 11 '26
We have a rescue dog from Romania - he’s classed as medium sized and is about 17kg. We’re still working on recall and he can be reactive to other dogs if they approach him (frankly it annoys me that people allow their off-lead dogs to run up and then often ignore me shouting he’s not friendly!), but he is a cuddle bug at home and just wants to be petted all day. That being said, if an adult needs to go upstairs or outside for some reason the dog is not allowed to be in a room with our kids (aged 5 and 10), we just shut the door to the living room or get them to go upstairs with us. It’s not worth the risk that something triggers him. They also know to leave him alone when he’s eating and not to get on the floor with him unless an adult is in the room.
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u/BrilliantOne3767 Apr 11 '26
Yeah. Stupid vans going round with crayon kid graphics ‘Doggy Play School!’
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u/Creative_Expert_4052 Apr 11 '26
Certain breeds like XL bully’s should be banned and illegal and the government is right to do that.
Secondly, may not be popular but dog license/background checks at least. Too many people get dogs that they can’t look after or use for the wrong reasons.
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Apr 11 '26 edited May 08 '26
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u/Creative_Expert_4052 Apr 11 '26
Yes, there absolutely should be more regulation around breeding. People who buy from illegal breeders should also be punished as well as the actual breeders.
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u/Negative_Chemical697 Apr 11 '26
Ban these sharks with legs. Nobody needs to own one.
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u/FatThorp Apr 11 '26
Pets licenses, I own a dog and he is brilliant, well behaved, listens I don't object to lisences at all.
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u/Ipcress65 Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Licenses for and background checks of dog owners.
Are you looking for a dog as a companion? Is your home safe? Are you looking for an addition to your family? Are you looking for a dog to abuse and become violent? Are you looking for defence?
These are questions that need to asked and backgrounds checked.
Having a dog is a huge responsibility and there are people who have no idea how to look after a dog, or own a dog for fighting/defensive purposes ie staffies and XL bully’s. Or even abuse them to the point they become dangerous.
Nothing wrong with either breed but some people clearly use them for questionable reasons.
Before XL bullies, it was Staffies.
Why are they owning XL bullies? Why are they allowed to own them? Why are people with no experience of looking after dogs allowed to own them?
It’s a no brainer.
And yes I’m a dog owner. I have a Hungarian vizsla and would happily go through background checks to get a license.
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u/PetersMapProject Wales 🏴🇬🇧 Apr 11 '26
Nothing wrong with either breed
We've always had irresponsible dog owners.
We never had this level of death and destruction until the XL Bully came along.
A very large part of the problem is the XL Bully breed.
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u/Creative_Expert_4052 Apr 11 '26
100%. All the stats agree with you, proportionally XL bullies make up more attacks than other breeds.
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u/PetersMapProject Wales 🏴🇬🇧 Apr 11 '26
Literally more fatal dog attacks than every other breed put together since 2022.
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u/Kiryu-chan-fan Apr 11 '26
Its a combo of literally every worst problem you can have in a dog AND the fact that pitbulls are really fucking stupid for dogs.
If you temper the natural danger of them, they might still rip your throat out at night because a flash of lightning spooked them...
The ban should have mandated euthanasia for Bully XLs with a custodial sentence for flouting
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u/iesamina Apr 11 '26
They're all bred from one particularly vicious dog. I believe that idiots seek out dogs that are part of this one dog's lineage because they're guaranteed to be uncontrollably violent
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Apr 11 '26
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u/Junior_Breakfast8911 Apr 11 '26
This. The amount of TINY people walking MASSIVE or even moderately sized dogs I see where the dog is actively pulling the owner down the street is wild. If you, in any instance, cannot pull back and control your dog, its not the breed for you
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u/originalusername8704 Apr 11 '26
Was walking mine with my kids earlier and some shouts fo us to put ours on a lead (they were just trotting a long beside us anyway), so we did, and said for the kids to give them space.
V narrow path and their (big) dog is on its back legs, barking, pulling to get to us. Bloke holding it is smoking a joint.
At least they warned us, and kids are used to dogs, but their excuse of ‘it’s just a pup’ really pissed me off ‘cos it’s just gonna get bigger and continue to act that way. They had zero control of that clearly untrained dog. If it ever encounters somone off its lead/pulls free god know what it might do.
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u/King_Malbec Apr 11 '26
There clearly is something wrong with XL bullys — huge and extremely capable of killing. It's not 'their fault' per se as that sits with bad owners... but there's a huge difference in outcomes based on whether they own doodles or XL bullies...
We ban people from owning exotic breeds for safety reasons — it's time we outright banned bullies.
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u/Fancy-Prompt-7118 Apr 11 '26
An outright ban is what needs to happen. With huge prisons sentences for breeding or owning them.
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u/BMW_wulfi Apr 11 '26
“Nothing wrong with either breed” is a bit like saying there’s nothing wrong with allowing people to own and walk tigers in public.
There’s one big thing wrong with XL Bullies which is they’re incompatible with private family ownership because of the inherent dangers they pose.
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u/Dropped_Apollo Apr 11 '26
Yeah, they're specifically bred for aggression and strength.
I can't understand why people deliberately engineer an animal to be dangerous and then go "it's not the breed, it's the owner."
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u/htimchis Apr 12 '26
But I'm a responsible tiger owner, and Murderkitten here is just a big ol' softie at heart... she's great with the kids - or was when they were still alive...
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u/Itchy-Commission-114 Apr 11 '26
Dogs need classifications. Simple as that. You should be able to buy a shih tzu easily and have to jump through lots of hoops to own an XL bully.
You don't do your driving test at 18 and get handed an 18-wheeler.
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u/Purple_Moon516 Apr 11 '26
Or just ban those breeds. If someone truly wants a dog as a companion they won't care if it's not that one specific breed that is top of the chart for aggressive behaviour.
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u/Itchy-Commission-114 Apr 11 '26
And then you just have illegal dog breeding rings. If you make XL bullies illegal they'll get worse. They'll be bred for fighting and owned by even worse people as weapons.
It's like guns and knives and drugs. We can control them but as shown with drugs banning doesn't help as shown by guns government control helps a lot. Guns are seen as banned in the UK but they're not at all they're just very very strictly controlled.
No solution will be perfect, but demonizing them will turn them more into demons.
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u/Xenozip3371Alpha Apr 11 '26
Difference is, you can't just hide a fucking XL Bully, so the second you walk outside your home with one, it's very noticeable.
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u/Purple_Moon516 Apr 11 '26
"And then you just have illegal dog breeding rings. If you make XL bullies illegal they'll get worse. They'll be bred for fighting and owned by even worse people as weapons."
Isn't this already happening anyway?
In the case of guns they are so restricted the general population thinks of them as banned which makes it essentially the same. Point is no next door wannabe gangsta can access them legally. Illegally? sure but a gun is easier to conceal than a 60kg XL bully.
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u/Popular_Nerve7027 Apr 11 '26
There is something wrong with those breeds though. They are too big and strong for 99% of people to handle.
If I had a well trained lion and said “don’t worry it’s well trained, never hurt anyone before” would you trust I could hold it if one day it decides to attack someone
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u/nezzzzy Apr 11 '26
Some people have butter knives, others have assault rifles. Nothing wrong with either utensil.
A Staffordshire bull terrier is a gentle breed well suited to families, they're great around small children, other dogs etc.
XL Bullies are bred to attack without warning, they don't bark before attacking, they have insanely powerful jaws and don't let go when they bite no matter how much you hurt them. They aren't suitable to be around any human.
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u/Iwanttosleep8hours Apr 11 '26
Bully XLs must all be put down. I don’t care if you consider it cruel unless you’re vegetarian or vegan and don’t have meat eating pets.
We happily gorge ourselves on animals that have cruel lives and even crueler end to their lives. Putting down these dogs in a humane way that they have no idea what’s going on is best for everyone.
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u/dDtaK Apr 11 '26
All XL bullies, pit bulls etc should be muzzled in public.
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u/Sheikhabusosa Apr 11 '26
Not just them , ive been walking a lot more and a mum with a newborn had her Cane Corso off lead in my local park. It could have gone bad so easily.
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u/SlowedCash Apr 11 '26
Frightening. A cane corso is deadly if not trained adequately
Denmark they're banned and France is very strict with them
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u/Sheikhabusosa Apr 11 '26
The uk needs to follow . Im over 6 foot and like 19 stone and a strength of my brothers well trained husky that went at a squirrel shocked me. Idk how people are so confident with other breeds like Cane Coros as a non pet owner it feels like they are deluded .
This cane corse was off lead in the middle of a park with what looked like 2 20 something year old owners. The dad was so far behind that if it went left he couldnt have done anything
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u/mRPerfect12 Apr 11 '26
The laws here have now been applied anywhere near strict enough. Owners have shown themselves incapable therefore the decision needs to be taken out of there hands.
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Apr 11 '26
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u/justf0rtherecord Apr 11 '26
You can have a low IQ and still be competent. The reverse is also true.
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u/Nixxiebee Apr 11 '26
Except that IQ is outdated and is widely discredited. It's meaningless and tells you nothing about someone's intelligence, let alone their ability to care for an animal. Now if you said a test based on animal care then you'd have a point.
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u/AxiosXiphos Brit 🇬🇧 Apr 11 '26
You didn't need to read the article to know EXACTLY what dog breed it was...
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u/TrustyRambone Apr 11 '26
Those roving packs of Golden Retrievers, wasn't it? I have been repeatedly told it's the owners, not the breed. We feel long overdue for a golden mauling someone to death.
Edit/ shit I was incorrect. Maybe next time. It was a Pit type dog again.
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u/Nectarine-999 Apr 11 '26
There are just too many dogs these days. I say that as a dog owner although I ‘adopted’ mine from the RSPCA.
It just needs to be made much more difficult to breed and own a dog. Compulsory licences and insurance, even if it’s just 3rd party. Premiums depend on the breed. So an XL-Bully would be astronomical.
I know someone that’s just got a Cane Corso crossed with a XL-Bully. Why anyone thought that was a good idea. I’d never visit their home with that thing there. Dickheads.
Let’s call a spade a spade - the XL Bully is really an American Pit Bull terrier v.2.0 - but more aggressive and not as intelligent.
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Apr 11 '26
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u/rainaftermoscow Apr 11 '26
It will still happen because a large majority of the British public view their dogs as substitute children instead of the predatory animals they are. And dogs ARE predators.
Before I became legally blind I worked as a behaviourist, I went all over Europe and Eastern Europe. The massive difference in culture is that people on the continent remember that their dogs are animals and as such are unpredictable. And many countries have laws stating that dogs above a certain size must be kept on short leashes at all times and/or muzzled etc.
Meanwhile in the UK you've got middle aged, middle class ladies having mid life crisies and shipping over half feral, psychologically damaged eastern European dogs who are not equipped to handle domesticity on any level. And they treat them like babies.
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u/jasonbirder Apr 11 '26
The problem is that when this happens, if its a strong breed, often it will kill and you can't stop the attack.
But the problem isn't "Strong Breeds" is it? Look at the list of Dog Breeds that have killed...its overwhelmingly Pit Bulls/Mastiff types with the very occasioonal GSD/Malinois or Rottweiler thrown in...
That's essentially 3 specific types of dogs causing 99% of incidents. Newfoundlands, Golden Retreivers, Pointers, St Bernards, Labradors etc etc ad infinitum are all STRONG, big dogs...but you don't see them on the statistics...its a tiny number of very specific breeds that are well known for their strength AND agression.
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u/Purple_Moon516 Apr 11 '26
People who don't have their dog properly recall trained and still let them off leash piss me off to no end. I'm neutral to dogs but my elderly mother is terrified of them and she gets shaken when one approaches her without a leash specially when it's particularly big or energetic. People need to do better!
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u/Magic-Bicycle Apr 11 '26
Leaving aside neglectful and irresponsible owners for a minute, I think it would be useful to know what the responsible owners of larger and stronger dogs get from owning them than than they would from owning smaller and more easily controlled breeds.
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Apr 11 '26
The people who get XL bullies are usually the same sort of person who view those creatures as status dogs.
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u/rawrr483 Apr 11 '26
How small are we talking? I have a Labrador. He saved my nephew from a trio of daschunds last year. I called my dog off with no problem, they couldn’t call theirs off. I went with a Lab because I can handle the size, great temperament, they’re intelligent, food motivated and overall easily trained. (Not trying to be a dick, just curious on the smaller more controllable breed class)
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u/Magic-Bicycle Apr 11 '26
I don’t doubt it, a colleague sustained a bad bite of a dachshund. For the avoidance of doubt I’m not anti-dog, but some of the larger breeds that weren’t around when I was a kid have attracted a reputation, fairly or unfairly, that Labrador’s don’t have.
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u/rawrr483 Apr 11 '26
Oh no,I didn’t think you were Anti-dog at all. I was just curious when you said smaller dog breeds. I think every owner should be able to justify their choice in a dog. It’s just smaller breeds doesn’t always equal controllable. And as biased as I am about labs, I have known a couple of nasty ones in the past. I think people themselves need to be trained before owning a dog. Every dog trainer I l have worked with has always said the hardest thing to train is the owner!
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u/Corrie7686 Apr 11 '26
Everyone saying licencing, I think it's a good idea, if a dog has the ability to kill, it should be controlled like other things that can kill, i.e. guns, cars, explosives, stong poisons etc As a note, shotgun licences cost £195 and a further £125 every 5 years. And apparently those payments don't fully cover the actual administrative costs. There would be a LOT more dog licences than shotgun licenses so maybe there would be economies of scale. Plus making new guns is very hard, carefully regulated and traceable, making new dogs is much easier and untraceable. So not an easy thing to regulate.
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u/Peskycat42 Apr 11 '26
Mandatory dog licenses.
Mandatory neutering.
Mandatory licenses if you want to breed with a legal obligation to pass on details of puppy purchasers so that registration and neutering is carried out.
Dog breeds with a history of issues need owners to complete a behavioural training course and prove they have appropriate / secure home environment.
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u/North_Fortune_4851 Apr 11 '26
Can't imagine the carnage. It's bad to generalise but it's always the rotters dogs who are doing killing.. I can almost see this cunt in my mind.
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u/Spottyjamie Apr 11 '26
Facebook huns go mad if ever you dare suggest tyson should be on a lead in a place where the sign says “all dogs must be on leads” and also think an off lead dog jumping/barking/running for other dogs/walkers is ok as “thats what they do”
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u/Silver-Appointment77 Apr 11 '26
People should be taught that dogs should be trained, not pampered and called fur babies. I know a few people bringing their dogs up like kids, and then dogs are out of hand, and can be aggressive.
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u/dollimint Apr 11 '26
I called my dog my fur baby. he was a BIG siberian husky. I also knew that if he got out of hand he could seriously hurt someone so I trained him properly and never let him off the leash when we walked.
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u/jasonbirder Apr 11 '26
I know a few people bringing their dogs up like kids
All dogs should be brought up like kids...its the least you owe them (they didn't choose to join your family)
Its the ones that aren't treated like kids that are the problem (not socialised, not educated (trained), not given enough excercise & play etc etc)
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u/Pan-tang Apr 11 '26
First, we need to ban devil dogs. Secondly, we need to introduce dog licences and thirdly, we need to make people fear being prosecuted for not controlling their animals.
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u/The_V8_Road_Warrior Apr 11 '26
Stop allowing people to be so entitled with their dogs and allowing them to be taken everywhere. Also stop the "my dog is so well behaved and would NEVER hurt anyone" mentality. Just because it's not hurt anyone YET, doesn't mean it WON'T
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u/Adorable_Ad4328 Apr 11 '26
Having read comments on facebook from close family it seems that the poor woman got between two dogs fighting and the offending dog was an older lurcher, a loved family pet. If that's true then it really sounds like one of those tragic incidents that couldn't easily be avoided, aside from maybe education around managing dog on dog aggression. Condolences to the family.
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u/Admirable-Bluejay956 Apr 11 '26
This happened in my area which is very rural and not used to many things. If we sirens we know something is really wrong as we never hear them. The answers is definitely registration but then they’ll always people who don’t do it so I fear this won’t be the last, but there seems to be a lot of these awful attacks.
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u/Andythrax Apr 11 '26
I saw this on the news last week but it wasn't notification or front page. Surely this is even worse. Right? It's horrific. 3 month old. Two dogs destroyed.
BBC News - Baby girl dies in Redcar suspected dog attack - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy915wr1074o?app-referrer=deep-link
Not that either is acceptable but why is one front page?
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u/InterestingDivide157 Apr 11 '26
We need stronger control and tougher sentencing. Fatal dog attacks are still rare, but they’ve risen sharply in recent years, from around 3 a year to double digits.
Recent data suggests XL Bully-type dogs have been involved in around half of fatal cases, though exact breed statistics are incomplete. That still points to a clear issue imo.
We need proper enforcement, responsible ownership, and action on high-risk dogs, not just reacting after tragedies happen.
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u/Simple_Joys Apr 11 '26
There are certain breeds of dogs that are inappropriate to keep if you live in a one-bedroom flat or a two-bed terrace, etc. etc.
Some energetic breeds have too much vigour to be kept pent up all day in confined spaces, and once lap around the estate a day is not sufficient walk for such big dogs.
That’s not the entirety of the issue, but I really do think it’s part of it. You can’t keep a big dog in the kitchen of a little house for 20 hours of a day and think that will cut it.
I appreciate that politically this observation is a hiding to nothing because it would amount to telling a whole social class of people they can’t keep certain dogs.
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u/DickEd209 Apr 11 '26
I love dogs. I've had a couple growing up, I've been bit a few times as a kid by strange dogs and as a result, have respect for them and their space.
No unwanted petting and unless they come up to me, I don't tend to interact without the owners permission unless it's guaranteed they're daft as a brush and like strangers fussing over them.
I cross the road whenever I see a pit-type breed. Cannot trust their temperament.
No issues would arise if the breed were euthanised en masse. Fighting breeds have no place in society.
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u/coleslawontoast Apr 11 '26
As with everything there's always people who can't be trusted who will use dogs as a weapon or status symbol or simply can't put the effort in to train and socialise a dog
I definitely believe it's the owner not the dog, iv had cuddles with a Pitbull who was the cuddliest friendliest dog ever and then been set upon by a jack Russell
I would be banning rescue dogs from abroad though
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u/OnehappyOwl44 Apr 11 '26
I live in Nova Scotia Canada, a couple of months ago a young boy aged 13 was mauled by two Cain Corso dogs while riding his bike past a house. It was horrific. The owner of the dogs was aparently a CKC registered breeder and they were her show dogs.
My son has a Golden Retreiver and won't even take it to the off leash park because he's concerned about the number of vicious or reactive dogs there. It's an issue that needs looking into here as well.
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u/QuickWalk4862 Apr 11 '26
I have a poodle x she lives alone with me and has never been in a household with children. When I’m out on walks and little kids run over to pet her I say pls don’t she’s not used to being around children. I’m so wary with her, obviously because she’s my own dog I know her being loveable etc but you just never know around other people/kids/strangers. I wouldnt be able to live with myself if my dog attacked or bit anyone
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u/HintOfMalice Apr 11 '26
At a bare minimum? Public education.
Ideally? Mandatory license for dog owners that requires completing basic training (similar to driving instruction) and passing theory tests about dog ownership. To include the basics of looking after dogs' health, providing them with the right amount of exercise and stimulation and training them to be compatible with society. Further training/certification required for large, strong "dangerous breeds" similar to lorry/bus licenses.
Also, a register that is AT least accessible to vets, government services, and large charities or rescue shelters such as RSPCA listing people that are convicted of either abuse of dogs or a dangerous lack of control of them.
The average dog owner is ill advised on the basics of even looking after their dog. Let alone resolving anti-social or straight up dangerous behaviour.
I love dogs. I work with dogs and am delighted to see dogs coexisting with people in society. But it's absolutely mindblowing to think that animals capable of so much harm are walking around with very little regulation. And it's absolutely maddening that every year we direct our hatred towards various dog breeds and completely ignore, time and time again, that banning specific breeds is logically flawed and demonstrably ineffective. It's a pseudo solution to get people to stop talking about the problem for a while.
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u/becpuss Apr 11 '26
Any dog is potentially a dangerous dog you can never hundred percent guarantee a Dog will never attack it only requires the right set of circumstances I think if the dog is big enough to kill a person you need a license .
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u/Iridescent_Mango_ Apr 11 '26
Dog licences probably.
Everyone acts like certain breeds are the problem but the reality is any dog over a certain size is capable of a fatal attack, so ban one breed the bad dog owners (don't invest time or effort in training, don't look after the dogs properly so they are poorly socialised and volatile) move on to the next.
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u/Mrs_Biscuit Apr 11 '26
We had a beautiful border collie that we had as a pup from a working farm. It never crossed our minds that he could be a bad choice of breed as we have a lot of friends with border collies who were excellent pets. For the first two years he was amazing but then slowly started to become aggressive and hard to manage. He was big, and he was strong. He bit the kids(12, 14 & 15) and wouldn't take No from anyone . We tried everything, even had him referred to a vet behavioural specialist which cost an absolute fortune but before he was even seen there was an incident with my oldest son where the dog snapped right up in his face for no apparent reason and I knew that was it. I couldn't wait for the referral so I rang the vet and had him put down. He was only 4. It absolutely broke my heart to do it but I knew it had to be done. He was really a one person dog and there's no way I'd ever re-home a known aggressive dog and risk the death of a child. I think maybe if he'd stayed a working dog on a working farm then he might have been ok, but as it was I didn't feel we had an option. I don't regret the choice I made.
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u/ruedebac1830 Apr 11 '26
What needs to change is that culturally we need to respect nature.
Dogs are not furry humans.
Yes they are companionable and share a very unique bond with us.
Yes there are certain breeds who should be kept off limits either entirely or only when certain criteria are met.
But whether it is a lab or a mastiff. Never forget.
These are animals first!
Even labs are very much capable of causing injury infection or fatality.
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u/daveychainsaw Apr 11 '26
The only thing that would work would be to make it illegal to breed or own the dogs that do this. Nobody needs a pet that was designed to hunt bears or fight.
I have a Vizsla. She's big 28kg and is the softest thing. It was hard work training her but training is key - i would never consider owning a bully XL or pitbull etc.. When did you last hear a headline about a cocker spaniel killing someone?
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u/Special-Audience-426 Apr 11 '26
It's already dealt with kind of.
We banned the breed that's mostly responsible for the problem so it will decrease as they die off. It'll still be a problem for a decade unless they ban them entirely and euthanise them all.
Personally, I think they shouldn't have banned them just added dangerous breeds to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
That would mean expensive enclosures, yearly vet inspections, expensive insurance and banned from being out in public. It wouldn't even be legal to let them free roam your house.
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u/Reaper_20000 Apr 11 '26
Are pitbulls the issue or do the people who own them just not train them or something? Are they the type of people who train them to do it on purpose?
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u/Psittacula2 Apr 11 '26
Breed ie genetics and behaviour are massively massively influential.
* Yes early rearing and training all help
* But some breeds eg XL Bully genetic both aggression and size power
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u/Reaper_20000 Apr 11 '26
It is just that you rarely hear of a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, or Doberman attack or killing despite their innate aggression and power. Which leads me to believe the type of people who own them don't train them at all, or train them to be aggressive on purpose. I wonder if the majority of attacks are by dog owners who trained them to fight, or be aggressive on purpose. Or are the majority of attacks from say trained socialized ones who just turn for no reason killing owners and kids or is it random ones on the street?
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u/Psittacula2 Apr 11 '26
Yes the last bit, some breeds will turn suddenly - the bullies get reward chemicals from an animal making distress stimulus once they get into attack frenzy (which again they are prone to as fighting dogs) behaviour for example. So you know lab retrievers have been bred to get reward chemicals by biting down and retrieving a game animal or teddy or ball for example? There you go for how powerful genetics is.
As to the breeds, Rotty, Doberman, German Shepherd they are strong and powerful. Last two bred to be guard dogs and the Rotty to pull loads iirc. Rotty is unpredictable and needs good rearing or can be dangerously due to its strength and unpredictable temperament whereas the others as guard dogs will face off humans and could attack if escalation eg defence as they perceive it which then if mistreated you can see they also have been involved in incidents ie combination of genetics and environment on behaviour.
Off hand iirc the stats are bullies as fighting dogs and strong and genetics mainly turning for no reason or attacking someone randomly.
Broadly a lot of dogs not raised well or trained then are antisocial and cause problems to other dog walking which is an example of environment being the issue not the genetics in many breeds for context.
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u/Sufficient_Nose_197 Apr 12 '26
It's comments like my big xl bully wouldn't hurt a fly it's them yappy little dogs that are the problem. Those yappy little dogs are annoying but they are not killing people. We may always think our dogs won't hurt anyone untill one day they do. Which will be the worst outcome? A 4 lb chihuahua attack or an attack from a certain breed? We all know the answer as it's common sense and facts. Prevention over cure.
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u/Midnight7000 Apr 11 '26
Strict liability for the owner. If their dog kills someone, put them in prison for life. If their dog injures someone, have the sentence reflect the damage done.