Читать книгу Staffordshire Bull Terrier: An Owner’s Guide - Alison Smith - Страница 10

As a responsible Stafford owner, the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) is extremely unlikely to affect you or your dog. Owning a pedigree Stafford is perfectly acceptable in the UK. However, you must always make sure that your dog’s pedigree and Kennel Club papers are available, as sometimes authorities with little expertise in the breed can confuse them with banned breeds. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Stafford is banned or under severe legal restriction in Germany, Israel and Canada. Legal restrictions can take the form of muzzling your dog in public, having to obtain a special licence, a ban on breeding and/or selling and, possibly, even having to take out special insurance for your dog.

This owner has total control over her Stafford, who is displaying his full attention. Never allow your new dog off the lead until you have full control over him.

The problem that the DDA does pose to Stafford owners in the UK is that a Stafford may physically resemble the Pit Bull Terrier to a person who is unfamiliar with the breed, which may be confusing to the uninitiated. Never allow your dog to run wild in open spaces until you are 100 per cent sure that you have full control over him, and never encourage him to display any aggression towards people or other dogs. For more information on the Dangerous Dogs Act, see page 126.