Our dog is a mixed breed, big old baby at 10 years old. He’s always been sweet, pulled his punches playing with tiny dogs, very soft mouth when he uses it etc. if he ever accidentally hurt one of us he’d immediately look concerned, try to lick you better etc.

But he’s old now and getting cranky. I’ve been trying to explain to my partner that getting all up in his grill used to be playful for him, but now you can tell it’s kinda pissing him off. He’s started to get a bit snappy if he puts his face in his after repeatedly giving signals he doesn’t want it.

I said ‘don’t put him in a position where he hurts you - we’ll all be upset but it’s going to be your fault’.

When I got a big dog I paid attention to the breeds he came from (not bully breeds but still) and made sure I learnt his visual cues. I’ve also made sure I’ve adapted as he’s gotten older and his behaviours change.

I say all this because while he is my baby, he’s still a large animal with a significant bite force. There’s nothing historically about his breeds to worry about, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve put a lot of effort into making sure he’s safe, and my vigilance hasn’t changed. He’s a lovely dog, but he’s a dog.

Now add a breed type with built in aggression and lock jaw. I strongly believe that the people who decide to get these dogs don’t do any of the above. They’re blindly playing with fire and they have no smoke alarms.

I just don’t understand. If you bring a living creature into your life, you owe it to them and everyone around to make sure it can interact safely. I’ve watched people let their dogs almost attack mine because they haven’t seen the cues. I’ve stepped in because I have. Like how the fuck do you not know when your dog is not happy but I can see it a mile away? It’s so bloody negligent.

Anyway, big rant. But this dog would’ve shown signs of being on edge and that would’ve been bad enough with any dog. But these breeds? Why risk it?