General Chat

lol Maggie I do understand as German Shepherds (GS) are not alsations. The same as Rottie's and Dobermans are 2 very different breeds.

Both of my dogs are spayed and micro chipped.

Only one place where I let them off the lead. Very careful of which other dogs are around. If I do not recognise the dog and owner then my two get put back on their leads.

Suzy has been bitten three times while on the lead and each time was by a GSD, being walked off the lead, so I keep well clear of them now.

As already been said it will be the good and responsible dog owners who will pay.

'On a slighty different note I do wish people would stop calling German Shepherd Dogs Alsatians, that name was dropped by the KC back in the early 1980's! '

Sorry about that. Patricia, but we had the dog before the early 1980's - when I presume it was okay to call them Alsatians - and we don't give a fig what the KC decided to rename them as she was never (thank god) going to be admitted!! LOL

I like your sentiment Stevie but the owner of illegal fighting dogs should be sent to prison as is the law.
It's unfortunate that whilst a person can be banned for life from keeping an animal it is very rare that it is checked up on.
Yes there is the odd family pet who turned but most savage attacks are from dogs owned by owners who know the nature of their dogs and do nothing to stop it.

I can think of 2 incidents ..1 was years ago when I kept and raced greyhounds, as the NGRC states, my dogs wore mussels and leaded in all public places (even my ex racer who would lick you to death). A neighbour let his dogs off on the field where I was. His dogs attacked mine and they didn't respond to his calling. I was stuck trying to get 2 dogs off 2 dogs. He, the neighbour had the audacity to complain about me walking mine there and said my dogs wound his up. It turned out that his had attacked before when loose. (more than once). He paid my vet bill.

The other incident it recent. There is a GS on the site who is always (unless raining heavy) outside on the caravan tied on a rope. The dog always kicks up at other dogs walking past. Last week the dog got off and attacked a very old spaniel. The owner got bit. My OH dragged the dog off and returned him to the owner and all he did was grunt. Is the dog still tied up outside YES . is he musseled NO . Is the owner with him NO

I will get off my soapbox
thankyou for listening lol

I can't see how having pet dogs insured, would have any effect on the incidences of dog attacks. Also it wouldn't change the fact. That if a dog is found to have attacked someone, it will still be put down.

The problem lies with the owners of these dogs. Lack of training, abuse of the pet etc & this stupid trend of keeping illegal dogs for fighting & so called status.

These owners are the ones who should be muzzled & kept on a leash.

Steve

I should add that although I have dogs I am NOT a cat disliker having had cats in the past many times.

I have credit card sized ID cards from the micro chipping of my 2 dogs even down to recently having changed the location over on 1 of them recently as she was still registered in Alicante region and should be in Murcia. Both of mine are passported also. I do think that micro-chipping of all dogs should be law and it should be down to the previous owner to inform when a sale has gone on aswell as the new owners ( a bit like a car)

I'm sorry Lightening but your "I dont like dogs ...... They foul the pavements and bite people.... Cats are far nicer .....I have three..."
is a bit of a sweeping statement and hardly a discussion on why or why not dogs should be insured.
Yes dogs do foul pavements and responsible owners poop scoop they also walk them on leads in public places and that is more I can say for many cat owners who don't even know ( the laws of cats independent natures) know where their cats are let alone where they poo.
Not all dogs bite and many owners (like Joy and myself where kids and 1 of mine is concerned) are aware of the problem and take steps not to allow that to happen.
My little one will only snap out when being teased or threatened but then she did have a broken shoulder thro' ill treatment.
Cats also bite and damage so shouldn't cat owners also have the threat of insurance.

It would be nice to hear that Labour would give all the excess £1000's of pounds that they don't allocate to 'victims' to the rescue centres who will be inundated or even the vet practices to lessen their vaccination charges Will that happen ! ? I think not

This is just another thing that will be unenforceable so wilI be another moneyspinner for the govt that will hit people with smaller incomes hardest. Everyone will pay for the few problem dogs and the majority of the problem dogs won't be insured.......you know it makes sense.

Just read that the proposed insurance plan would not apply in Scotland.......fancy a move?

i have 2 dogs akitas
one i would say mabe is tempramental
but he never goes out
unless its really late or raining and nobodys about
and is always on a lead

i dont allow strangers ever to touch my dogs

my dog now is 16 yrs old and feeling it in her back legs bless her, she was a rescue dog. I wasnt looking for a dog when i came across her but knew instantly she had a good temprement, my son was only a baby and i was hesitant about getting a rescue dog when i didnt know her history (its hard when you don't know what the dog has been through) She was brilliant with my son as a baby, but any other todler that came into the house she snarled at so i knew that was her weakness and i warned the parents and kept her away from them, she's still the same, it must have been something hat happened in her past which i am aware and accept. I do think its the owners who make bad dogs, my ex mil had a staff that was a brilliant dog to children and other animals, not a bad bone in her body (they after all are called the nanny dog) There are bad dogs of whatever breedbut mainly i blame the owners.

i think they should bring back the liscence and chip them aswell. How it will be "policed" is another matter because of unregistered dogs advertised in papers or just neighbours dogs getting caught out and having puppy's (how do you police them?) If we had more police ore a dedicated team to deal with dog owners, say like a ID card that you had to produce for your dog? just an idea x

Like Lightning, i have 3 cats - I also had 3 (different) cats when my daughter came to live with me - with her Alsatian/Collie cross - she looked like a small Alsatian - with hips that worked!!!

The local 'thugs' were terrified of her. Why? I asked them (I'd known them as a LSA years before) - Because she did as she was told!! LOL
They were scared that we would tell her to attack ??!! (They'd heard us shouting this to her in the garden)
She hadn't been brough up that way - 'attack' meant love to bits and try to sit on their lap!!! (Handy 'command' to teach if you live in a rough area)

When the dog was about 7, my daughter had a baby - that dog loved her - and started loving every other toddler. Fortunately they lived in a small town and people knew the dog and didn't mind her coming up and licking their children. She even had parents of children who were frightened of dogs coming up and asking if their children could stroke her.

...It wasn't many years ago that Alsatians were considered 'viscious' dogs - it's not the dogs, it's the moronic owners!!.....

I also think well brought up Staffies are wonderful!

I dont like dogs ...... They foul the pavements and bite people.... Cats are far nicer .....I have three.....

i think its a fab idea.. maybe ppl would keep their dogs on a lead and stop tying them up out side shop doors .. irisponsable (sp) owners have made this Happen ...
Rosex

I 've got three dogs.....none have been micro chipped ( they never get out on their own ) . I couldn't afford 3 x £ 500 a year for insurance . I think it's a ridiculous sum of money that's been plucked out of the air by the powers that be .
I agree that something ought to be done to curb the irresponsible dog owners ( especially the ones that encourage viciousness in their " pets" ) but a blanket " attack " like this own isn't the answer .

If you happened to get attacked by a nasty dog and the owner was in evidence does it seem plausible that they would stop to give you their insurence details ?? I think not : ((

Personally I would be happy to see every dog born have to be chipped...pedigree and heinz 57.......any dog then found wandering or misbehaving could be instantly traced back to its owner in much the same way as cars can...........owners who were kind, caring and responsible would have nothing to fear from such a law.......owners who were irresponsible, cruel, and neglectful would quickly find that they were not allowed to be dog owners. Litters could be chipped by a vet at birth and new owner's details recorded when the pup went to its new home. Any dogs found without a chip would not have been registered and could be chipped and rehomed by the dog rescue societies.......hopefully, eventually, every dog would be a properly wanted dog, and the rescues would only have to rehome ones whose owners' circumstances had changed, and who were no longer able to care for them. We have to have passports for horses, and most farm animals, to track their change of ownership, (or when they join the food chain), I am sure that this could be extended to dogs........there is the technology........
No dogs would be exempt, I believe that Police dogs are chipped anyway.......we have just lost our beloved boxer..........the last of seven boxers I have had over the course of 50 years, from a child........the last two were both rehomed as their elderly owner had sadly gone into hospital, and never came out...........we are moving house soon........maybe, when we are settled again we will offer a home to another boxer or two, who are in need...................we are getting older, it would probably be irresponsible to take on a pup who could outlive us...................make every dog a wanted dog.........and a loved one.........

Eileen
birth name

I think I am right in saying that also all dogs would have to be chipped with their owners names and address.

Yet another money making scam from the government. It is the responsible dog owners that will suffer with these high charges.
I have a little Westie named Ben that is both chipped and insured. When we take him out for his walks he is ALWAYS on his lead.

The other day hubby took Ben for a short walk along a lane that runs near my house. Ben was on his lead. A German Shepherd dog came out of nowhere and ran towards hubby and Ben. Thinking the shepherd was going to attack Ben hubby picked him up into his arms. The shepherd dived straight at hubby biting his arm. Ben somehow got free from his harness and had the shepherd by the throat and it soon ran off. The owners of the shepherd appeared and hubby had a right go at them. Did they care......... NO...
Yet another case of irresponsible owners.

Alyson

I can remember when we had a dog back in the 50s
my mum had to have a licence for her, i think it was about 5shillings
a year dont know how much that would be now though .
Hazelx

It's not enforceable. Those responsible dog owners will do it, those irresponsible dog owners simply won't bother.