My dog “Rigger”. She is the face of my business logo and also the face of For the Love of Dogs. She was a pitbull and she was amazing.
For the Great Good
There is a latin phrase “ad majorem bonorum” which translates loosely into “for the greater good”
Too many times we humans get so caught up in our own wants, needs and desires we neglect to consider the larger consequences of the same. It is true in most aspects of life and definitely holds true in the dog world with responsible pet ownership practices.
We often hear sentiments like:
“I want to breed my dog once. I think he would have great puppies”
“I know off leash is against the law but my dog is a high energy and needs the stimulation”
“I want my dog to be weary of people. I want him to protect my house”
The above statements can be valid. They are repeated often enough among groups of dog owners. They are frequently met with support among like minded individuals. Sentiments like this can seem innocuous enough but when examined, a host of problems readily spring forth.
You probably have a wonderful dog...BUT…will you get health and temperament checks? Will you guarantee that you do proper homes checks after the puppy goes to the new home? Have you shown your dog…your dog’s mate? If the answer to these and so many other questions is “no”, you are just contributing the already out of control pet population. Stop and think!!! Leave breeding to responsible and reputable breeders. Honestly, is it worth the risk?
Your off leash dog deficates and you do not see it as your attention is elsewhere. Your offleash dog charges (even if it is totally friendly) walkers. Your friendly dog runs up to another leashed dog that is reactive. Your dog chases wildlife. You are ruining things for everybody else, putting others and your dogs’ safety in jeopardy.
Your weary dog is now weary of people visiting your house, the mailman who comes to your door, the scouts selling popcorn, the kid riding bike down the road. Your dog acts accordingly and bites. You have encouraged this. You will be held accountable and your dog pays the price. There is no need!!!
This last one is the main concept I want to discuss.
Responsible Pet Ownership Is Mandatory
Too often people get bully breeds; pit bulls and their family, rottweilers, german shepards and the like because they want to have a dog for protection. It is a misguided concept that should die the quick death it deserves. Your dog (any dog) will act as a natural deterrent for anybody trying to break into your home. Dogs are loud. Even friendly ones can be obnoxious to people coming into your home…in short, if one is a criminal and you have a dog, there are easier scores to partake. You do not make a good victim. There is no need to encourage your dog to be weary of people, especially if your dog is a bully breed. Bully breeds already have a bad reputation. By encouraging your dog to be anything but a fun loving perfectly trained easy going dog, you are just giving more ammunition to the BSL advocates You are contributing to the breed stereotypes and feeding the BSL frenzy.
Please consider "ad majorem bonorum” and act accordingly...be a responsible pet owner.
Beau, a male Rottie who had some reaactivity issues. His owners were responsible. They recognised he had issues and continuously sought to address the issues right up until the time he crossed the rainbow bridge due to medical issues.
A Sad Case
Last week I was involved in a unfortunate and totally unnecessary situation. I will discuss it but withhold the personal details as the case is still undergoing legal considerations.
While helping with a local rescue, a call came in from the police. They were requesting direction and assistance for a case they were dealing with. The police received numerous complaints from people in the town regarding an abandoned dog. The dog had attacked another family’s dog mauling it to the point where euthaniasia for their beloved pet was a real possibility. The offending dog was owned by an individual who, according to the community contacts, had a list of charges brought against him/her as well as a warrant. When the owner was contacted, he/she claimed to be out of the area and probably not returning for weeks. He/she said the dog was being used as an attack and guard dog. There was no mention of arrangements made for the dog. The police considered the dog abandoned. They had been to the house multiple times over the last couple days and considered the dog very dangerous evident in complaints from the community and the dog’s response at the door.
The details of the actual rescue, I may write about later as they need to be given however the crux was we agreed to help, travelled to the home and got the dog.
The dog was initially very scared. He was left in unsecured home without power, a bag of food on the floor. There was evidence he had been left for an extended period of time with urine and feeces throughout the house. Props to the organization and the police for stepping up to the plate, dealing with a potentially dangerous situation in a very professional manner. The ramifications of which are still being worked out.
Let’s discuss...
I relate this story to point out a number of things:
1. The dog was an unneutered adult male. Studies show that this is one of the prevailing characteristics of dogs involved attacks.
2. This dog had uncontrolled access to the community. He was not being supervised nor properly contained.
3. He was (by the owners own admission) being used as an attack dog
4. His owner reportedly had an extensive criminal background.
All of these are warning bells. They are all identifiable causal factors in many dog attacks. ( For more on this, refer to A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention by the American Veterinary Medical Association).
This dog had most if not all of the predisposing characteristics of a dangerous dog of which breed was only one very small factor.
Was the owner thinking of the greater good? Was the owner thinking of the potential ramifications when he/she agreed to ownership of this dog?
Obviously not!!!!
It is tragic because at the end of the day, the ones that suffer are:
1. The community members who were harassed by this dog.
2. A neighbour’s dog who is fighting for his life.
3. The owners of bully breeds across the country who fight so hard to change public perception of their beloved animal now have another mark against their dogs.
4. Of course, let’s not forget the actual dog himself who now in all likelihood will be euthanised because his owner was being totally irresponsible
The owner placed the community at risk, contributed to the bad reputation of a undeservedly maligned group of dogs and placed a death sentence on a dog who did not ask to be raised this way. The owner did this for his/her own selfish needs.
We as a society have to do better.
We have to start practicing responsible pet ownership. Early, extensive, proper socialization and exposure should not just be catchphrases used at whim. These practices must be mandatory cornerstones for any dog owner. If you own a breed that people typically fear, responsible ownership practices are even more important for you. You and your dog already face an uphill battle. Your dog is an ambassador for his breed…you, should be a shining example of a responsible pet owner Realise this and act accordingly.
Municipalities need to legislate responsible dog laws. Mandate laws based on science where individual owners are held liable for the actions of their dogs. Allow the legislation to have teeth and encourage the judicial system to use the teeth.
Jurisdictions like Calgary are shining examples of the same. Science points the way, it is our responsibility to listen. For more on this, read “Being a Pit Bull Advocate”
Until we as a society engage in productive discussion, jurisdictions bring into being progressive legislation and individual owners engage in responsible pet ownership practices, tragedies will continue to occur. They will continue to add fuel to the fire of an already volatile situation. It’s sad.
Fortunately, the problem is neither complex nor is it difficult to solve, despite the rhetoric.
Science points the way, there already exists examples of jurisdictions where the number of dog attacks have significantly decreased.
Why is there still a problem?
Boss…a very sweet 6 month old pitty I recently did a one on one with whose owners are engaging in responsible pet ownership practices, ensuring their boy is properly and extensively socialized with other dogs and people and setting him up for success.