and Time, initiated the introduction of laws across the US banning specific dog breeds after running issues with pit bulls on the front cover, with titles such as "Beware of this dog" and "Time Bomb On Legs". In 1991, an incident similar to the pit bull mauling in California 1987 occurred in the UK, where a girl of six years was hospitalized after being mauled by a pit bull while playing outside in a park, which ultimately led to the Dangerous Dogs Act. Subtypes of Status Dogs "Weapon Dogs" - referring to dogs who are used by their owners to intimidate or inflict physical harm on others. These dogs are seldom formally trained, and are often direct violations of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991(DDA) and the Guard Dogs Act 1975, which stipulate specific requirements for the care of such dogs. "Dangerous Dogs" - a legal term referring to dogs that are 'dangerously out of control' A dog shall be regarded as dangerously out of control on any occasion on which there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that it will injure any person, whether or not it actually does so, but references to a dog injuring a person or there being grounds for reasonable apprehension that it will do so do not include references to any case in which the dog is being used for a lawful purpose by a constable or a person in the service of the Crown (section 10(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 - DEFRA 2010:3). Breeding Although owning and breeding certain types of status dogs is unlawful, people get around this by cross-breeding. Some of the most common motivations for breeding status dogs are profit and the desire to continue a dog's bloodline. The ideal mating age for dogs is 2 to 6 years old. However, more mature females (closer to 6 years old) tend to take better care of their pups, thus ensuring greater puppy health. The ban of specific breeds under the DDA have resulted in numerous crossbreeds, as a means for breeders to avoid legal repercussions. These ambiguous mixes involving illicit breeds have been assigned various pseudonyms. For example, pit bull mixes are often labeled as: Irish Staff Long-Legged Staff Red-Nosed Staff Staff Cross Often, the buyers of status dogs are not necessarily set on the specific breed. Instead, youths often look mainly at a pup's size, color, and 'potential' when acquiring