Millions of untrained pet dogs showing signs of aggression warns PDSA as youngster is mauled by bull terrier

By NICHOLA JONES

The PDSA found dogs with behavioural problems were biting, snarling and growling at humans and other animals on a weekly basis

A million dogs in the UK display signs of aggression towards people because of a lack of basic training, a leading veterinary charity warned last night.
The worrying conclusion from a survey by the PDSA comes after a six-year-old girl was mauled on Saturday in a park in Chingford, Essex.
Gary Hindley, 56, from Chingford, yesterday admitted allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control and causing injury.

Attack: A six-year-old girl has been left scarred for life after she was bitten by a dog at this park in Chingford, Essex

The PDSA surveyed 11,000 dog owners and found 87 per cent believe there should be tougher penalties if pets attack a person or another animal.
It also found that 4.1 million dogs did not have any discipline lessons in the first six months of their lives, which makes them more prone to potentially dangerous behaviour.

'We keep hearing awful stories about dog attacks and it's something that dog owners have to take very seriously,'
One in three owners admitted they would consider giving up their dog if its behaviour became a problem.
Mr Wensley added: 'Owners have a responsibility for their dog's behaviour and must consider the effect their dog's actions have on others.
'Effective training also prevents fears from developing which can be a cause of aggression in later life.'

source: dailymail