After the stupid comments made by Councillor Alan Tobin referring to restricted breeds of dogs as dangerous and not ideal family pets, and after he has managed to get signs with pictures of these breeds erected all over the country i feel there needs to be a change in the law when it comes to all dogs. Owning a dog brings many responsibilities for the dog owner what ever the breed. Unfortunately irresponsible dog ownership happens here in Ireland. There are laws in place that are there to protect both the dog and the public. One of these laws is; Rules relating to certain breeds of dog. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 impose additional rules in relation to the following breeds (and strains/cross-breeds) of dog: American pit bull terrier, English bull terrier Staffordshire bull terrier, Bull mastiff, Dobermann pinscher, German shepherd (Alsatian), Rhodesian ridgeback, Rottweiler Japanese akita, Japanese tosa, Bandog. The rules state that these dogs (or strains and crosses of them) must: Be kept on a short strong lead by a person over 16 years who is capable of controlling them. Be muzzled whenever they are in a public place. Wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner at all times.The rules on muzzling and leashing do not apply to dogs used by the Gardaí, the Dublin Harbour Police, State Airport Police and bona fide rescue teams in rescue operations. The rules on muzzling do not apply to guide dogs for the blind. In my opinion this has caused more problems for these types of dogs, there owners and the public. Why? Well for one I feel having these dogs listed as restricted gives the breed some kind of status, a bad reputation. These dogs then might be sort out by people who are looking for a dog to give off a certain impression. This then drives fear into people who are not knowledgeable when it comes to these breeds. Also the compulsory use of a muzzle outside of the home, put a muzzle on any dog and ask someone why they think that dog is muzzled, im sure you are going to get the same answer, because the dog bites. This is in fact is not true of these restricted breeds it is true of all dogs, all dogs are capable of biting. That's a fact. The list also  gives off the impression that these dogs are obviously not to be trusted, but all other dogs are fine. Is this why there has been a rise in dog bites in Ireland since 1998 when this law was passed?  possibly. Are people thinking well that's not a restricted breed, I will pat that dog with out even knowing the dog, and what happens, that person is bitten, not all of the time but most definitely some of the time. I feel that there needs to be a change in the law here in Ireland when it comes to all dogs not just a restricted breed. In Scotland they have the "deed not the breed" approach in tackling irresponsible dog ownership. The 2010 Act is designed to highlight the responsibilities of dog owners by identifying out of control dogs at an early stage and provide measures to change the behavior of these dogs and their owners before the dogs become dangerous. This will widen the scope for local authorities and the courts to take action against persons in charge of a dog where the dog's behavior is deemed to be "out of control". This will be achieved through the creation of a Dog Control Notice (DCN) regime that will permit (local authority appointed) authorized officers to issue DCNs to irresponsible owners of any dog that have been found to be out of control.The DCN can impose a number of conditions on the dog owner including: Muzzling the dog whenever it is in a place to which the public have access; Keeping the dog on a lead whenever it is in a place to which the public have access; If the dog is male, neutering it; and The owner and their dog attending and completing a training course in the control of dogs.The 2010 Act also amends the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 so that a dog owner can be held criminally responsible where a dog is found to be dangerously out of control in any place rather than only a public place or private place where a dog is not permitted to be. The 2010 Act contains measures which will address the problems of irresponsible dog ownership and this is fundamental in helping to reduce the number of attacks by dogs of all breeds. The provisions contained in the 2010 Act will give additional powers to local authorities for action to be taken against out of control of dogs so as to improve dog behavior and owner behavior leading to reductions in the number of future dog attacks that blight our communities. We need to get this law passed here in Ireland. If your a dog owner of a restricted breed or and owner of any dog. Please help by signing this petition.