Gene, i can understand your point re more aggresive breeds but my point is regarding dogs just being aggresive not neccisarily killing someone. Any dog can be aggresive imho. In packs more so and especially around kids who they are not used to.

Dogs are rarely aggresive to people who are constantly around them, but can become aggresive around people who they are not familiar with. They see owners as part of their "Pack".
You are right though that certain breeds are more likely to exhibit this pack mentality.

Take for instance, this tragic example. The girl was a niece of the owner. Most likely rarely came into contact with the dogs.

Be honest now, how many people open these threads thinking, "poodle? labrador? alsatian? boxer? spaniel?."
It is the same**ing dogs all the time, there is no need for them whatsoever in an urban environment, they are an accident waiting to happen.

Don't be stupid no child of that age should be left with dogs but if the child can speak they can understand with you showing them that they must not tease them they can grasp that,

Prima, not every child is purposeully disrespectful towards dogs. Children by their nature are clumsey with their approach to dogs and this in itself can cause issues.

Thats true,but if your dog is trained and knows it place you should have no problems,when my son was 18 months old we had a Alsation as a guard dog but he was a really good dog that dog was fast asleep one afternoon flat out my son being clumsy fell onto him,most dogs may have barked or bitten that dog just opened his eyes and wagged his tail because he had been brought up the right way.I really don't think the majority of people understand dogs at all.

Surely anyone, with an ounce of sense, admits that all dogs should be on a lead and muzzled when outside in an urban environment.

& again

.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/baby-girl-mauled-death-by-dog-1468524

6 month old baby bitten to death, horror beyond words. Why wasn't it muzzled? Absolutely heartbreaking.

Ibrahima Sonko, I've had a lot of problems walking my dog and my neighbours dog this year when she wasn't able to do so. One afternoon I walked the pair, little dogs and within a few minutes a bloke that had one pit bull and two puppy Dobermans unleashed and unmuzzled, the three dogs ran straight for us biting my dog and jumping over the other one. I kicked the pit bull in the head and started generally going mad to get them off us and with me holding both my critters up high in one arm.

The owner said and I quote verbatim, "they are not usually like that." I was really upset that my muttley had puncture wounds on his belly but the other bloke wasn't too bothered as usually they are ok. They attacked a schoolkid playing football a few days later and the police were called but they were not interested, too much paperwork no doubt. I'm always wary now.

Erm IS Slippy Blue was a dog, I love dogs more than anyone but being attacked by a chav owned dog who has no training...If he was going to kill my dog I would have destroyed it myself.

Ban dog altogether imo. Just shiit everywhere, bite kids, every dog owner is annoying and think their dog is harmless and wouldn't harm anyone. They're pests.

there used to be a doberman always on the loose in my area , you would be waking down the hill and you would see it tanking about the field , owner said dont worry though whilst holding it back

Responsible ownership - ie training the dog and supervising it properly with children - would avoid 99.999999% of these horrific incidents.  We own are wonderfully natured cocker but remain vigilant around children, especially babies.

Dogs are pack animals they will have a pop at the youngest for the pecking order rights, dogs and children who cant fight back should not be left unsupervised

Any dog will attack if the mood takes it.

I agree but I'd rather be attacked by a cocker spaniel than a bull terrier. The clue's in the name - it was bred to bring down a bull.

A retriever is gentle by nature because it was bred to pick up game and not damage it with it's teeth.

But, any dog can turn.

Dogs don't like being stared at - they interpret this as a threat. Children have bigger eyes than adults relative to the size of their faces. To a dog, this can look as if they're staring.

A dogs temperament tends to reflect its owner but even the mild mannered can have a blind spot about their dog.

Last year I was bitten by a Jack Russell, as I was waving it away the owner, an old bloke, said "its alright" I said "it just bit me", he said "No it didn't". No apology no attempt to control it. I was more annoyed by his attitude than the bite and  lost it and started shouting. He just said "Alright alright"  and walked off.

It's certainly true that many owners don't know what their dog is capable of.

Probably more like 'could' have been trouble. Although I suppose the dog could have been trained to respond in that manner. Unlikely though.

I saw a guy out walking with his 4 kids and dog in the park recently. Kids were aged from 2-8. The dog was bigger and heavier than me and I`m over 6ft. I asked him what type it was and he told me it was a Belgian Mastiff. IMO, anybody having a dog like that with young kids in the house is completely irresponsible. Dogs are great companions for kids but get them a small dog. Sure, all dogs are unpredictable, but if a small terrier snaps or attacks a kid under 8 it`s highly unlikely to be fatal. God forbid that beast turns on them. And this wasn`t some pleb or druggie. This was an educated businessman who lives in a big big detached house, but he obviously lacks common sense or deep down is some sort of psycho.

Surprise, surprise the dog is an illegal breed