Dangerous dogs action plan - chipped and insured

Agree with the idea of a licence to keep a dog. Dogs need not be dangerous if they are kept under control of a competent owner.  Owners need training more than the dogs do.

Perhaps I should say dangerous careless  owners should be banned as all dogs have the potential to be dangerous, no matter what the breed. I once had a rather playful toy poodle that bit a jogger. After that we had to keep him in  afenced garden and were always wary he'd do it again. And as a child I was bit in the face by our pet Chihuahua as I passed by it while it was eating. Chilli Pepper disappeared after that. What I find hard to understand are parents who are  owners of agressive breeds who seem to think  their pet wouldn't ever turn on their children.

I think people who wish to want to own a dog over a certain weight should be made to go on a course to learn how to control them. This should have a strict exam and they shouldn't be allowed to own a dog until they have passed.

The problem is many people (mainly young men) are using dogs as status symbols and worst still weapons.

As for dog mess - tougher fines needed for this. I find it disgusting how some owners (not all) leave the mess for someone else to step in.

@Rosii the problem with waiting to see if a dog is dangerous before banning it is that it would mean someone getting a nasty bite!
I think the answer is that dogs which have a tendency to bit people, and in the case of children, seriously maim or kill them, such as Rottweilers, is not to have them as pets at all.

Your article is very reactionary. You say dangerous dogs should be banned - please confirm how you are defining "dangerous dog". By Breed or by action? You cannot ban a 'dangerous' dog until it has been dangerous, otherwise how do you know it is dangerous?

Surley there needs to be more education into how to look after the welfare of your canine companion? Alot of the way an animal behaves is to do with it's upbringing. Yes some dogs are more likely to be aggressive, but not all Rottweilers go on to bite or attack people.

By no means am i condoning the use of dogs as weapons, or people keeping dogs that they know have bitten or attacked people before. I do advocate the disposal of dogs who have attacked or bitten a human being or another dog. Here some responsibility needs to be taken by shelters who take in such dogs who refuse to put them down because they are healthy, in body maybe.

This subject is very emotive and very subjective, if only it was just a case of banning "dangerous dogs" it would be so straight forward.