I took a ride on my bike through a local park on Sunday. It’s not on our doorstep but we’ve nearly visited it a few times.
I’m glad it was only “nearly” visited.
There were plenty of kids, running round, playing football or riding their bikes. But what was more noticeable was the number of parents who were smoking. Even more worrying was the number with aggressive (breeds of) dogs.
In the last year or so there has been a big clamp down, certainly in London, on knife crime. But one of the effects has been that criminals are starting to acquire dangerous dogs in place of carrying a knife and/or for organised dog fights. There are laws against dangerous dogs, but most of the owners the law targetted would be the last to abide by them.
Yesterday the government announced new plans to force owners of dangerous dogs to muzzle them and raised the possibility of all dog owners having to insure their dog against the possibility of it attacking someone.
I’ve never had a dog. I would have liked one as a boy but it never came to pass.
As a parent of young children I would not even contemplate having a dog in the house. Young children and dogs are a dangerous mix. A toddler might happily stare at a dog and the dog could take that as a threat. There are other situations where the dog’s pack instincts could cause it to attack. In fact I’ve heard many cases where that has happened, sometimes with tragic consequences. So dogs are definitely off the agenda in our house for now.
Of course you could argue that we could get a small dog, but then there’s he practicalities that Hayley might still childmind a baby at some point. Basically, it’s just not worth the risk.
So, sadly, I think the proposed legislation is probably needed. And for now I think I will have to continue to ‘reccy’ local parks before taking the kids there.
This is the first time in my life I have lived without a dog in the house. Frankly, I am just not over my last one enough to get a new one. I am surprised that this is such a problem. Around here, we have leash laws, but honestly, the worst thing I've ever encountered was dogs relieving themselves in my yard. I grew up on a farm, so dogs were a necessity and although I've moved off the land, I'm still trying to teach my kids those skills. One of which is dealing with animals.
So sorry to hear that your close-by park isn't safe, though. I love walking to the park with the kids.
My recent post I've Been Thwarted by the Oscars and By Bathing
Fortunately our closest parks don't suffer from this problem. And in general I wouldn't say it's a problem I encounter daily. But in certain areas it is much more common. Sadly, over here there's a certain breed of men (i use the term in its loosest sense) for whom a dangerous dog is a status symbol. The consequences of their irresponsibility can be tragic.
My recent post Topical Tuesday: Dangerous dogs
i have to take issue with the notion of a "dangerous dog". There are breeds which are more powerful and traditionally bred as fighting/security dogs, but the real problem is 99.9% with the owners. You can turn a labrador into a vicious "weapon" if you treat it badly enough.
Muzzling and insurance aren't bad ideas, but as you say in your article, the sort of owner who trains their dog to fight isn't going to bother muzzling or insuring it.
I take your point about the owners and I definitely hold them responsible: the dog is just doing what comes naturally to it.
Nonetheless, some dogs, as you say yourself, are bred to fight and others to be strong, either of which could be deadly for a child.
But my point was more that I think young kids and dogs of any kind are a dangerous mix. There are plenty of examples of young children being attacked by a normally placid animal because the child is seen as a threat or behaves in a way a dog interpreted as aggressive.
My recent post Topical Tuesday: Dangerous dogs