Do you own a dog thats classified as dangerous?

[Heston]

I have just realised that the following dogs are classed as dangerous in Spain

Pit Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Rottweiler
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
Tosa Inu
Akita Inu

And if you have one you have to do the following
The requirements are:
Potentially dangerous dogs must be identified with a microchip. They also must be registered in the Town or City Registries created to that end. The dog owner must have a license, issued by the municipality, valid for five years. In order to qualify for a license, the owner must meet the following requirements:

Must be 18 years or older.
Must have a clean police record showing no convictions for the crimes of homicide, torture, assault, sex-related offenses, drug trafficking, association with illegal armed groups, or otherwise having been banned by court order of the right to own potentially dangerous animals. These requirements must be documented with the appropriate certificates issued by the police authorities with jurisdiction over the owner's place(s) of residence during the two years prior to the application for license.
Must be mentally and physically able to own and control potentially dangerous animals. This requirement will be documented with the appropriate certificates (certificate of physical aptitude and certificate of psychological aptitude) issued by authorized centers in Spain.
Must have proof of contract of an insurance policy on the animal(s) with a liability coverage of at least 120,000 euros.
The owner must report any changes to the information included in the license to the Town or City Registry within fifteen days of the effective date of the change.

Also this is requiredWhat are the safety measures required by law?
The safety measures required by this legislation are the following:

When a potentially dangerous dog is in a public space, the owner or person responsible for the dog must carry the owner's license and the certificate of inscription of the dog in the Town or City Registry. In addition, the dog must wear at all times an appropriate muzzle, and must be restrained by a non-extensible leash or chain no longer than 2 meters (6,5 feet). At any given time, one person cannot lead more than one dog.

Potentially dangerous dogs located in an open, delimited space (land lot, porch, terrace, etc.) must be restrained by a chain or leash, unless the space is properly enclosed.

Finally, owners must report missing or stolen dogs to the Town or City Registry within 48 hours after the animal is determined missing.


Has anyone done this ie got the licenses, insurance etc how easy was it

[frank]

Must have a clean police record

A dirty copy of "Walking on the Moon" won't do then?

[El Cid]

I think that any dog over 25kg is also treated as potentially dangerous.

I also understand that the law in Andalucia has also changed recently and is more stringent than the national law but I don't remember the details.

Luckily I only have to worry about our 4 cats - it is only the local bird population that consider them dangerous animals - with good cause!

sid

[Faire d'Income]

I think that any dog over 25kg is also treated as potentially dangerous.

Cid. Are you sure about this? Must admit we got a few odd glances from the locals when we were wandering around with Wilko but I assumed it was more to do with him being unusual than anything else, especially when you consider the amount of large farm dogs pottering about.

[El Cid]

I think that any dog over 25kg is also treated as potentially dangerous.

Cid. Are you sure about this? Must admit we got a few odd glances from the locals when we were wandering around with Wilko but I assumed it was more to do with him being unusual than anything else, especially when you consider the amount of large farm dogs pottering about.

Have a look at this article - it seems pretty comprehensive.

http://www.thedogman.net/DogmanArticlesText.asp?ID=202

Sid

[Beachcomber]

The law quoted in David Klein's article date back to 1999 and his interpretation of it is basically flawed and, anyway, this has been superseded by Real Decreto 287/02.

An analysis of these laws can be found here:

http://www.geocities.com/razasinocentes/analisis.html

More information can also be found here:

http://www.foyel.com/cartillas/11/perro ... spana.html

I'm afraid I don't give much credence to anyone who advocates, as David Klein once did when he contributed to a programme on Old Codgers International (OCI), waiting outside a school gate and inviting the children to stroke his dog in order to get him used to them.

See also this Spanish forum:

http://www.campingsalon.com/foros/tema_ ... 1&pagina=2

where it is suggested that German Shepherds and boxers are specifically excluded from the classification of being a dangerous breed.

If anyone has a reference or link to a regional law in respect of dogs classed as dangerous I would be grateful for the information.

If the Junta has, indeed, passed such a law I hope it includes an instruction to local police to respond to complaints about dangerous stray dogs.

[crazyred]

I have just gone through the vet to get the insurance and registration dealt with. The insurance cost 100 Euros for cover up to 300,000 Euros. It is not quite as complicated as thedogman website details, and most vets can deal with both the insurance and registration for you.

The Junta de Andalucia were recently trying to impose the compulsory castration of 15 breeds of potentially dangerous dogs but, I haven't heard if this was passed or not.

[Marina]

Beachcomber, I'm sure those links are marvelous for anyone not still stuggling with the Spanish language!
Please, pretty please, could you translate and if necessary, summarise for me the bit about German Shepherds?

[zanuck]

Beachcomber
As usual a very reasoned reply.

I followed one of the links and found our breed - Bouvier de Flandres (Bouvier de Flandes), but couldn't translate the paragraph listed; Babelfish translated, but it still didn't make coherent English.

Could you oblige me and tell me if our Bouve would be considered a dangerous dog?

The piece in question is:

- No están incluidas todas las razas “sometidas a pruebas de trabajo”, razas que durante años, han tenido que pasar por pruebas de ataque para poder obtener el “apto de cría”, como son: el Dobermann, el Pastor Alemán, el Bóxer, Pastor Belga (Groenendael, Malinois, Tervueren), Pastor de Beauce, Pastor de Brie, Bouvier de Flandes, Schnauzer Gigante, entre otras. En igualdad de condiciones sí se incluye sin embargo al Rottweiler.

Many thanks - Z

[crazyred]

Current legislation would mean that if your dog is over the 25kg weight then they would need to be muzzled and on a short lead in a public place (although, you will probably never be stopped!!) and if it has ever bitten anybody then it would need to be registered as a potencially dangerous dog. I don't believe that the Bouvier de Flandes is on the Potencially Dangerous Dog List but, your vet should have all the up to date information as it does change quite frequently.

[spanish_lad]

I think that any dog over 25kg is also treated as potentially dangerous.

do i have a dog that is potentially dangerous?

yes.

[Troglodyfae]

Blimey if that is the case the so do I I dread to think what my dally weighs I know it hurts when he stomps on you.

Okay I had an incident in the house some months ago. I would really appreciate some advice here as this dog is very special to me and if I have to do something to keep him safe I will.

I had and old woman walk into my property through double drive gates and walk right into the house. The Dally spotted her first and gave her a front tooth nip on the *beep*. The skin was not broken and the dog was brought to command heel straight away. Now one has to consider the fact that the dog was within his own secured property and this woman entered...illegally however, the police did call and ask to see the dog which they did and they then said that they would have to return in one month to make sure the dog was still fit and healthy. To date they have not returned and now our gates are locked and chained so this situation could not occur again. I have always displayed a notice on both the gate and the fence telling people that our property has dogs.

If this is the current legislation then how the hell do I stand with my dog given the scenario I have just outlined...anyone?

Ok we have just tried to weigh the idiot dog but given that the scales need a battery and he is...well an idiot we just lifted up various people and compared. We reckon he is over 45kg easy, but he is the biggest, not fattest dally we have seen. I am seriously worried now. He is my big spotty bloke and I love him to death

[Anonymous]

German Shepherds are not currently classified as dangerous dogs. This is confirmed both by our insurance broker and our vet and by the articles and forum to which I gave the links.

Zanuk's quote from the Geocities site just says that breeds of dogs that, over the years, have had to prove their ability to attack are not included and goes on to list these breeds.

The weight, length of hair, and other measurements etc. refer to breeds that may be potentially dangerous and this could include the German Shepherd but current legislation does not include breeds that may fit one or more of these provisions. It just leaves the door open for the possibility of them being included at some time in the future. So there appears to be a distinction between breeds classed as dangerous and breeds classed as potentially dangerous.

I believe that the Andaluz law referred to by Sid is regarding potentially dangerous individual dogs that have been the subject of at least two official reports to the police and doesn't specifically include more breeds.

It also governs the use of exotic animals as mascots etc.

Troglodyfae, I hadn't seen your post when writing the above but I think it goes some way to answering your question as well.

[Troglodyfae]

Beach feeling very sick now MY dally is a poppet he really is, but I feel storm clouds gathering. I hope my intuition is wrong.

[Beachcomber]

I'm no expert in any of this but doesn't the same situation exist in the UK where a dog gets two bites then that's it.

I think you are well advised to keep your perimeter secure anyway. We never leave out entrance gates open even for a few minutes. If you have signs about the dogs they should just warn that there are dogs on the premises not that they are dangerous or that they are guarding the property.

As I said in a previous post, the authorities go to all this trouble to make people control domestic dogs but refuse point blank to do anything about the large packs of semi wild, unvaccinated, unmicrochipped strays that roam the countryside with impunity.

Just another of the many inconsistencies in the administration of Spanish justice.

[crazyred]

In my view, ALL dogs are potentially dangerous whether on a list or not but, there are only certain breeds which are regulated as dangerous. However, any dog which weighs over 25kg has the potential to do a lot of damage without much effort so by Spanish law MUST be muzzled and on a short lead (not extendable) when out in public.

Troglodyfae, is your Dalmation on steroids?? That's the biggest I've ever heard of!! As your dog is within a fenced and gated compound then there is not much legally that they can do. Coming back to check is just to make sure that he hasn't given the woman Rabies (also, potentially dangerous dogs have to be up to date on their Rabies jabs). Has this ever happened before? If he came away straight away on command and this person had just walked into your house then I personally think that he was doing his job however, you might want to think about training him to stand/sit and bark instead. Also, make sure you have a bell/intercom on the gates so that nobody has any reason to come in uninvited.

[Beachcomber]

I have found a reference to a proposed Andaluz law which mentions fifteen particular breeds as follows:

El decreto andaluz sobre tenencia de animales potencialmente peligrosos incluye también 15 razas de perros: pittbull terrier, staffordshire bull terrier, rottwéiler, dogo argentino, fila brasileño, tosa inu, akita inu, american pitbull terrier, bullmastif, dóberman, dogo de Burdeos, dogo del Tíbet, mastín napolitano, presa canario y presa mallorquín.

I don't know the English names of all of the ones written in Spanish but I don't think it includes any that have been mentioned so far and certainly not the German Shepherd, Bouvier de Flandres or Dalmation.

There is no mention of castration and, as far as I can see, the law does not yet appear to have been passed.

[kevin77]

Pit Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Rottweiler
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
Tosa Inu
Akita Inu

So which of the above do you love ?!
Tongue in cheek as if you didn't realise

[Marina]

Thanks very much Beachcomber.

[Troglodyfae]

Morning Crazyred. No he is not on steroids, he is just a big guy. Our property is fenced, and gated. We do have signs which tell people there are dogs on the premises, and we do have a bell and voice entry system. Lady in question was apparently coming to use the toilet The police did say that the dog was within his rights as she had no business being on our property. And yes you are correct in saying that they were making sure the dog was in good health. I did produce all his papers for them just as a matter of course but they did not ask for them, and we have heard nothing more.

I think it would be prudent for me to go to my Vet and find out what the score is, regarding this new rules and regulations. Better to be on the safe side.

Thanks to everyone for bringing this to our attention as I would have known nothing about this until the next trip to the Vet.