Gareth O'Callaghan: Stopping some people from owning a dog is better than banning a breed

So many owners fail to understand that a dog’s unpredictable behaviour should never be underestimated.

From October, it will be illegal to breed or sell XL bully dogs.

It’s often said that intuition is reason in a hurry. Every August bank holiday, I’m reminded of a confrontation I had 20 years ago when I came face to face with a large dog while out for a stroll.

Something told me in that split second that the dog I was walking towards was going to attack me. The footpath was narrow, the roadway too busy to step into.