Dog trainers in Dundee have warned of a huge increase in attacks on children as they struggle to cope with the number of incidents.
Last month a five-year-old lost most of his ear in an attack by two dogs in the Charleston area of Dundee and in August a teenager was badly injured in Ardler.
Both took place inside homes and all dogs involved were XL Bullys that had to be destroyed.
Dog ownership spiked during the pandemic as people sought out lockdown companionship and lifestyles changed.
Trainers Jess Probst and Loraine Kidd say many people bought big powerful breeds without the knowledge required to train them or how to keep them contained.
They say it’s contributing to a crisis with rocketing numbers of owners coming to them for help after bites and huge numbers of dogs being euthanised.
But they also stress any dog breed can bite and are concerned about a general lack of training and socialising.
Huge concern over dog attacks
Jess, who runs Dundee Dog Training, said: “Specifically in Dundee there has been an increase in bites this past year and we’ve been working with some of these owners.
“Some of them have been really horrendous; it’s a huge concern.
“The commonality between the bites is the important bit. We often hear owners say there was no warning or it came out of the blue but they’re not understanding the things that led up to that.
“Generally, humans are not very good at picking up signals in dogs.
“There are some breeds that were originally bred specifically for violence, aggression, or hunting such as bull-type dogs or guard dogs.
“And many people just don’t know what they are getting themselves into.
“Just their natural ability and that they are typically larger means they can do more damage.”
Measuring the number of bites each year is difficult as no single organisation is responsible for a central register.
But across the UK those closest to the issue — vets, A&E staff, and dog trainers and dog walkers — are all reporting a rise.
In the incident in Dundee in November, the family luckily managed to save the five-year-old boy involved.
Meanwhile a woman was charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act in relation to the attack on the 15-year-old girl in August.
There have also been various reports of dog-on-dog attacks in public areas in the city.
Christmas likely to see increase in incidents
The warning also comes almost a year to the day since popular Auchterhouse kennels owner Adam Watts was killed by a dangerous dog in his care.
And it’s at a time when bites tend to increase significantly over the Christmas period as routines are impacted and dogs can become stressed or over-stimulated.
The number of new items in the home can also be confusing as dogs can lose their sense of security while puppies are also often given as presents at Christmas.
But the pair are putting on free talks on Wednesday at Brooksbank Centre from 2-3pm and 6-7pm to try and prevent some incidents from occurring this year.
They will detail how to recognise stress and share tips on how to proactively avoid such situations.
Loraine, who runs Loraine Kidd’s School of Dogs, believes some of the recent problems may have their roots in social media.
She said: “Platforms such as Instagram show people putting their dogs in stressful situations just for a picture, and often alongside their children too.
“It’s important to remember babies or very young children can trigger the prey instincts in some dogs.
“But there are many things people can do to keep children safe in the home, for instance using crates or keeping dogs in a separate room.”
Jess added: “There’s always an increase in phone calls to A&E and dog trainers at this time of year due to dog bites.
“If we can avoid even just one dog bite then it’s worth doing.”
Dogs euthanised
They say another devastating element is the number of dogs being put down as a result of incidents.
So-called behavioural euthanasia sees otherwise physically healthy dogs put down.
Jess added: “Most dogs don’t get a second chance. As soon as they bite, they can be taken to the vets and put down. It’s a horrible situation.”
Dundee City Council has supported the pair’s concerns around dog ownership in the city.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of recent dog related incidents and would like to remind those looking to get a dog to consider carefully what type of dog would be suitable for them and their family.
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