Chas:
A dog is a pack animal & despite 1000’s of years of domestication it retains its pack instincts. When you return home does your dog jump up you &/or attempt to lick your face? They do this because when the pack returns from the hunt food is regurgitated to feed those left behind. Your dog is not showing its joy at you returning, its primal instincts are telling it that you’re going to regurgitate food. Ok, it’s also happy to see you, but anyone who knows animals will know what ‘food love’ means.
No!!
Chas:
These horrible incidents are happening for several reasons, but IMO the main one is the dog doesn’t know its place within the pack, and that is not the fault of the dog.
Again No! The main reason is that idiots are buying dogs without having the slightest idea about what they’re taking on, people see a dog in a film, on the street, at crufts etc (or it will make them look hard) & impulse buy that cute little puppy.
Most have done no research into what’s involved in owning a dog or have any clue how to train it… pack pecking order doesn’t come into it.
We have a dog, a Cairn Terrier, who is a super little dog. There is no way that I would trust him or any other dog near a baby. A dog doesn’t understand what a baby is, they just hear a whimper or a sound and go for it. Golden rule, keep a dog well away from a baby, unless you have a small puppy and they grow up at the same time, but still keep the dog safely at a distance.
Here’s a common scenario that shows who’s the pack leader.
A bloke thinks he owns a dog, goes out to work all day, walks his dog regular & prides himself on his dogs obedience & his general all round knowledge & mastery of his dog.
Meanwhile, it’s his missus that feeds the dog, chucks it a few scraps when cooking, brings home the odd bone when returning from the weekly shop, lets it out to crap in the garden when HWMBO is out at work. She often joins HWMBO on a long walk at the weekends, but mostly enjoys curling up with the dog on the sofa when HWMBO is out with his mates in the pub most nights. It’s her feet that the dog lies at when they’re both occupied with the telly.
One day, HWMBO & his missus have a play fight in the kitchen, a bit of a lighthearted tussle you might say. He’s quite surprised that the dog seems to be growling behind him, does it want to join in perhaps?
He’s absolutely gobsmacked when he finally realises that the dog is growling at him, he takes the play fight a little bit further for a moment & he senses the dog is getting really quite angry, & it’s all aimed at him.
Carry on mate & it’ll have you !
If you think that hierarchy doesn’t exist in a pack, then you have just wiped out 10’000yrs of evolution.
Chas:
Here’s a common scenario that shows who’s the pack leader.
A bloke thinks he owns a dog, goes out to work all day, walks his dog regular & prides himself on his dogs obedience & his general all round knowledge & mastery of his dog.
Meanwhile, it’s his missus that feeds the dog, chucks it a few scraps when cooking, brings home the odd bone when returning from the weekly shop, lets it out to crap in the garden when HWMBO is out at work. She often joins HWMBO on a long walk at the weekends, but mostly enjoys curling up with the dog on the sofa when HWMBO is out with his mates in the pub most nights. It’s her feet that the dog lies at when they’re both occupied with the telly.
One day, HWMBO & his missus have a play fight in the kitchen, a bit of a lighthearted tussle you might say. He’s quite surprised that the dog seems to be growling behind him, does it want to join in perhaps?
He’s absolutely gobsmacked when he finally realises that the dog is growling at him, he takes the play fight a little bit further for a moment & he senses the dog is getting really quite angry, & it’s all aimed at him.
Carry on mate & it’ll have you !
If you think that hierarchy doesn’t exist in a pack, then you have just wiped out 10’000yrs of evolution.
What? Your dog bit your arse when you were play fighting with your missus?
Do you think that a dog knows when it’s ‘owned’ by a chav?
Do dogs behave differently depending on the social status of their ‘owner’?
Can a dog sense its owners level of intelligence?
P.S. I’m not having a go at you, I like the way you think about the dangerous dogs act. I think you know as much about dogs as I do, despite us being on slightly different paths.
What? Your dog bit your arse when you were play fighting with your missus?
Do you think that a dog knows when it’s ‘owned’ by a chav?
Do dogs behave differently depending on the social status of their ‘owner’?
Can a dog sense its owners level of intelligence?
P.S. I’m not having a go at you, I like the way you think about the dangerous dogs act. I think you know as much about dogs as I do, despite us being on slightly different paths.
P.P.S Don’t start me on horses !
I asked if the scenario you posted was your own experience? The bit in bold suggests it was? The rest is really irrelevent.
Melchett:
I asked if the scenario you posted was your own experience? The bit in bold suggests it was? The rest is irrelevent.
My scenario?
Good God no, my dog is the very essence of a well balanced animal. My dog lies at my feet when we relax & if me & the missus ever play fight, I watch very carefully that she doesn’t get her arse bit.
I don’t think that “the rest is irrelevant”, in fact I think that if you think it is, then perhaps you shouldn’t be owning a dog !
My dog pulls when on the lead, how should I go about solving this?
At least the finger of blame is pointing in the right direction.
Perhaps High street petitioning or lobbying your local MP is the only way to reach the appropriate ears? It has on rare occasions made a difference. After all, doing nothing achieves nothing.
■■■■■■■:
At least the finger of blame is pointing in the right direction.
Perhaps High street petitioning or lobbying your local MP is the only way to reach the appropriate ears? It has on rare occasions made a difference. After all, doing nothing achieves nothing.
But what would we be lobbying for that would make a real difference?
We could introduce expensive dog licences, ban unlicenced breeding, ban all dogs above a certain weight/height quite easily but my worry is that there would be no will to keenly enforce these for everyone.
I also don’t trust politicians to make any common sense decision, it’s estimated that 25-30% of homes in the UK are dog owners… that’s a very large slice of voters to alienate!
Having said all that we still don’t know if the latest death was caused by the dog, I’ve heard (don’t know for sure) the autopsy was “inconclusive” ■■?
Cant find anything further on it yet. News will break soon enough. As you say, any government will baulk at the prospect of losing their precious votes over this - and votes, after all, are sadly viewed as more precious than saving an "occasional" human life. :unamused: If scrapping the old licence was a vote-grabbing tactic that worked, it sure as hell wont be re-introduced.
How about a mandatory DCPC - dog owner certificate of proven competence (not bad, eh?). Could even turn a modest profit, but - no - a vote loser again. They dont mind shafting US for it similarly, but then theres a LOT more dog owners than lorry drivers!
Or even a series of televised, hard-hitting public information films, in a similar vein to the “belt-up” or “think bike” campaigns?
No again - that costs money, so thats out. I havent a clue how to address the issue tbh, but I really feel that to sweep these cases under the rug and just carry on regardless is an insult to the poor souls who have thus far paid the ultimate price. Education - as ever - is the key, but try educating a dyed-in-the-wool chav, or a well-meaning but intellectually challenged “dog fashion” victim about this, and you`re on a very sticky, losing wicket.
I actually think there is more of a malaise than a hysteria, Chas. When you say “they want to ban them outright” you surely cant be referring to the government? Its more like a hot potato that theyd rather just went away. I would refer you back to the comments made regarding the probable resulting loss of votes. I think another very real drawback is that if such an incident hasnt affected you personally, or happened to someone close to you, (not YOU, you understand!) then largely its simply not seen as worth more than a fleeting thought. Theres always the “my dog? NEVER!” response too, but the fact of course is its always someones dog.
I launched the thread basically to vent some personal frustration, but Im not on a crusade and sadly dont have the solution - more likely that there is no solution, or moreover, no will to start looking for one.
bottom line is too many dogs around, too many owners that haven’t a clue about the basic needs of animals.
Though we don’t know what happened here, it seems that this latest attack was by a malamute that had been badly treat in the past - well, what kind of muppet sells a dog in a pub? Tells you volumes straightaway. And if you get a dog like a malamute, you have to know what to do with them, they are bred to pull heavy loads on sleds as part of a team, different to huskys which are faster and generally pull lighter loads. They are a working animal that needs firm leadership and a heck of a lot of exercise.
Reading about Jade in Wigan, four dogs that got no exercise, a mastiff that lived in a crate for most of its life that was so small it couldn’t lift its head. At what point will those dogs not be psychologically damaged?
i really haven’t a clue what the answer is, as the other posters have said, it’s difficult to police. My main worry is that it becomes a one dimensional viewpoint that all dogs are bad. Most dogs live happy lives in a family home and never cause serious trouble. If you think of all the ‘occupations’ that dogs have, rounding livestock up, police dogs, sniffer dogs, assistance dogs, rescue dogs etc, they are an amazing species that have a closer bond to humans than any other animal. I jsut think we have a duty to them to not have a kneejerk reaction. I would like to see a lot tougher sentencing for the owners of dogs in these type of cases, when it can be shown that abuse/neglect of the dog has led it to attack.
albion:
I would like to see a lot tougher sentencing for the owners of dogs in these type of cases, when it can be shown that abuse/neglect of the dog has led it to attack.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have serious problems with what peoples perceptions are of what exactly constitutes abuse/neglect of a dog.
I refuse to walk my dog on a lead, ever. Am I wrong for doing that?
Some days I don’t feed her, is this neglect?
What exactly is abuse/neglect of a dog? Who decides? Who has the right to tell me that I’m doing it all Pete Tongue?
A dog has needs very similar to the needs of a human.The dog should have water and food as well as social interaction with other dogs and humans.I often took my dog out with me riding my bike,as I am not to keen on walking.
albion:
I would like to see a lot tougher sentencing for the owners of dogs in these type of cases, when it can be shown that abuse/neglect of the dog has led it to attack.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have serious problems with what peoples perceptions are of what exactly constitutes abuse/neglect of a dog.
I refuse to walk my dog on a lead, ever. Am I wrong for doing that?
Some days I don’t feed her, is this neglect?
What exactly is abuse/neglect of a dog? Who decides? Who has the right to tell me that I’m doing it all Pete Tongue?
We all have the right to express our views , and YES you are wrong . Does your dog not feel hungry some days ? Moron , just my opinion of course .
There you go. A classic example of peoples perceptions being different.
Fasting a dog regularly is one of the best things you can do for your pet. Please, at least give me the courtesy to look up some info on dog fasting (google.co.uk/#q=dog+fasting) before you spout forth.
My dog fasts every 8th day. She’s only fed on butchers green tripe with the odd bowl of cooked chicken as a treat.
If you feed your dog on tinned dog food, please Google up some info on what your particular brand is actually made of. Meaty chunks aren’t necessarily chunks of meat.
There’s folk out there that can’t keep a dog properly because they’ve lost the perception of what a dog actually is & what it’s needs are. To get it so horribly wrong with a dog, it’s no wonder their kids are fubar too.
