Sir T, this may interest you....

[Ajani]

Not just the handler qualified though. It's as important to qualify the dogs at some level also. Qualify them for temperment and stability as well as a reasonable level of obedience and control. Easy to do.

That would end the BS right then and there.

Certify breeders, qualify handlers and qualify dogs.

Please understand that for dogs and handlers there is a huge difference between training and qualification.

Training is the path to qualification, and not any guarantee. Qualification is the proof that the training was properly done and effective. One can train forever and never achieve a level of qualification.

And dog breed in the working class should be required to complete initial qualification and some scheduled re-qualification like annual or semi-annual temperment and obedience qualification.

I 100% Agree...

The dog pictured below, trained for 2 years. He started at 18 months old with 12 weeks of initial obedience, plus follow-on work in obedience to include hand signals. 3 months initial protection training at 6 days a week. Then another 18 months twice a week for advanced protection. He was essentially a police K-9 level dog. Due to a very unfortunate accident I was unable to qualify him with his Schutzhund degree. A fabulous dog, that lived home with my parents, sister and myself. A friend to neighbors, we used to play hide and seek with the younger kids - they would hide and Beau and I would find them and then I would hide and one of the neighbor kids would handle the dog and find me.

Never an issue, never a bite, never a complaint from any of my 9 German Shepherds.

Most police departments with K-9 programs send the dogs home and integrate them into the officers family, children and all. Hear of any police K-9's attacking family or neighbors? About as likely to happen as having an officer flip out and start shooting people. It just doesn't happen.

Nice dog... Watching a police dog in action is a sight to behold... It truly gives you a new appreciation of what a dog is capable of, and also shows why so many dogs are restless and destructive when not properly engaged by their owners... These animals are too intelligent to be locked in a crate or tied to a tree all day and night... They need a purpose in life...

[Ajani]

I completely agree. Only it doesn't take a stockpile of guns or pack of dogs...it only takes one. We can talk about qualifying the dogs and making the owners purchase from registered breeders and force them into training programs, but all this does is create an underground market for these types of dogs.

A responsible person is going to purchase a dog and train it anyhow. They aren't going to let aggressive dogs run off-leash where they can hurt other dogs and people. It's the irresponsible people who are going to purchase aggressive dogs, not train them, and put them in precarious situations. If they don't want to go to a breeder or go through training, they're going to find a dog through illegal means. The problem is, if I see someone walking a pitbull (or other similar breed), I don't know if it's been gained through the proper course and been through the proper training. It is only after it attacks my dog or child, that I can know if the dog is dangerous.

That's why I think that a full ban is the best solution for this problem. I don't think that it's a fair solution. I don't. But I don't think that the alternatives mentioned here are viable, IMO.

I know it only takes one gun or dog (the stockpile bit was just me being a tad dramatic ) ...

In addition to the point made about wearing some kind of easy to see marker, that proves a dog is trained, the truth is that you don't need them to wear that in order to know whether a dog is trained... Just look at how the animal walks on leash... If it is dragging the owner all around, then you should stay far away from it...

Once it is a requirement that dogs, owners, breeders and trainers are certified, then it becomes easy to detect which dogs are clearly not trained or lack balanced temperament... a well trained/emotionally balanced dog behaves quite differently from a dangerous one... So when you go walking and see that one hyper dog acting crazy, everyone knows to avoid it and the police know to question the owner...

So rather than calling the police whenever you see specific breeds, you call them when you see specific behavior...

[Dual-500]

I don't know why you're so aggressive about this, but I live in Dallas. You apparently live in a rural area, despite its proximity to Fort Worth. The fact that crimes can't be stopped doesn't mean we shouldn't do something to protect ourselves. There's a ban here on leaving your dog's feces in someone else's yard. Guess what? It actually works.

The last thing the people of Texas are in the mood for right now is more state or federal government. Let the communities decide for themselves. We don't need another agency to administer dog training.

Agressive? Nothing agressive here - No, I don't live in a rural area, I live in Fort Worth - at the western end of the metroplex. Strays are sometimes a problem over here. If I lived in a rural area I'd just shoot 'em - no problem.

With 40+ years of experience with formidable dogs, I know many breeds are capable of being "A Problem" in the wrong hands. Banning one breed, they will simply switch to another and over time it will be "The Problem". Then what, systematically ban breeds of dogs - then go by weight next?

Banning breeds for this issue is nothing more than "Feel Good" legislation for the uninformed.

Cheers to you my friend.

Here's a draft copy of an ordinance that was passed last year in Fort Worth. I went to several of the meetings and then the class to be able to have my G.Shep keep his hardware in case I choose to breed him someday.

It's a step in the right direction and is NOT breed specific - not founded on emotion, but logic and clear thinking. I still think more can and needs to be done.

Fort Worth dog ordinance

I do plenty to protect myself, my dogs and my property. What I don't do is leave it entirely in the hands of others. Yes, home invasion is illegal and the police department is there to help. But that doesn't stop home invasion crimes. Dallas has it's share of crime, like any other city - and like any other city, it's against the law.

If some SOB came crashing through my front door right now - I'm likely a bit more prepared to protect myself than most on my block. Paranoid? Nope. Prepared? Yep. My neighbors cars get broken into and the stereos stolen from them. Mine doesn't - it has an alarm in it - an IR sensing security light on it - and an IR camera with DVR, + a 125lb G. Shep on the inside of the gate.

I'm no fan of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier by any means. But, I am a dog fan and my dogs are the foundation of home security. When it gets to banning breeds I get real concerned. I have an utter disdain for "Pit Bull" mentality and irresponsible dog owners in general. When we start banning breeds where does it end? The focus needs to be placed upon the a$$holes that own them and not just the Staffordshire's - ALL dogs.