do animals prefer you?

I certainly agree that certain dog breeds currently owned should be banned: staffies, bull-dogs, dobermans, rottweilers, mastiffs etc; but stopping short of banning all breeds. Yes, retrievers can rarely become aggressive (often due to poor socialising or abuse early in the dog's life), but the vast majority of dog attacks come from the bull-dog/staffie or guard dog family. Any dog can become aggressive, but some breeds are far more likely to be aggressive. Certainly I agree that dog ownership should be more tightly regulated, and dogs should not be sold to any old person.

On a more positive note, I had a dog during childhood (a welsh spaniel cross collie) who never hurt a soul in her 16 years of existence. But we had her from puppyhood, she was well disciplined, trained and socialised from a young age.  So I can see the benefits of dog ownership as well - Jessie was my only real friend, and proviided me with hours of consolation when the going got tough. Sadly, other dogs (usually staffies) often attacked Jessie, and she could not fight back. As a result I am deeply afraid of staffie type dogs and terriers in general, although I am usually ok with border terriers - they tend to be less snappy than other terrier breeds.

I certainly agree that certain dog breeds currently owned should be banned: staffies, bull-dogs, dobermans, rottweilers, mastiffs etc; but stopping short of banning all breeds. Yes, retrievers can rarely become aggressive (often due to poor socialising or abuse early in the dog's life), but the vast majority of dog attacks come from the bull-dog/staffie or guard dog family. Any dog can become aggressive, but some breeds are far more likely to be aggressive. Certainly I agree that dog ownership should be more tightly regulated, and dogs should not be sold to any old person.

On a more positive note, I had a dog during childhood (a welsh spaniel cross collie) who never hurt a soul in her 16 years of existence. But we had her from puppyhood, she was well disciplined, trained and socialised from a young age.  So I can see the benefits of dog ownership as well - Jessie was my only real friend, and proviided me with hours of consolation when the going got tough. Sadly, other dogs (usually staffies) often attacked Jessie, and she could not fight back. As a result I am deeply afraid of staffie type dogs and terriers in general, although I am usually ok with border terriers - they tend to be less snappy than other terrier breeds.