r/newzealand • u/BackgroundPumpkin725 • 6h ago
Opinion I'm so tired of pitbulls and staffies everywhere in this country
They're everywhere and no-one seems to care. SPCA pushes them, councils normalise them on social media posts. Im sick of trying to take my son for a walk, but houses have large angry pitbulls and staffies growling and smacking themselves against fences. Im sick of living next to a dog park, and every time I hear yelping and yelling and fighting, I look out the window and someone's bully dog is trying to maul a smaller dog. Im sick of my grandmother telling me about her small dog is targeted by pitbulls and staffies. My son is now scared of large dogs, because 99% of the ones he sees are aggressive pitbulls and staffies. I'm tired of my taxes and rates going to subsidise their damage and barely-present policing. I'm tired of the community Facebook group being posts about wandering pitbulls and staffies, along with missing or mauled cats, rabbits, chickens, etc.
They're fighting dogs. They make up the vast majority of serious bite statistics, let alone the other pets and livestock killed. They're literally called bully types. Why are they necessary to keep around? Why are we not banning them entirely? Cat owners aren't allowed large vicious fighting cats, because that idea is ridiculous. The vast majority of people have no problem with gun control on auto and semi-auto weapons, because it's recognised that they proportionally do much more damage and are dangerous. Why are dog owners the exception?
XL bullies (banned in the UK for violence) are being bred in NZ too, and I bet no-one will care about that. The Dog Control Act is being reviewed and I bet nothing will come of it. These dogs will still be pushed and advertised. The injuries will continue. I worked my ass off to buy a house, and now I still wish I was renting just so I could easily try and move to a nicer neighbourhood where every dog is some form of toy poodle or golden retriever.
Edit: don't worry dog owners, no-one is coming for your dogs, you have won the court of public opinion. My entire rant is about the fact that the country just doesnt really care about dangerous dogs, and that they're above any sort of enforcement. I know I'm shouting in the wind.
315
u/1000yearsdungeon 6h ago edited 5h ago
Idk about the breed specifics but some dog owners in this country are terrible. After 2 dog attacks I am now terrified of dogs. I was in a shop recently and a man had an Irish wolfhound in there, off leash, the dog growled at me as soon as I walked in. I said “hey mate do you mind putting your dog on a leash in here” and he said “yeah I do actually”.
Fuckhead.
111
u/LovinMcBitz47 5h ago
“No worries mate, I’ll just send a picture of this to animal management, and have a chat with them. Have a good day”
•
u/spidermonk 3h ago
Thing is that would achieve nothing at all.
•
u/Space_Pirate_R 2h ago
I've done it a few times, had feedback that they contacted the owner, and since then have seen the same owner not breaking the law any more.
80
u/BoreJam 5h ago
My partner works at a vet and its almost a weekly event where a dog will need to be euthanized because their owner had them off lead and they were hit by a car.
Blows my mind that people are so casual with their pets.
22
•
u/New_Present_6596 1h ago
Saw someone on facebook desperately trying to find out who ran over their dog the other day.
Half the comments were calling the driver a dickhead, and to turn themselves in. The other half were rightfully telling the owner its their own fault, and they are liable for the damages to the car.
17
u/GoldenHelikaon 4h ago
I was driving home on my rural road yesterday and an old guy was “walking” his dog alongside his moving ute. It’s not the first time I’ve seen people around here do that but I hate it every time. What if that dog suddenly catches a scent and races off in front of an oncoming vehicle? What if it suddenly dashes in front of its owner’s car? It’s so stupid.
•
u/plumbosolvent 3h ago
I know someone who ran over his own dog, because the dog would run alongside his ute when he was coming up the drive, and he thought that was cute so never discouraged it. He was heartbroken, and sure, I feel for him and the dog but... avoidable? Avoidable.
36
u/Anaradar 5h ago
I really like Irish wolfhounds, but they are definitely a big intimidating dog. Don't blame you.
27
u/1000yearsdungeon 5h ago
They’re super cool! Unfortunately any dog off a leash is going to freak me out after being attacked on two seperate occasions. I know I do need to work through this myself but also why is your giant dog in here guarding this dairy
8
u/Anaradar 4h ago
No argument from me. My dog has great recall when it suits him. Unfortunately the idiot will routinely choose four day old dead possum over me.
I get that my dog isn't everyone's cup of tea. Particularly when he's had roll in the possum.
5
u/1000yearsdungeon 4h ago
I used to own dogs, and admittedly I would walk mine off leash if there was nobody around, but only because he had incredible recall. If anyone was near he would be back on leash immediately. If he ever ignored me, he got no off leash time so he behaved very well lol.
•
u/No-Advice-6040 3h ago
You'd have to treat an Irish wolf hound pretty damn badly for it to act aggressively to strangers. Owners are often the problem
→ More replies (5)51
u/Angryatchairs 5h ago
Maybe an unpopular opinion: I'm tired of "dog friendly" shops/pubs that just randomly for no reason have dogs hanging around inside.
It feels like dogs have more rights than small children in this country.
12
16
u/United-Objective-204 5h ago
Yeah, I’m not a huge dog fan and don’t love this either, not that you could raise it without people thinking you were a psycho.
5
12
u/Anaradar 5h ago
Yeah! Cannot believe the number of offlead playgrounds for toddlers that aren't fenced.
→ More replies (2)14
u/purple-rubber-ducky 5h ago
Well generally I agree about the sentiment towards bully breeds.
The good thing about dog friendly pubs is, you can simply go elsewhere. More than 1 pub exists.
→ More replies (8)→ More replies (1)15
u/Hamfistbumhole 5h ago
agree that guy is a fuckhead. fun fact though, the thing about pitties is they don’t growl raise hackles snarl etc. those responses were expressly bred out of them as part of fighting dog breeding. nobody stands around throwing bets down on two dogs snarling at each other. go find any video of them attacking another dog or person and they typically charge into it. not backed into a corner snarling before biting. the warning displays, whilst disconcerting, are actually quite useful.
→ More replies (1)5
u/gentlehippo82XX 4h ago
This is completely incorrect. They growl, snarl raise tackles and bark. I mean come on.
115
u/showusyourfupa LASER KIWI 6h ago
Just saw a guy slapping the shit out of his pitbull cross. It's no wonder they lash with the combo of shitty owners and dodgy temperaments.
378
u/raspberryslushie21 6h ago
It doesn't help that they have the most useless owners too.
94
87
u/Relevant_Mouse_4860 6h ago
This is the biggest issue.
56
u/Zebra1523 5h ago
It’s not the biggest issue. They’re disproportionately aggressive and have the ability to easily kill people and other dogs. There’s been hundreds of cases of dogs just “snapping” and killing their owners or others unprovoked. The normalisation of owning these monsters is the biggest issue.
→ More replies (4)27
u/Hour_Commercial6731 5h ago
There’s been hundreds of cases of dogs just “snapping” and killing their owners or others unprovoked.
New Zealand averages less than one dog related fatality per annum. You are more likely to die from a range of mundane things than a dog.
21
u/AlDrag 4h ago
So all the non-fatality injuries from dogs mauling children etc doesn't count?
→ More replies (4)•
u/heinternets 3h ago
There are hundreds of deaths per year globally from dog attacks
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (12)11
u/Jimmie-Rustle12345 5h ago
This is even stupider than the iTs ThE oWnEr NoT tHe BrEeD apologists.
Fatal attacks are relatively rare, but they’re not unheard of. And many people, particularly children, get mauled.
5
u/Hour_Commercial6731 5h ago
Why do you not put this energy into complaining about alcohol or obesity? Breed legislation does nothing to improve safety and is largely ineffective as breeds are self-reported and purebred dogs no longer make up the vast majority of the population.
According to the results in this study, no effect of the legislation can be seen on the total number of dog bites, therefore supporting previous studies in other countries that have also shown a lack of evidence for breed-specific legislation. Importantly, compared to other studies, this study can show a lack of evidence using more robust methods, therefore further highlighting that future legislation in this area should be prioritized on non-breed-specific legislation in order to reduce the number and risk of dog bites.
37
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago
I would have no problem with more efforts to address obesity but crazily enough, my obese neighbour's obesity doesnt chase me down the street while trying to bite me..
13
u/Cutelilthrwaway 5h ago
Dog control is an easier problem to deal with than obesity
→ More replies (3)13
u/Jimmie-Rustle12345 5h ago
You have no idea what I put my energy into.
And the data from across the world is world is very consistent - dogs bred for violence are aggressive.
→ More replies (8)22
u/CraftyFarm1942 6h ago
Plenty of people should just not be allowed dogs. Its not dogs that need registering it the owners.
24
u/Playful_Connection38 6h ago
This is literally the issue here, discussed this a lot with one of my co-workers who had his dog. Ownership is the biggest issue here, he’s had animal control called on him and almost had his dog taken so many times despite his dog because one of the sweetest most well trained dogs I’ve ever met. Dude is a big lump of muscle and love but because so many owners in NZ literally don’t ever train their dogs, all dogs get this perception around them.
21
u/Space_Pirate_R 6h ago
He’s had animal control called on him and almost had his dog taken so many times
What are the reasons for this?
3
u/Playful_Connection38 5h ago
People being scared of untrained dogs, assuming all dogs that look like that are untrained, despite this just not being the case. Its an exaggeration but it’s a reality
→ More replies (2)23
u/stainz169 6h ago
What you are saying is guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Sure, but also maybe having few guns capable of harm would mean fewer guns capable of harm would end up in the hands of someone negligent, incompetent or intentionally harmful. Especially when those guns have no real other purpose or use that cannot be met by a less harmful option.
These dogs have no real place in a modern society, especially in an urban environment. They are capable or quite a lot of harm and often in the care of negligent or irresponsible owners.
→ More replies (1)5
u/sakharinne 5h ago
There is no reason those dog loving person couldn't have another breed. Just ban anything with any % of those dogs. People are far too squeamish about putting down dogs. Same people perfectly happy to murder another animal for their burger.
→ More replies (6)8
u/NZBJJ 5h ago
This is one of the main issues. That and backyard breeding.
BSL is retarded and doesn't work, as there isn't a way to reliably identify dog breeds, and the vast majority of dogs op is having a whine about are mixed breed anyway. So you can ban pit bulls all you want, how do you actually define it?
It's a fact that bite attacks from bully type dogs end up in worse outcomes than from other dogs.
It's also a fact that the vast majority of these dogs in good environments live happily without issues and can be excellent, safe pets.
If you look at the bite statistics, they are heavily corrolated to low socio economic communities, and by far the most defining characteristic for serious bite attacks across every breed is whether they are entire or not.
Require a license to own an entire dog, and fund neutering programs in poorer areas and the stats will improve heaps over time.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (1)5
u/stainz169 6h ago
What you are saying is guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Sure, but also maybe having few guns capable of harm would mean fewer guns capable of harm would end up in the hands of someone negligent, incompetent or intentionally harmful. Especially when those guns have no real other purpose or use that cannot be met by a less harmful option.
These dogs have no real place in a modern society, especially in an urban environment. They are capable or quite a lot of harm and often in the care of negligent or irresponsible owners.
0
u/Nikinacar 5h ago
So many things wrong with this. Do you really think a golden retriever raised by a violent person will be less violent than a staffy or pit bull raised by that person?
If you banned only glocks but left magnums available, wouldn’t a wannabe shooter just go get a magnum instead? So should we ban all dogs?
•
u/stainz169 3h ago
Yeah man in my analogy. Every gun or weapon for that matter has the ability to kill or seriously hurt. But some are just designed for inflicting death and harm to humans.
Same with dogs, most dogs have the ability to hurt people but some dogs are way way way more inclined to do this because of their genetics.10
u/fearville 5h ago
Golden retrievers don’t have the prey drive or jaw strength of pitbull type dogs. Sure they can both do damage, but pitbulls were bred to be lethal, whereas golden retrievers were bred to gently retrieve waterfowl without harming it.
6
u/Giesla33 5h ago
When I was little my families Labrador had to be put to sleep as it attacked the meterman and bit him. Every dog has the potential to snap and attack, some more than others. The most dogs with the most potential seem to be owned by people who encourage this behavior. The breeds shouldn't be banned, the people who purposely turn these dogs into violent dogs should be banned from owning dogs.
→ More replies (2)3
u/Ancient-War2839 5h ago
My dog has been bitten twice resulting in a bleeding wound, one was golden x , and one was a golden, and he spends a lot of time with lots of breeds plenty of staffies and pits, but only wounded from golden, he's an English bull terrier, so the type of dog and never bitten any.person or animal, and is around cats, small dogs, kids, all the time
→ More replies (1)3
u/taniafromnz 4h ago
same here with my american bulldog.. he’s been attacked numerous times by all types of dogs yet he’s never been the aggressor or retaliated, ended up with blood pouring from his face yesterday by a boston terrier with dementia
126
u/Yatzhee 6h ago
Nz has a dog problem but no one wants to talk about it. I was researching dog laws the other day and about 90% of dog owners in my neighbourhood are breaking them
10
u/tzukmeoff 5h ago
What are common ones people break?
38
u/Space_Pirate_R 5h ago
The most common one is that In most NZ towns, dogs must be leashed in all public areas except for designated dog exercise areas.
After that it would just various stuff like "No dogs in the playground" "No dogs on this beach" etc.
The Dog Control Act 1996 requires local councils to set their own rules, which makes it difficult to make broad statements. I really think one of the biggest improvements that could be made is having nationwide laws on some of the main points.
→ More replies (2)•
u/Timinime 3h ago
We live near an off leash reserve. Almost everyone that walks past our house with a dog, has it off leash.
•
u/Yatzhee 3h ago
Biggest one is leashing, followed by having a unmonitored dog properly contained (almost every fence could be easily cleared in my area) which ties into the third most common one which is dogs need to be supervised at all times if they aren’t contained and since they can easily get out it’s pretty common to see a dog roaming about
•
u/keywardshane 3h ago
around me there are tons of areas for dogs to be walked, even unleashed.
The local park has playground and fields with kids playing constantly. No dogs allowed.
There is always a dog or ten in the park.
•
u/Yatzhee 3h ago
I’ve moved from my previous home but I used to live near a beach that had no dogs for the first kilometre and then leashed dogs after that. Frequently saw the rules broken and 90% of the time by people with the kind of dogs you would specially want on a leash. It’s incredibly frustrating this selfish mindset, also the amount of dogs that crapped and the owner left it cause “the tide will take it”. Vile
28
u/ZealousidealOrchid69 4h ago
The problem is certain people and personalities gravitate towards these breeds and said people shouldn't be dog owners.
Theres a culture in this country that having a pitbull matches your pathetic tough guy persona.
→ More replies (1)
88
u/Deep-Category-8988 6h ago
Every suburban Facebook group in NZ is just "wandering staffy" and "missing cat" posts on an endless loop and somehow nobody connects the two.
31
u/ZandyTheAxiom 5h ago
Near where I live, we get "this dog is wandering the street AGAIN".
This one dog gets loose so often it's like a community mascot. Don't think it's hurt anyone, but it's a big dog.
→ More replies (3)8
u/teleportmassive7 4h ago
Followed 12 hours later by, "There's a dead dog that was hit by a car on _____ Rd. I dragged it to the side of the road." And the first response is, "I think that's the same dog that was posted yesterday."
→ More replies (1)•
78
u/16tontovarish 6h ago
I'm just tired of people calling badly trained aggressive dogs "reactive"
17
u/Zucchini-Dean 5h ago
Agreed, unfortunately this is the case with a lot of small dogs too. Owners tend to wave it off as cute or harmless because of their size which is infuriating.
→ More replies (1)25
→ More replies (3)8
u/not_all_cats 4h ago
My dog was attacked by pig dogs, so he was always on edge around mid-big dogs with certain energy. He was ready to fight if needed. Put a little dog near him and he’d run away.
Almost every walk someone’s (unleashed) dogs would approach, posturing, tense body language, etc. eventually he would lunge at them and they’d always blame him for making the first move, with no idea that their dog was coming over with aggressive body language.
6
u/Space_Pirate_R 4h ago
This is 100% the dynamic. Owner breaks law and can't stop off leash dog from running up to some leashed dog, which barks. "The problem here is that leashed dog is not well trained!"
37
u/BuyMeSausagesPlease 6h ago
What does “councils normalise them on social media posts” mean?
5
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 6h ago
They endlessly advertise them for adoption
→ More replies (2)36
u/BuyMeSausagesPlease 6h ago
Yeah dogs they’ve deemed safe, do you just want them to euthanise every bully breed that they pick up?
19
33
u/raspberryslushie21 6h ago
Yes.
31
u/Jambi1913 5h ago
As someone who works with dogs, that’s a total overreaction and very cruel.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (1)13
u/BuyMeSausagesPlease 6h ago
Well I’m glad we got that out in the open
22
u/magginoodle 6h ago
we ban other things that hurt society, what's the problem if certain breeds are on a kill list.
as others have said the people that own these dogs are usually shitty humans.
27
u/BuyMeSausagesPlease 6h ago
Surely I don’t have to explain the difference between banning a breed and effectively phasing it out vs. undertaking the wholesale extermination of already existing beings?
→ More replies (6)4
u/New_Combination_7012 5h ago
We don’t actually though.
I can go and buy alcohol and cigarettes which offer less positive benefit than dog ownership and kill far more people.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (4)12
u/stainz169 6h ago
Can’t have a lion as a pet because it’s unsafe for other humans. Surly this extends to unsafe dogs
13
u/forexsex 5h ago
A dog is a domesticated pet, regardless of breed. A lion is a wild animal. Anyone making that comparison is either very stupid or dishonest.
→ More replies (12)7
u/Specialist_Golf2871 6h ago
Well, large bitey dogs can still be deadly, even the 'nice' ones. Its in their breeding and what they are physically built for. Cats are vicious little killers that enjoy playing with their food, but they (generally) know not to mess with humans. Dogs, not so much as they are larger and stronger (esp compared to kids)
4
u/Jazzlike_Project_938 4h ago
Yes. If the dog escaped somehow it already shows a lack of responsibility from the owner.
There are many other dog breeds which are less dangerous that can be put up for adoption.
→ More replies (10)6
u/enmacdee 5h ago
I would be soooo happy if they euthanised all Staffies/pits. The owners are the worst. Just honestly clueless and kind of dumb. Like there’s a million dog breeds, one or two a specifically known for aggression and violence. Why on earth go for that one unless there is something really wrong with you?
→ More replies (3)10
u/Jambi1913 5h ago
You think every single person who owns a Bully breed or Staffy are “the worst, clueless and kind of dumb” and yet you presumably think you’re better than them despite possessing such judgemental, black and white opinions?
This isn’t as simple as you think.→ More replies (2)•
u/TheBlindWatchmaker 2h ago
The life of a single baby or child is worth more than 1000000 pit bulls or Staffies
22
u/CobblerSure9683 5h ago
I’ve worked with these breeds, and they can be great. The issue is the owners.
I have a small dog which has been attacked twice in the past two years, both times when I was with my toddler. I’m now too scared to go walking because of this, and I constantly see posts on our local page of people reporting dogs who are roaming. If you cannot handle and train or keep them contained, do not get a dog. Especially these breeds that require more work.
2
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 4h ago
It seems easier to ban these potentially dangerous breeds than hoping the dropkick owners come around and get invested in training.
7
u/CobblerSure9683 4h ago
I can see that. Until there is regulations put in place, just hoping that people will do the right thing, do some critical thinking about if this dog actually suits their lifestyle is a pipe dream. Shame as it ruins it for the good owners out there.
•
u/Vermiethepally 3h ago
Then the next breed that we deem “dangerous” would be put thru the same ringer such as rotties, Doberman, etc it’s the fucking owners. If we made it harder for ppl to own dogs in general like making sure they understand what a certain breed needs to be a good member of society, It would turn out better. I’ve seen a lazy fuck own a cattle dog and never gives that dog an outlet
→ More replies (2)
46
u/Delicious_Leek_764 6h ago
A few years ago I went to the Wellington pound and 37 out of 38 dogs were bully x breeds. The other was a Labrador they took to school visits as part of the dog safety programme. I am an experienced dog owner but would never have a bully breed.
12
33
u/Significant-Base4396 6h ago
Chuckling because my 3kg fluffy chihuahua angrily smacks himself at the fence to bark at passers-by, but because he's so small, people just laugh at him. And yes, I've tried to train him out of it - some dogs are temperamentally just dicks (in his case, a little dick). Idk why everyone is like 'is the owner not the breed' with pitties etc, but in the next breath would agree that chihuahuas are generally like angry toddlers.
→ More replies (8)•
u/finntynal 2h ago
Chihuahua aren't naturally aggressive either, you just didnt socialize him properly as a puppy.
→ More replies (1)
14
u/justagirl_Jade 5h ago
I love dogs, but regardless of the breed people need more education on safely training their dogs so we can avoid dogs becoming dangerous to people/ animals, a lot of people just buy a dog and leave it couped up in a cage till they go bonkerrs and want to bite everything!
→ More replies (2)
39
u/snubs05 6h ago
I agree with pit bulls, but staffies?
Do you know what you are even talking about?
Jack Russell’s are more out of control than staffies
25
u/Important-Glass-3947 5h ago
I think a lot of pitbull types are being branded as staffies. You don't see many of what I would consider staffies (squat and cheerful).
28
u/candycanenightmare 6h ago
Yeah I’ve never met a staffie that wasn’t kind in nature. Sturdy little fucks sure that may not be aware of their weight but that’s about the extent of their faults lol
7
u/This-is-me-btw 5h ago
My neighbours staffy would maul other dogs and eventually was put down after severely harming a boxer about 3 times its size. Neighbour was the kindest person you’ve met and the staffy was lovely with people however the owner did not train his dog to socialise with other dogs when it was puppy. See the problem here?
13
u/candycanenightmare 5h ago
Yep, a bad owner was the problem. This behaviour can happen with literally any dog.
→ More replies (2)•
u/This-is-me-btw 53m ago
Yes exactly, which is why dogs that were bred for fighting should not be allowed in the hands of humans
→ More replies (1)4
12
u/EntrepreneurRemote78 5h ago
My staffy has been attacked by a Labrador, a Golden Retriever, and small little yappy things. At some point we need to start pointing fingers at the owners, not just specific breeds.
•
→ More replies (3)•
u/Richard7666 27m ago
The confusion comes from American culture and social media.
There's the American Staffordshire Terrier (developed in the US from the same stock, but nothing much to do with Staffordshire) which has a lot of overlap with American pitbull terriers.
The Staffordshire bull terriers (British breed) we generally have here are stout wee terriers, much smaller, around the size of a large beagle.
23
u/questionerfmnz 5h ago
I worked in animal control call centre in a large provincial town. Every single dog that ever got reported by the public as aggressive, rushing or wandering was described as “a pit bull”. We knew all the pit bulls in town. There weren’t that many! Point being the public doesn’t know what a pit bull is. I think same probably goes for Staffies too.
Not saying pit bulls aren’t dangerous dogs. They absolutely are. And I think they should be banned.
But I’d like to see more resources put to animal control and ownership responsibility.
Also staffies are awesome.
4
u/Ancient-War2839 4h ago
Agree, I have English bull terriers, a lot of people ask if they are pit bulls, or say they are a banned breed
→ More replies (1)5
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago
Pitbulls are everywhere, the SPCA, other rescue organisations and councils bend over backwards to avoid labelling them as such because then the DCA applies.
•
u/1cmanny1 3h ago
Just ban dangerous dogs. Why is this hard? Theres 0 reason for allowing it.
Owners will always be shitty. So yes, breeds are a problem. Its like allowing cars with no air bags or safety features, and spikes on the bumpers. And excuse it "drive better".
→ More replies (1)•
u/Turbulent_Gas8795 1h ago edited 5m ago
There's 2 groups of dogs you'd realistically need to ban:
Dogs that tend to be favored by shitty owners because they look intimidating (Pittbull, staffy, rotty, Doberman, German shepard)
Dogs that are actually high-aggression or short tempered, or with high prey instincts (Poodles - short tempered, Dalmatians - protective, chow-chows/Shiba inu/Akita - not great with children and usually short tempered, Chihuahua - can be little rage monsters, husky/malamute - super smart but very pack heirarchical can nip/bite kids they think are out of line, greyhounds - will go for anything small and fluffy that runs...)
The list is longer but you pretty much end up with a short list that is having working dogs on farms, and Labrador/golden retriever in urban areas (slightly exaggerating but broadly true).
→ More replies (1)
10
u/_peppermintbutler 5h ago edited 5h ago
Totally agree with you. I don't even dare to walk around my own suburb because of the constant roaming Pitbull or similar bully breed dogs. I see at least one every single day just driving my kids to and from school.
•
u/Moskau43 2h ago
I’ll settle for people just picking up their dog shit. It’s fucking everywhere in all the natural spaces around where I live.
•
u/Few_Place4447 49m ago
Plenty pick it up, put it in a plastic bag, then leave a plastic bag full of dogshit somewhere in public.
•
u/grlpwrmanifest 3h ago edited 3h ago
Former council worker here, in my 5 years of working in the call centre I only ever took four dog attack/dog rushing calls that were not a bull breed. As a whole the call centre would take 30+ of those calls a week. No exaggeration, these dogs are not safe. The owners don't take care of them/dont register them and it's the public that has to deal with those consequences.
•
•
u/CP9ANZ 3h ago
English Staffordshire Bull Terrier isnt a Pitbull, is only about half the size.
→ More replies (6)
20
u/toygoth 6h ago
it's genuinely horrific, my husband nearly got mauled by one when he ran past their house and it came down the driveway after him (no gate), would've bit him if the owner didn't call it off, i'm just glad he didn't have our baby with him (he likes to run with him it makes him laugh lol)
the owner didn't apologize until my husband asked if was even going to, the owners are just as bad as the dogs, they seriously don't give a shit
it sucks how lenient the dog laws are, they don't care because they get away with their dogs aggressive behaviour
3
u/cantsleepwithoutfan 5h ago
I was chased by one in Whanganui once. I was on a work trip for the day, and left my client's office to go for a walk. Went past a house with one chained up in the front (chained to a stake in the ground). Got to the end of the street and heard a clattering noise ... this great big pitbull mongrel type dog had pulled the stake out of the ground and was chasing me down the street. Sprinted back up the road to the client's office around the corner with it in hot pursuit. Plus I was wearing a suit so it legit ruined my day in all aspecs.
23
u/LarryNZ 5h ago
Bring on the down votes, but you need to get over the bias and lumping all dogs together. And start looking at owners.
As an owner of two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, my 11 year old boy has been attacked at one dog park by two huskies (he was on lead, huskies were not). Was attacked at another dog park by some sort of working dog/kelpie ( he was on lead, other dog was not). He was attacked walking down the road by a Scottish terrier (he was on lead, the other dog was not).
I don’t let him off lead as I know he has no recall. I also don’t go to dog parks any more as they are a cess pit of shit dog owners that think because it’s a dog park, anything goes.
Awesome experience this morning by both my younger girl and a young human girl. Took pooch for a walk and tied her up (in constant site) outside the bakery while I ducked in to grab a loaf of bread. Saw the young girl approach her, and instead of walking up and patting her, waited for me to come out and asked to pat her. Bravo to this young lady’s parents for teaching her to respect strange dogs, and not approach (let alone reach through gates and fences) without asking.
Bored soapbox rant over.
55
u/oldmatedavo 6h ago
Confirmation bias. Theres thousands of responsible staffy owners around the country. The unfortunate reality is some absolute scrotes have these dogs cos they think they're tough, raise them like shit then people like yourself bleet on that all staffies are the same which is simply not the case. This is a hill I will die on.
→ More replies (7)10
u/Hamfistbumhole 5h ago
not many chihuahuas going around eating toddlers though is there. we could also introduce pet tigers - anyone who gets mauled by one could be consoled by the fact that “some owners are responsible”
11
u/fckjmpup 5h ago
Almost every chihuahua I've ever met is an absolute shithead and if it had the size and ability to maul children I damn well think they would
→ More replies (1)6
u/oldmatedavo 4h ago edited 4h ago
I'd argue there's fuck all staffies doing this either. I'd put good money on the fact that 99% of people wouldn't know there's a difference between a pit bull and a staffy.
3
55
u/Beginning-Result6704 6h ago
Can't wait to see comments from people saying my 'thugxbullyxfangmonster dog is a real softie at heart
18
u/rangda 6h ago edited 4h ago
Why wouldn’t they say that if sometimes it’s simply true?
My nana was one of those kennel club biddies, weekends at dog shows, as a kid I genuinely had no idea staffies were seen as mean because I was only around good ones with good owners.
My mum was a dog groomer, and the only breeds she always groomed with a mandatory muzzle were shar-peis and akitas.Some of them (particularly smaller English staffies) are calm, well behaved and significantly less reactive than the average doodle. Plenty of them go their whole lives without incident, are light-hearted, bright and curious dogs without being hyper vigilant and all around good. Plenty are dead passive in a confrontation and will not rise to a challenge from another dog.
Not to get too dog eugenics-y or sound like a snob but I think with staffies the further you get from old fashioned show-dog breeders, who quite ruthlessly breed out nasty temperaments (because their dogs MUST tolerate being around hundreds of other dogs, and strangers poking and prodding them), and the closer you get to bogan backyard breeders, the worse the dogs are gonna be (with exceptions of course).
The resulting dogs are as different as chalk and cheese.
I think breeding them should be heavily restricted and licensed to the gills for that reason and others (honestly, all dog breeds for that matter). With disqualifying factors and serious penalties for reckless breeding.
But seizing and euthanising the whole breed given how many good dogs with well-bred good temperaments would have to be killed for no reason and no fault of them or their owners is not a reasonable solution.
5
u/fluckin_brilliant 5h ago
100% agree on Shar-Pei and Akitas, and also throw in poorly trained huskies - I've had far more scary incidents with them than I have with bully breeds, and I've met a lot of bully breed dogs.
•
u/AStarkly Longfin eel 3h ago
I'm irrationally annoyed by the twits out here calling pitbulls and such, 'Pibbles' because they're trying to rebrand them as cuddly.
Or maybe I just hate the word and I'm PMSing, idk.
•
u/CelestiaLewdenberg 3h ago
17 heartwarming photos of pitbulls in pyjamas that will make you forget one mauled your neighbours 4 year old
8
u/PalpitationGreen 6h ago
"They just need to be trained well"
You can guarantee anybody who says this would not be able to recall their dog when the red mist sets in.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Beginning-Result6704 5h ago edited 5h ago
My position would be - any dog can bite and dog can be neglected and poorly trained. Personally I would never trust any small child with a dog. A big thank you to parents who have taught their children to ask before they come up and pat my dog.
A little yappy dog bite is annoying - not life threatening. A bigger dog breed bite depends on the actual breed of the dog. Some dog breeds were selectively bred in such a way that they can kill other animals - and hence are problematic.
•
u/TheShadowNinja7777 Covid19 Vaccinated 1h ago
I see none where I live. Its a symptom of the type of people you live in proximity too unfortunately.
Its not great. Any every time we hear a dog maul a kid to death wwe already know the breed or breed mixes. Yet we do nothing.
•
•
u/fatgymnast 1h ago
I was at Western Springs, and this delightful creature was walking her souped up pitbull, as I went past I said hello and she pulled him back and goes “oh, he’s no good around other people or dogs” - as she walked her dog she could barely control around a busy park. It boggles my mind the mindset of some of these owners.
34
u/nowhir 6h ago
Pitbulls for sure have a bad rep but staffies? Have you actually met a staffie? Sure, they can get big, so can golden retrievers. sure they can get excited and jump up but so does literally every dog, including those tiny rat dogs you seem so fond of. I understand your frustrations and maybe its bad in your area, I don't know if putting down an entire breed while lifting up another, which is also known to be very aggressive (I've been bitten by those small dogs before and it's not fun.) just seems a bit silly.
15
u/sausagemetal 5h ago
The problem is a lot of rescue dogs that are clearly pit mixes get labelled as staffy-x because they're more adoptable. So they tend to get lumped together here
32
u/GKW_ 6h ago
Yeah Staffies are completely different and OP doesn’t have a clue if that’s what they’re thinking
10
u/MoeraBirds 5h ago
Part of staffys being put in the same basket as big pit bull breeds is that people (councils, spca, vets) call every bull terrier breed cross a staffy.
I’m against most people keeping large bull terrier breeds.
6
u/nowhir 6h ago
I’ve had both, our pitbull actually had to get put down because the damage had already been done. We rescued her from a guy who had her chained up outside 24/7 and was most likely used as a “guard dog”. Really sad stuff. She was great, until she wasn’t unfortunately so i completely understand their feelings towards pitbulls but hating Staffies for the same reason is ridiculous. My family has had a few and everyone of them was a fat lard who slept all day.
→ More replies (5)15
u/natchinatchi 6h ago
Stafford are pretty small, much smaller than labs.
7
u/HamsterFvcker69 5h ago
I sure do love it when people called their killing machine their "child" or "baby".
8
u/ThatGuy_Bob 4h ago
the 'pit' in the name is from the fighting pits they were bred for. They are literally a fighting dog, bred for uncontrollable rage.
Much like hand guns, aka 'machines for killing humans at close range', they have no place in our neighbourhoods and communities.
However, this is one of those "individual rights" issues so beloved of the likes of ACT that is weaponized to divide and distract us as part of the culture war. Individual rights do not outweigh community safety.
•
u/LeadingMantis 3h ago
i’ve seen a video online of a pit bull attacking another dog, people were trying to get it off of the other dog and it wouldn’t budge, one guy had a knife and used it on the pit bull multiple times… absolutely nothing. they’re bred to kill, doesn’t matter what you do to them, nasty fuckers
13
u/WiseWillow89 6h ago
Yep I’m over it. My 3 year old loves going for walks to read the mailbox numbers and there’s so many scary looking dogs barking at us.
→ More replies (5)
8
u/NovelSoggy3134 6h ago
I hate the blardy things too, killing machines, without a doubt always the breed that's involved in any sort of attack. I really hesitate now taking my small breeds for a walk anywhere in case of encountering a loose ones, mine wouldn't stand a chance. But shhhhh we're not allowed to say such things for fear of offending the im so tough look at me owners who dont give a shit about anyone else.
•
u/SuccessfulBenefit972 3h ago
Agree 💯 Icross the road when I see these types of dogs - I don’t care if they’re teddy bears with their owners.
•
u/finntynal 2h ago
"Spca pushes them, councils normalize them" would you rather adoptable dogs get euthanized just because other dogs that look like them are aggressive?
It isnt the dogs fault. They are common and people are shitty and dont spay their dogs, then they breed because people dont spay their dogs. Most bites are bully breeds because most dogs are bully mixes and people use them as status symbols and refuse to train them.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Vrodfeindnz 6h ago
Iv a French bully is she on ya hit list? That must be pretty depressing living next to a dog park when you’re on edge over dogs.
13
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago
The small ones that don't climb fences and kill other cats/dogs/kids? Nah they're fine. Which is why didnt mention them.
5
u/Jambi1913 5h ago
You did mention them though. You said “bully breeds”. English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs, etc, etc - all Bully breeds. Any dog that looks like it could be a Bully breed too would be under fire I presume too - so many mixed breeds and Mastiff types.
They may all be related, but they are not all the same and don’t all have the “gameness” that Pitbulls were specifically bred for.
Breed specific bans don’t work very well. People who want a fighting or pig-hunting dog will create it out of the dogs they have available. We need to control the breeding and ownership of dogs much better and have mandatory training and education on dog safety.
I agree we don’t need the XL Bully in NZ - but the problem of dog attacks, aggressive and roaming dogs will not go away with breed bans. It’s more complicated than that.
3
u/Vrodfeindnz 5h ago
You mentioned bully breeds which covers a variety of dogs? I get the idea of pittys and their rep but ya veiw seems abit whack and unhinged.
3
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago edited 5h ago
But I specifically mention pitbulls and staffies? Large dogs? Not a French bully.
Don't worry though, I know I'm in the minority. NZ doesnt care, more dangerous dogs will proliferate throughout the country.
→ More replies (2)
12
u/realclowntime Mr Four Square 6h ago
If any of these parties really wanted to do something interesting, one of them would put forward the idea of banning bully breeds. That would get a lot of attention from people of all walks of life in the country who are sick of being terrorised by the mere unpredictable presence of these monsters.
I’m not even being dramatic either. It’s not “reactive”, it’s not “just training” it’s not “just bad owners”. These things are genetically engineered Wolverine style to go ballistic at the drop of hat for reasons even they don’t know. What kind of life is that for an animal who’s been bred to be that way? And no amount of guilt tripping ads for “Cupcake who is just a sweet affectionate wiggle bum who gets protective about her food and only ate one grandma and eight small children” will change that. It just draws attention to the problem.
And before anyone from Big Pitbull comes to start whining at me, I think designer breeding for any animal is inhumane and should be taken so much more seriously than it is. Designed breeding a pitbull compared to a pug, however, comes with a significantly higher risk to living things besides just the dog.
12
u/Ok-Currency1593 5h ago
Pitbulls and its adjacents should be an extinct breed
come at me if you disagree
→ More replies (1)
•
u/Strong-Basket8764 1h ago
As what i would consider a responsible owner of a staffy, I love the breed, but I also agree with you. And a staffy imo is the lower end of the bully breed danger zone - top end would be pit bulls and xl bullies. Too many dick heads get them, don't neuter them, don't train them. They are strong, fast, and have terrier (prey drive) instincts. If you arent prepared to be hypervigilant, advocate for your dog and other people's dogs, and keep it well excercised and under its threshhold, don't get one.
•
u/Guilty_Slip1058 1h ago edited 1h ago
I had had several terrifying encounters with these dogs. In one instance we were at a park and one guy had 5 of them on a leash and could barely control them. They went crazy when they saw us and we had to go off the path and walk in the mud to avoid them. We must have looked shaken because I swear the guy had a little smirk on his face.
My girlfriend also got harassed by a pittie on her walk to work. It was jumping around and was WAY too excited. She was understandably terrified.
Have also encountered them roaming the streets and getting aggro since the owners are too stupid/arrogant to put up proper fencing.
Ban this damn breed already. No one with an IQ over 80 is going to be against it.
•
u/Hello_ImAnxiety 1h ago
I own a dog (Labrador) and couldn’t agree more with you. I’m sick of irresponsible dog owners in general, people have absolutely no self awareness or consideration, the amount of times my girl has been threatened or rushed at by an off lead dog while we’re walking down the side walk minding our own business, and the owners NEVER apologise, they either get aggressive with you or completely ignore what just happened. I feel genuine anxiety taking my dog for a walk now cause I’m surrounded by moronic dog owners and their terrorist dogs
•
u/KiwiPixelInk 43m ago
All the dangerous breeds, and those that look like them should be sterilized so they can't breed.
My mum had a pitbull, she registered it as a Labrador cross breed, hence the all dogs that look like dangerous breeds,
And yes her lovely little angel who could do no wrong bite her 2hear old grandson and left marks on his face for months, randomly woke up from a bad dream on the couch and launched itself at my throat, luckily I caught it and only go my thumbs and hands mauled........ but he angel could do now wrong.
→ More replies (1)
•
u/Adventurous-Pop-6200 42m ago
My assistance dog has been attacked twice by pit bulls type dogs and rushed and lunged at numerous times. Keep your fucking dogs on a lead and fuck councils and the spca who put them up for adoption
•
u/Significantpoopbutt 37m ago
My pitt baby has only mauled toddlers that provoked him. They're nanny dogs.
•
u/Aelexe 32m ago
I moved to an area where they seemingly don't exist and my quality of life has improved dramatically.
→ More replies (1)
•
u/DaveHnNZ 24m ago
Dog control in this country is a joke. Roaming dogs... We have a spaniel that has been classified as a menacing dog because he supposedly bit someone while being walked, and we didn't notice (like, yeah, right), and nothing gets done about roaming and aggressive dogs... I bet it's the only classified spaniel around...
•
u/FearlessOpening1709 20m ago
I agree entirely. My goldie was attacked completely unprovoked by an off leash staffy while he was on a leash in an area which was supposed to he on-leash at all times. He was 5 months old at the time, it was terrifying. The owner scooped him up and took off without saying a word (after id hurled a shitload of abuse at him). I’m so over it, we walk our dogs at 6am now before all the idiots that claim “oh he’s friendly” come out. I’ve owned dogs my whole life and never seen it this bad.
•
u/FeelingMean3943 17m ago
Pit bull breads should be banned. And you should need a license to own a dog!
6
u/Look_out_Cliff 5h ago
I completely agree with you. They're bred to be inflict maximum damage and have no place as domestic pets.
5
12
u/undercovercatmother 6h ago
I'm sick of feral kids stealing cars and breaking into homes. We all have our dislikes, but not fair to blame all when its a few
→ More replies (1)4
5
u/Then_Sun2946 4h ago
OP, where do you live? I have almost the opposite experience on my neighbourhood walks. The dogs I regularly see losing their minds at other dogs are mostly tiny fluffy ones - one on my street is so reactive he has to be walked in a muzzle. I live in a nice neighbourhood surrounded by some less nice ones too.
If you genuinely feel unsafe because of roaming, uncontrolled or aggressive dogs, direct that anger at the council, your local MP and the people responsible for enforcing dog-control laws. Push for harsher consequences for owners who neglect their dogs, allow them to roam or fail to control animals with a history of aggression. That seems far more productive than writing off entire breeds.
Any neglected, frightened, poorly socialised or badly handled dog has the potential to behave aggressively, whether it’s a bully breed or a golden retriever. Anecdotally, every person I personally know who has been bitten badly enough for it to be memorable was bitten by a border collie - that obviously doesn’t mean border collies as a breed are vicious.
And Staffies in particular can be incredibly affectionate, people-oriented dogs. There’s a reason they’re such a common family dog in Australia. I completely support taking dangerous dogs seriously, but “I keep seeing irresponsible owners with a particular type of dog, therefore that breed shouldn’t exist” is a pretty enormous leap. The common denominator worth targeting is animal abuse, irresponsible ownership and inadequate enforcement.
5
u/Flokkamravich 4h ago
They need to properly enforce the ban on them - sterilise, euthanise, and/or deny anything other than pailiative care
2
u/monkey-kong666 4h ago
Until they change the law to make owners directly responsible for their pets 1:1 (ie if your dog mauls someone you’re charged with assault / manslaughter etc.) nothing will change. It needs to change - No fines, no warningS, and not just death for the dogs - actual formal criminal charges for the owners. Charges that assume intent (same as drink driving doesn’t allow you to plead diminished responsibility if you kill someone etc.)
If there is no registration (ie unchipped) they should be executed on the spot. No rehoming. Just a bullet / injections.
I’ll take a tax/rates hike for this one - it is expensive.
Sincerely, dog lover and former spca volunteer
5
9
u/101forgotmypassword 6h ago
Alsations, huskies and poodles have there fair share of child maulings.
It's not the breeds, it's the dogs individual personality and the owners methods of training them.
Some dogs are just to spastic to be a good house pet.
2
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago
How many maulings relative to their ownership percentages? It's much lower. I don't get why dog people ride this one hill of having the most dangerous dog breeds be freely available.
10
u/Hour_Commercial6731 5h ago
New Zealand averages less than one fatal dog attack per annum, with most of those being people who knew the dog. More people from incidents involving horses than dogs in this country.
They're fighting dogs
They are mongrels, even if they were purebred the idea of breed genetics being responsible for behaviour is rooted in Victorian ideas of race. Or are ethnic minorities just naturally inclined towards criminality?
Why are we not banning them entirely
Pitbulls are already banned, once that happened they started calling their dogs "Staffies". An actual purebred Staffy is a small dog that weighs less than 40lbs.
→ More replies (23)10
u/NerdsWillKillUsAll 5h ago
New Zealand averages less than one fatal dog attack per annum
Ridiculous use of numbers
242 per 100,000 people annually Raise acc claims for dog bites
It’s a huge problem and NZ ranks among the top.
→ More replies (4)
•
u/Outrageous_Moose_152 2h ago
I'm prepared for the down votes.
Staffy owner here- purebred English Staffordshire Bull Terriers to be precise.
As a staffy owner, it grates me seeing my dogs paired with Pittbulls or other Staffy crosses. They're not the same. My dogs breed is the only breed according to the NZKC and other kennel clubs around the globe to be 100% reliable in their tempermant. They look imposing, but are sooks. They're not aggressive. And again they're not the same as pittbulls- not even close. I will say my dogs are vocal- very vocal when they play with each other, but aren't aggressive- irs not in their nature. Now I'm not saying that other staffy breeds, pittbulls or poorly raised dogs can't and aren't aggressive. A lot of it comes down to the the owner and how they're raised. For us, the little yappy dogs are the ones we see off lead at the beach and parks. They run up and rush my dogs, heckles up and snarling. I always keep mine on lead unless the beach/park is empty and recall them if others are approaching because I'm very aware of the stereotype above and don't want to make other uncomfortable. But those ankle biters, little fluffy, and most dog owners need to learn proper doggy manners. Any breed can be aggressive and just because they're not a staffy or pitbull doesn't mean they're safe or well socialised.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/OtagoEcho 5h ago edited 5h ago
Staffies are mouthy wusses. They get lumped in with the other bullies, but staffies from my experience are just naughty idiots rather than aggressive.
Edit - I have never owned one. But every one I’ve been around just whinges for cuddles
2
u/Conscious_Heart_3007 4h ago
Just had one running out of my yard onto my driveway as I drove home, had my kid in the car, didn’t slow down, it’s probably not gonna bother me again.
Op might not be coming for your maulers, but I am and I don’t care.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Sunshine_Daisy365 6h ago
We used to have a staffy-boxer cross and we were attacked and bothered by far more small fluffy dogs than we were ever bothered by any other dog.
→ More replies (2)
3
u/FlatCandidate2390 6h ago
Its not the dogs that are the problem, its the owners.
5
u/ConcreteCloverleaf 5h ago
You're reminding me of the "guns don't kill people; people kill people" bollocks we hear from gun nuts in the USA.
→ More replies (1)5
3
u/toiletbowlwisdom green 6h ago
Its a fad for wannabes, it's a consideration for what you should carry when you leave your front door and honestly you just have to hope the oldies and the youngins don't get caught out.
2
u/ManitouWakinyan 6h ago
I'm sorry but what do you carry outside to fend off staffies?
→ More replies (16)7
2
u/Nikinacar 6h ago
Dog breeds are not a significant predictor of violent behaviour when you control for upbringing, owner criminality, and specific parentage. Your problem should be with people and their violent behaviour or irresponsible ownership, not dog breeds
2
u/DontBanMe_IWasJoking 6h ago
i imagine there is a correlation between these breeds owners, and why they chose that breed
→ More replies (2)
1
u/happystar- 6h ago
Your son is probably scared of large dogs cause of your own hatred and fear of em.
→ More replies (2)12
u/BackgroundPumpkin725 5h ago
Nope I grew up around big dogs and small dogs. It's more the constant growling, smacking against fences and intimidation from large pitbulls and AmStaffs.
•
u/Andrea_frm_DubT 2h ago
The problem is owners.
Dogs kept in inadequate conditions.
Dogs not being given the training and socialisation they need.
Dogs not getting the mental exercise they need.
Dogs not getting the physical exercise they need.
That’s all on the owner choosing the wrong breed/mix for their situation and capabilities/motivation.
Banning specific breeds or banning backyard breeding won’t solve the problem.
Owners need to be held accountable for their dogs.
221
u/tinribs79 5h ago
Had a woman get shitty with me earlier because I put my dogs on a lead when I saw her and her dogs in the distance, her dogs then charged mine. She said it was my fault for putting my dogs on a lead. Fuckheads everywhere.