Viti

By your line of reasoning people shouldn't be able to own or drive cars either then.

shome42

Ahhh, you've uncovered a wee weakness in my argument.

I should have said, "certain dogs, because people cannot control them to a reasonable degree, shouldn't be allowed."

You can control cars to a reasonable degree. Want evidence? Take away all the accidents caused by speeding, violating traffic rules and drunkness behind the wheel, and the number of accidents with cars are negligible.

With proper usage, cars are extremely safe to the public. Dogs, on the other hand, no matter how hard the owner tries, can still behave unpredictably in terrible ways.

Viti

Again, that is simply not true...take away provocation, abuse, neglect, irresponsible ownership, improper breeding and irresponsible/improper training and you have few or no dog attacks either.

I have owned 12 dogs in my lifetime...all large and one was a Rottweiler. All of them rescued with unknown backgrounds. None of them bit. The Rottweiler had an aggressive streak due to improper training before we got him, so we only let him around people we could carefully and slowly introduce him to...otherwise he was locked in the bedroom or our secure yard with an 8ft block wall. If we had to take him anywhere he was muzzled...not because I thought he would bite, but because it made everyone feel more secure. I am an example of a good dog owner...I have infringed on nobody's rights by having dogs and keeping them in my own home and yard. Can you demonstarte that I have in fact infringed on others rights?

I have been bitten twice in my life...once by a Pekingnese and once by a Lhasa Apso, never been bitten by a large dog and I frequently approach strays, guard dogs, and strange dogs.

Dogs are simply not as unpredictable as you seem to think they are. Just like children they react in certain ways to certain situations and it is up to the adult human to ensure they are safe and others safe from them.

DarkBronzePlant

But it doesn't matter if cars are a danger to 100 or 1MM. People shouldn't be allowed to own them. So I expect you to hand over your driver's license immediately. Scratch that; you can keep the license, just not your car.

We'll have a safe, squeaky-clean society yet!

shome42

You're missing the point. I'm not trying to say that cars are never dangerous. They are. I'm saying that the danger/saftey of a car depends on the operator, not the car itself.

In the case of dogs, their danger isn't just a product of their owners' behavior. An owner can do all the right things, and the dog may still hurt someone! The main difference between a car and a dog is that dogs have wills of their own. In other words, despite your best efforts, the dog's will may supercede your own.

In the case of cars, this doesn't happen. The car does ONLY what you tell it to do. Of course, cars can experience mechanical failures etc, but still, the point is that under normal circumstances, you are in complete control of the car. Under normal circumstances, you are NEVER in full control of a dogs, as it has its own will that can ignore yours.

Viti

Sure you can...I gave several examples. A sturdy fence or wall, a muzzle if you are out and about.

shome42

I don't know what's you'd call a "phobia," but I don't think I have an irrational fear of dogs. In fact, my attitutde toward dogs isn't well described with the word "fear."

When I was a kid, my family owned dogs.

I have friends now who own dogs that I adore. I don't dislike all dogs.

Viti

Then what criteria do you have for liking or disliking a dog...what size should be illegal, what breeds? The link you provided made it very clear that the man had trained his dog as a guard dog...again it was his responsibility.

Dr Rick

...Replace the word dog with the word child, and owner with parent in that post.

shome42

Ok, well then in your case, I'd say that you are in full control. However, how many people put muzzles on their dogs when out in public? Very few in my experience.

If there were a law mandating people put muzzles on their dogs in public, and installed secure fencing to keep the dogs on their property, then I'd say fine, have all the big breeds you want.

But following that line of reasoning, why not allow people to have wolves? If they muzzled them and ensured they were on their property, then there'd be no danger to the public.