One listener has suggested it is dog owners, rather than dogs, that are dangerous.

Alan has a number of German Shepherds who are on the restricted breeds list.

He was speaking after a young boy suffered horrific facial wounds in a dog attack in Co Wexford.

Nine-year-old Alejandro Miszan was playing with friends in a housing estate in Enniscorthy when he was attacked by a pitbull on Sunday.

He was airlifted to Crumlin’s Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery for severe facial injuries.

Alejandro Miszan who was seriously injured in the Enniscorthy dog attack. Image: Miszan family

His older brother, Raul, earlier told Newstalk his face is "completely destroyed".

"He has no lips and his face is in bits," he said. "I don’t know how to describe it.

"His face is not like he used to be anymore; his face is completely changed. He is not the same anymore.

"We can’t really recognise him the way he looks now at the moment. He is in terribly bad condition."

Alan told Lunchtime Live the onus is on the owner rather than the dog.

"I think the dogs are not that's [sic] dangerous; what's dangerous is the owners of the dogs," he said.

"You don't give somebody a gun without having proper licence and proper training.

"A gun is a killer and so is dogs, any kind of dogs."

'Fully commandable'

Responding to a comment that smaller dogs do not attack people, he said: "They would probably bite children a whole lot more than any of the listed dogs do.

"It's just that the listed dogs is highlighted. I've been bitten loads of times by small dogs".

Alan said he has never had an issue with his dogs.

"I walk them without leads and without muzzles on the beach... them dogs are fully controlled.

"I don't speak to them, they have them all on hand signals.

"If you were approaching me on the beach - with or without a dog - and my dogs were about 20 metres away from me I clap my hands, they look at me, they get to signal to return [and] they return.

"I have more control on my dogs without leads than most people because they're fully commandable.

"I'm dealing with dogs over 40 years and I have never had an incident," he added.

Main image: German Shepherd dogs. Picture by: Tierfotoagentur / Alamy Stock Photo