Day Two

I got what I wanted - a dog aggressive dog to train. Huzzah! Not sure to what extent, but today there was a LWD (Little White Dog) that he stood watching, and as soon as the LWD saw him it started pulling frantically to come see him, Chewy ran at him growling, hit the end of the line and then decided it was a better idea to walk with me. Didn't go after any other dogs (we saw several) but he did watch them pretty closely, and none of the other dogs noticed him/tried to approach him (thank God, there were two off leash dogs that luckily did not notice us)

He needs to be reminded not to barge through open doors, but remembers pretty quick, and it IS only day two. Good little dog, slept all through the night at my feet.

Day One

Chewy is a scruffy little cream colored terrier, head placed on the sofa, looking as loyal as possible at me and my bowl of steamed purple carrots, of which he has already been offered a sample and declined. Why do they continue to look at you pleadingly? Can they not smell that there is only more of the same in the bowl? Ah, well.

Point to point walking was mostly uneventful, minus the occasional tiny barely audible "erp!" as he hit the end of the line when bolting after a squirrel. He really likes squirrels and birds, and maybe dogs? We stood at one point while a pair of Italian Greyhounds passed, it seemed like they were going to pass safely until one of the dogs changed his mind and went back to approach Chewy (on a retractable lead) and Chewy went straight for him, but I caught the leash and moved off before he made contact. I prefer Catfish's puppy-minded openness about his intentions, plenty of body language and whining about wanting to greet a dog vs hard stare stiff posture and then rocketing towards them (to greet? I think not) I felt a little disappointed to be training a little dog (not to mention the very real pain in the ass of having to reach that far down for placing them) but it looks like he'll give me plenty to think about. A big change around the house, first day here and he is calmly curled up on the sofa with me vs Catfish constantly going from person to person asking for pets, whining, being a puppy, being a goofball. Though make no mistake, I love Catfish dearly and miss his enthusiasm for life, silly happy face, pride in his work. I feel almost awkward around Chewy, bringing him home and first thing giving him a bath: do we know each other well enough for me to take such liberties? I guess it's different because he is a mature adult dog, insecure in his new surroundings, whereas Catfish was just excited to explore a new place and play with new people. It's a completely different relationship to treat dogs as equals and with respect rather than patronize them, adds more depth.

BSL is a failure in the UK

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/man-convicted-over-weapon-dog-murder-of-teenager-1923509.html

This raises some really good questions. A dog bite that was severe enough to require hospitalization was reported to the police, and no action was taken. They're responding to calls about someone's neighbor owning a pit bull, seizing and destroying it, but a dog that actually bites someone gets no attention? Why was the gang member's other dog granted exemption? On a side note, I seriously doubt it was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Bull Mastiff cross, there is a size difference between those breeds of about 100 pounds. Otherwise a well written report that is unbiased and focuses on the owner's vicious behavior and mentions breed only because one of the dogs involved was an illegal breed. A perfect illustration of the enormous impact the owner has on the temperament of their dog. It's hard to blame it on the dog when the owner was yelling "Get' Em!", obviously in an incredibly aggressive state of mind, and stabbing someone to death. I think even Colleen Lynn might be able to agree that that upbringing and those conditions would cause even the "sweetest" Golden Retriever to attack.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-seize-more-than-1000-dangerous-dogs-1923520.html

"Jon Eachus, of the RSPCA, said: "The whole dangerous dogs situation, irresponsibility with dogs, has increased 10-fold in the last couple of years.

"It has just been blown all out of context. It is just too easy to acquire them, it has become the in thing to have these dogs. A couple of years ago we did not have this sort of problem."

Another really excellent article. Even with a breed ban in place, "It is just too easy to acquire them". It talks about the entire issue, "We are getting more children's play areas ripped apart and generally more antisocial behaviour.", not isolating it to breed of dog, but putting the proper emphasis on human behavior. Did bull breeds suddenly become incredibly aggressive in the past few years? No, even if aggression was genetically determined (which John Paul Scott has shown us through research that it is not) it is not possible to have such a drastically different animal in the time span of a single generation. Now if they can just the connect the banned status of the dog to the desirability for that breed by criminals.

http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/austin/stories/040109kvuepitbull-bkm.93ae5add.html

Perfect example of how it's the owner's negligence that causes dog bites. These dogs went after a moving object (as dogs are wont to do) and were INCREDIBLY easily redirected: all it took was their victim saying "go get your ball!" to cause them to let go. The photographs of her bite wounds show they are in no way serious, not to say that I wouldn't mind having them, but obviously the dogs were not motivated to injure her. It looks more like they bit once to stop her movement and released when she spoke to them. It sounds like all these dogs needs is basic obedience and a fence. I'm relieved that they didn't call them vicious dogs or talk about how "vicious" pit bulls are, there is some sanity...

Dog Aggression or Prey Drive?

Just a short "food for thought" comment:
I wonder how many dogs labeled as 'dog aggressive' are really just acting on their prey drive? With so many attacks from dogs 10x the size of their victim, I have to question if they recognize it as a dog. If I was a German Shepherd, I don't think I would recognize a 3 pound yorkie as a dog rather than some kind of varmint that it was my duty as a good dog to exterminate.

It reminds me of the section in Temple Grandin's "Animals Make Us Human" where she talks about 'killer dogs': people line breeding pit bulls with dogs naturally distrustful of strangers to create strong dogs more easily shaped towards indiscriminate aggression. She says there was a litter of these line bred 'killer dogs' that was adopted out by a rescue group and they were all eventually returned for killing cats. And this is supposed to be a strike against them? I know I would be furious if a dog killed my cat, but I would never blame it on the dog. That's what they DO: chase and kill smaller animals. It takes intentional socialization and training to keep this hundreds of thousands of years old trait under control. I have met MANY dog owners who have dogs that would kill a cat if they ever got a hold of one because their owners don't have cats so it's not an issue for them. And somehow pit bulls get the blame for this very natural dog behavior? As is often the case, certain breeds are talked about as if every dog trait that could possibly be construed as negative is unique to that breed labeled 'dangerous dogs' for acting on instincts that have worked for the last several hundred thousand years. Well, some of us weren't born yesterday and have touched more than the very tip of the iceberg on understanding the complexity of dog behavior, so don't expect us to buy it.

http://dogattacksyouneverhearabout.blogspot.com/2009/11/collie-attacks-3-and-spared-death.html

"This is a working breed and has a lot of energy and drive," Cline wrote. "It does them no good to be confined to an apartment with little to do. They get bored and frustrated, and with no outlet, this alone can lead to undesirable behavior."

...and that somehow doesn't apply to pit bulls? Never in a million years do I imagine I would see this in an article about a pit bull bite, not do I imagine a pit bull would have been given a second chance. Thank God the right people were able to save this dog whose only crime was not having her needs met.

My apologies for this sloppy post, much steam to blow off and little sleep :)

The Meaning of Oreo

Nathan Winograd wrote an article perfectly illustrating what all my beef is with Oreo's death. My main points being, why was she killed when she was offered a lifetime home by a qualified rescue group and was there anyone actually qualified to assess her temperament that said she was beyond rehabilitation? Another important issue that hadn't occurred to me until reading this was that the ASPCA is publicly funded and as such has a responsibility to listen when its financial providers are in outrage at its decisions. Ed Sayres was quoted as saying to USA Today "There is no room for No Kill as morally superior." Really, laziness at the cost of animal's lives is on the same level as being completely dedicated to doing all that you can to save an animal's life? Non profit doesn't mean non corrupt. Few things are ever as simple as they appear to be. Stories like this make me ever the more thankful and in awe of Austin Pets Alive's tireless and pure dedication to their mission, not a single thing they do is counter to their aims. Ellen Jefferson and Palmer Neuhaus are deities in my book. Anyhow, you can read Winograd's article at the link below.

http://www.examiner.com/x-16635-SF-Animal-Shelters-Examiner~y2009m11d16-The-meaning-of-Oreo

High Drive Could Save Your Life

The American Pit Bull Terrier is often criticized for its high drive. They quote how an ill cared for animal attacked another dog or occasionally a human and that it was incredibly difficult to remove the dog and/or it was hard to redirect their attention. NOT to be misconstrued as glamorizing dog fighting (I nearly passed out trying to sit through "Off The Chain") but it is the same dedication that keeps a fighting dog latched onto its opponent, that keeps the search and rescue dog on the track of a missing person despite bleeding paw pads and many miles already logged. Do you want the search and rescue dog looking for your children when they are lost or injured to be one that gives up halfway through because they're getting tired? Or would you prefer one that will go for the goal until they are physically incapable, for no reason other than that it is important to their handler? I can't reiterate enough how unfair it is to blame an owner's neglect to properly train a dog, when often those same qualities that make a dog dangerous can make a dog an incredible asset to the community when trained for search and rescue or police work. One of the Lassie dogs was turned over to Bill Koehler because she was "uncontrollable" and the Great Dane in Swiss Family Robinson was fond of biting people when he came to Koehler. In cases where a dog has not been outright abused or neglected, misbehavior is often due to assets that are channeled into undesirable actions because they aren't being utilized. A lot of high energy breeds are found in shelters because their owners didn't understand that a dog bred to be herding sheep all day can't be left in apartment for 8 hours without a good, exhausting workout in the morning and evening if their owners plan on keeping their worldly possessions intact. That's just one of the many behavioral problems that can arise in dogs who aren't able to expend their energy or use their mental faculties.

Now I'm rambling and I should be packing to leave for Florida tomorrow anyhow. The point I was trying to make is: there is a good and a bad side to everything. The greater the potential for a quality to cause great harm, the greater potential good it can create so let's not forget it. Happy Holidays!