Dog Owners Most Responsible for Dog Attacks

As dog owners, we are most responsible for dog attacks. No, not other people’s dogs, our own. Why one simple answer is lack of

proper training. All my dogs have been dogs that would rather lay in the sun than get up and go bite someone. If they did get up they would only do so to make a new friend.

Now I have what I call my “Chorky Mutt.” She’s part Chihuahua and part Yorkie. She is a 6-month-old wild child. Any people we have invited into the house that she doesn’t know have been bombarded with puppy kisses. However, I know that she won’t always be a puppy so I need to stop putting off her basic training.

Here is a post I found on Pets Advisor Fur and Purr blog that talks about how dog attack prevention is on the owner, not on the dog.

Preventing Dog Attacks Begins with the Owner

I’m watching the news in England. One of the top stories is that a woman was killed in a dog attack in South London. Everyone on television is bemoaning the tragedy. They are also discussing tougher laws to prevent such attacks and how dogs are such a problem in London.

Fur and Prrr, most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays! The fact of the matter is, tougher laws (“breed-specific legislation”) will not prevent dog attacks; stupid people not being allowed to have dogs will prevent dog attacks.

(In all fairness and to maintain my closely guarded shred of journalistic integrity, I should remind everyone that I am a dog owner. Anyway…)

Lots of stupid people own dogs. They can be divided into two categories:

• Stupid ghetto/trailer park types who buy guard dogs but don’t train them.
• Stupid people who think that dogs are “a member of the family.”

The first type, the ghetto/trailer park owners, are the ones who typically own aggressive breeds like pit bulls, rottweilers and mastiffs. They don’t know anything about how to manage these sorts of high-energy working dogs, who will quickly become neurotic if they do not have a clearly defined pack order and lots of exercise. The only command these owners know is “no,” so the pet never learns how to live out its genetic destiny.

What happens when dogs are not trained properly?

In the same way that dogs bred to herd sheep or cows will instinctively herd whatever is available to them, guard dogs will instinctively guard whatever is around them. When they are not trained properly, they become dangerous because they cannot determine what is appropriate to guard and how to do it. A well-trained guard dog will not attack, but will hold an intruder in a corner until told to release said intruder.  A well-trained guard dog will also understand clearly what is acceptable to guard: the back yard = good dog, the sidewalk in front of the house = bad dog.

The second type of stupid dog owners are the ones who treat their pets as members of the family. Dogs are pack animals. Dogs need rules and a clearly laid out hierarchy in order to function. They want their owners to tell them what the rules are, and then they want to obey them.

Dogs should not be allowed to do the following:

• Baby-sit the kids. This is how babies get mauled.
• Eat at the table. Dogs place a lot of importance on who eats what and where they eat. A pet should eat separately from its owner. This reinforces who is the pack leader.
• Bully its pack leader into doing anything. “Oh, when he barks like that I have to sit on the couch and pet him.”

A dog that does not respect its place in the pack is far more likely to bite or attack a human being. A dog that knows its place will be deferential to human needs.

This doesn’t mean that a dog will be unhappy or feel unloved. On the contrary, a dog that is given clear instructions and shown how to do its job in the pack will feel secure in its role.

I love dogs and all animals, but I really love dogs. I don’t write these things out of disdain for dogs, but out of disdain for people who look to their dogs to meet emotional needs that dogs are not meant to meet. Your guard dog is not supposed to make you feel tough. Your companion dog is not meant to replace a family; it is meant to augment your family.

The dog in London, a Belgian mastiff, that killed the woman was shot dead by police. I don’t want to see one more pet put to death because it was mishandled by irresponsible people who didn’t bother to learn how to handle the pet they chose.

Sarah Blakemore

Sarah Blakemore, RQE, is a writer from New York City. Currently living in Cairo with her boyfriend, Sarah is the owner of one adorable dog, Lulu, who loves her more than milkbones, and two cats who are continuously plotting her demise.

Fur and Prrr appears most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Pets Adviser.com.

Just a reminder that a big part of your dog’s training is a dog crate. Whether it’s a Commercial Grade Heavy Duty Dog Crate for your strong dog or a regular wire dog crates for all other breeds, visit us for the real thing in dog crates.

I think it’s time that we realize that Dog Owners are Most Responsible for Dog Attacks. Put in a little effort. There’s tons of training advice on the web or take your dog to obedience school. You could be saving your dogs’ life by doing so.