As dog owners face being handed Asbos for having dangerously out-of-control pets and with a number of high profile dog attacks recently, the Standard decided to investigate whether readers thought dogs were born dangerous or it was the fault of the owners.

From October 17, police and councils were able to demand owners took preventative action over dog attacks or face fines of £20,000.

In 2013 6,740 people needed hospital treatment after being attacked by dogs.

Owners can be forced to take a dog to training classes, put a muzzle on it or have it on a lead in public.

Prison sentences for owners of out-of-control dogs have been extended, from two years in prison for both a fatal dog attack and injury, to 14 years for a fatal attack and five years for injury.

University student Hannah Massingham, 23, of Kittiwake Drive, Maldon has owned two-year-old husky Bear for a year.

She got him from a rescue kennel and it took time for him to adjust into a permanent home.

She believes people need to be more cautious around dogs they do not know.

She said: “On walks people come straight up, they don’t ask about the dog, and go straight in for a stroke.

“If the dog doesn’t know someone touching them, they can get quite nervous and if people haven’t been around dogs very often, they don’t know the signs.

“A lot of Huskies are rescue dogs, people can’t cope with them and they are then mistreated and passed from house to house."