Dangerous dogs are back in the news

BIG dogs make a statement about their owners. There is a theory that the pets we choose reflect or compensate for some part of our character, and in this context, owning a big, tough dog says a lot. Big dogs frighten and intimidate. Partly, this is because of media coverage of serious attacks by particular breeds. Partly, it is because of the humans associated with such dogs. The Rottweiler, Staffordshire bull terrier, the pitbull and the German shepherd are such breeds.

Dangerous dogs have been in the news again recently. The killing of one-year-old Archie-Lee Hirst by a Rottweiler, along with MSP Alex Neil's proposal for a new law on the issue, made me wonder what kind of people choose to keep big, scary dogs. Most are responsible people who feel the image of their dog has been blighted by a reckless minority. Even the banned pitbull has its thoughtful owners.

With the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, Britain invented the idea of breed specific legislation. But by banning certain types of dog, the act promoted the idea that there were breeds so violent that they ought to be eradicated, that the behaviour of dogs is genetically defined.

In researching this article, the phrase I most frequently heard was: "It's not the dog, it's the owner." I met many lovely dogs and responsible owners. There was the woman who kept her placid Rottweiler muzzled to make others feel comfortable. Another was in counselling following the death of her beloved Rottweiler. The range of people who own these dogs is vast. Their reasons for getting them are numerous. One thing they must share, though, when they choose to buy or take on their pets, is a knowledge of the image these breeds have, and of the power they possess. To keep these dogs requires commitment.

most People thinks she's this big aggressive dog and she's not'

Owner: Jim McKinven, musician, Glasgow Dog: Emmylou, a Rottweiler/mastiff cross EMMYLOU is a Rottweiler mastiff cross. In America they call them English massweilers. What a horrible name. If you want to name a devil dog, that's how to name it. But that's not a name I would use: when you see them you fall in love.

Her name is tattooed on my arm. I'd been wanting a tattoo for 20 years, but I never knew what to get. This, though, is the love that will never fade. Fingers crossed, I'll be there for the rest of her life. You would never do it for your other half in a romantic relationship, but I knew this was permanent.

There's an empathy with a dog. I don't get on with humans very well, and, as I get older, I've no real need for human company but I still need company. That's why I'm glad I've got a dog in my life. Emmylou has an inner confidence, which sometimes rubs off on me. I've started getting on better with humans because of her. I've had her since she was 10 weeks old. There were always dogs in my life when I was a kid: collie crosses and Heinz 57s, which are always the best dogs. I grew up in Castlemilk in the times when dogs weren't on leads and just roamed. As I got older, I really wanted a dog back in my life. I think you hit a particular age and you want something. I didn't want to go back into another failed relationship, so I thought, I'm on good ground here if I get a dog.

The reason for getting a big dog was simply that I don't have much of an empathy for small dogs. I need a physical presence from a dog. My mum, who lives in South Africa, had a mastiff, and I fell in love with it. I like mongrels and crossbreeds and I knew I wanted a cross.

It's funny the reception we get from neds. It's almost as a mark of respect: "Look at you big man, look at that dog you've got." They're thinking she's a big aggressive dog and she's not. Don't get me wrong, I've seen her be fiercely protective of her house twice. She's got it in her to be a guard dog, but she hasn't had any need to be aggressive. People who give me that look of respect must want their dogs to be aggressive. Once, in the Trongate, I was walking by a pub and there was this well-heeled hardman and he said: "What a great dog! How much for it?" I said: "There's not enough money in the world." He said: "How does £5000 sound?" I half wanted to say: "You're no' getting the dog, but would you have handed that over? And why?"

It's great to have something to be responsible for. I walk her for about three hours every day. It keeps you fit and healthy. Also you can get an added bit of strength from a dog when things go bad. Everybody has down days and being a musician isn't the most secure lifestyle, so you have peaks and troughs. If you go on a two-hour walk, you come back and see things more clearly. My life revolves around my dog and my music. The first single of my current band, Wilson Tan McKinven was also in Altered Images and One Dove, is called Big Dog. It's not directly about her, but she's mentioned in it twice: she's the brown dog waiting for me back home. It's funny, because my priorities used to be music then dog, but now it's dog then music. Knowing I'm going to be there for the rest of her life makes me work harder.

YOU NEVER GET A BAD DOG, IT'S ALWAYS A BAD OWNER

OWNER: Duggie Little, an unemployed single parent from Leith DOG: Bear, a Rottweiler WE had dogs all through my childhood, and I always wanted a Rottweiler. But my mum got attacked when she was younger, so she wouldn't allow a Rottweiler into the house. She got half her face mauled. But I think they're a beautiful dog.

The way I see it, you never get a bad dog, it's always a bad owner. I'm a single parent with two daughters and I think it's just like bringing up a kid. If you bring it up wrong it will end up smashing windows. Personally I can't afford for my dog to be a bad dog, because I'm on my own with two kids. Up until now I've not had one problem with him. He has never bit anybody, never snapped at anybody.

I've always had big dogs. I don't like wee ankle-biters. It's a different relationship with a bigger dog: you have to be more dominant. Bear is the best thing I've ever bought. He goes nearly everywhere with me. I get up at 7am, walk out my door and my dog goes with me. I go to school, nursery, drop the kids off and the dog's with me as well. Then I come home, sit about and I go to the pub until it comes time for me to go to nursery again. The only time he's not with me is if I'm working.

It took me a wee while to save up for Bear. He was going to cost £550, but I ended up getting £250 knocked off because he was rejected by his mum when he was three weeks old. They said they wouldn't guarantee he would live. When I first got him he was bottle-fed. I bottle-fed my kids and I bottle-fed him as well. He went through six teats a week: chewing them and ripping them apart.

My daughter Suzanne was one year old when Bear first arrived and he's been brand new with her, though my oldest daughter, Chloe, is less at ease with him. Suzanne though, she'll toy fight with him. She'll go up and pull his tongue out. The kids wanted to call him Winnie The Pooh.

Bear has the run of the house, but lately I've been closing the bairns' door, because he goes in, takes a toy and leaves it chewed up on the living room floor. Whenever the kids were mucking about with the dog, though, they're always in the living room with me, so if it does go a bit far and it does get out of control, I can just jump straight in. He is only 19 months old so he's got a lot of nonsense still in his head. Now and again he can be a bit boisterous but it's just playful. I've never had any problems with him or any of the dogs I've bought. The only one that ever bit was an Alsatian. When my dad was walking him they got attacked and the dog bit the attacker.

Bear's the best dog I've had, because I've done it on my own: the training, the bottle-feeding, everything. I wouldn't sell him for anything. He's part of the family and he's going to stay in the family until he passes away. I would ever get rid of him if he ever did turn on myself or my kids or somebody in the street. Until that day happens, he's going to be with me. Simple as that. He's here to stay.

ZUKI makes me want to get up in the morning. I'D RATHER TAKE A KICKING THAN HER GET PUT DOWN'

OWNER: Davy Follows, unemployed, Granton, Edinburgh DOG: Zuki, a mixed breed HAVING Zuki has made me more stable. Without her, I'd still be drinking, staying up late and doing things I shouldn't. Now, there's a routine. I can't decide just to sleep in. Having her has stopped me getting out of control like I was before. My ex had a miscarriage and I was drinking to deal with it. I was on a downer, but she definitely turned it around. I wouldn't advise everybody to use a dog for that, it's not a sticking plaster, it's a big responsibility. It's not a quick fix. It's a lifelong commitment.

I hadn't been looking to get a dog, but a friend asked if I would help deliver his bitch's pups. I had to burst the bag amniotic sac, and there was Zuki. She was tiny. She was in my hand when she started breathing. I wasn't going to part with her after that.

My missus had miscarried in the spring before, and it seemed like there were all these special connections. There's a marking on her stomach, like a goat, and my ex was a Capricorn. I thought having Zuki would be good for my ex as well. She seemed to like the idea at first, but I think she liked the idea better than the reality. I split up with her in the end, partly because of the way she was with Zuki. I ended up out of work around then. I was in demolition, but they found asbestos on the site and they knocked us out of work.

I've got liver cirrhosis and loads of metal in my leg. I had an accident. I jumped off a wall and I got a spiral fracture in my leg.

Zuki makes me want to get up in the morning. I might think, I can't be bothered to do other things, but I always can be bothered to take my dog out. I'm religious in that. When folks say to me, "Do you want me to watch the dog for a couple of days?" I say, "No, I'd rather be with her". I don't go anywhere without her unless it's hospital or court or somewhere like that.

Some people have these dogs for the wrong reasons. You get people who give them aggression training for fighting. It's not the way to treat a dog. Zuki knows to stay out if men are fighting. I'd rather take a kicking than her get put down. But if a woman gets hit, she'll defend her. A guy hit my neighbour's wife in the street and Zuki started barking at him. That was the first time Zuki had ever shown any signs of aggression. The woman upstairs from me is scared of dogs and she's taught her little girl to be scared too. I had to say to her: "Look, once and for all, the dog isn't going to hurt your wee girl." They're alright with Zuki now but it's taken about a year.

I would be very upset if I lost her. That's why I make sure I'm controlled because I don't want her taken away. I try not to break the law because I couldn't handle not being with her. There is a certain responsibility. And given her strength, she could live longer than me.

I don't know how many years I've got left. If I went back to the way I was living a few years ago, I wouldn't have long. She makes me think twice about it every day. Every day I've got to look after my dog.

THEY ARE POWERFUL WEE DOGS AND A STATUS SYMBOL FOR YOUNG GUYS'

OWNER: Tracey Warren, dog rescuer, Edinburgh DOG: Bandit, a Staffordshire bull terrier BANDIT was a rescue dog. We picked him up from a homeless unit. We noticed he had a problem with his hip, which turned out to be broken. When we got him in, the idea was to rehome him. I wasn't thinking of getting another dog, because I'd had Staffords before and my last one died and I didn't think I was ready to take on another one. In the end, though, I couldn't resist keeping him.

He's a big, soft lump. Staffies are often called "the nanny dog" because they're good with children. We've had kids in here and obviously because of his injury we have to be careful what they do to him. But he's been sitting on the floor and a bairn's sat on him and he hasn't been bothered.

The thing with Staffords is they're a powerful wee dog and it's a status symbol for a lot of young guys. I can't understand why people think that it's such a bad breed. Yeah, they can be loveable rogues, but even if you treat them badly they still want to be your friend. It breaks my heart when you hear all these people saying, "Ban the breed". We sell T-shirts to raise funds for the rescue saying, "Ban the deed, not the breed".

It takes a lot for a Staffie to break its temper. He has never broken his temper since I've had him. The only thing that he does not like is if you were to pretend to aim a gun at him. He hates that. Unfortunately you do get Staffies used for dog fighting. We rescued one whose jaw was hanging off and we had to put him to sleep. I once argued with a man who I knew did dog fighting and I said: "What gives you the right to put a dog into a pit to fight like that?"

He said: "He loves it. It's like a boxer going into a ring." I said: "No it isn't. A boxer has a choice, he doesn't and he's going to get ripped to bits."

I would recommend a Staffie as a fantastic family dog. At the same time, they're not for everybody. They're a big dog in a small package: a dominant and stubborn breed.