Dangerous people create dangerous dogs
In case you were wondering what a dog magazine is like - here's the last 12 issues of Dogs Today magazine for you to read, free of charge, no strings. Including the latest issue...
I've been editing this magazine for most of my life, it was launched around the time of the worst piece of legislation our Government had created so far, (something that law students would later study to show them what happens when politicians lose their minds and let their knees do the talking instead).
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was based on the concept that looks mattered more than genetics or behaviour - and that the dog was guilty of being dangerous until proven innocent.
It was tweaked a little after everyone spotted how mad it was to have so many law abiding citizens in society criminalised for owning crossbreeds that hadn't ever put a foot wrong.
All the Gov enquiries agreed that Breed Specific Legislation wasn't working, that it didn't make people safer, that if we wanted to make meaningful change we needed to look at the other end of the lead - at the people breeding, selling and badly training dogs.
To accept that it was always people that made the bad choices, that caused the problems - that it wasn't the dogs that were out to cause mayhem.
Demonising one type of dog made no sense as dangerous humans could just move on to another and make them dangerous. You'd be playing Whack-A-Mole forever otherwise.
But memories fade and people once again started to call for more BSL and that's what we've got. The amnesty to register ends soon and Scotland will set their dates, too. The crazy speed and width of Coffey's Statutory Instrument caused panic and we've seen dogs thrown off flyovers, dogs set on fire, dog dumped, dogs displaced without proper checks that the new home was suitable.
The RVC revealed that more than 70% of pandemic puppy buyers had been using dangerous badly outdated aversive methods on their 'problem' dogs. Violence begets violence.
And our online click-and-buy-it-now culture saw dogs ricocheting from inexperienced home to home without intervention. Damaged dogs, inexperienced people using TikTok cruel macho methods, a tinder cake ... Displaced dogs, covered in scars, bred carelessly without consequence, 'trained' with cruelty, passed on until they break. And we still say it is the dogs that are monsters.
Humans are quick to blame the dog and slow to look in the mirror.
Anyway, do read the year in the dog world that led us to this fresh mess now unfolding. Until we start to control the breeding, selling, training of dogs nothing will change. If dogs are to be family they need to be bred by people who appreciate and accept the huge consequences.
Every generation should be selected for their suitability to live as a family pet. That is the most important job they can ever have. We no longer need them to help catch our dinner or scare away predators.
The way a dog looks should be immaterial. How they behave is all that matters.
But now we have a law that mentions not one word about temperament or behaviour.
Anyway, do read and pass on the magazine.
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Helping dog lovers build dog businesses and leave the rat race behind. Reducing your stress and increasing your income all while helping other dog lovers and living the best life ever. ??living the snowbird life
10 个月I feel so sad, how can the dog community counter act this insanity?. For years myself and others have been preaching its not the dog its the owner, but this seems to have got us nowhere. We need to have a new strategy as obviously what we have done in the past is not working. Does anyone have any ideas? I did think perhaps the industry should be more regulated...perhaps a licensing system similar to car driving. You have to pass the test to get the privilege of owning a dog. What do you think?
Director of canine rehabilitation using the constructional approach, IAABC-ADT
10 个月This bill is not about the dogs is about PM’s political career saving face with voters that are too afraid of their own political correctness and self righteousness. All evidence points at a non sense bill just like many others in the UK. I’d like to ask him if he would use the same logic with humans and if he wouldn’t then he should. It use it on dogs. Ignorance runs rampant.
Advocate
10 个月You are absolutely correct. Thank you for speaking out, and for sharing those awesome magazines! ??
Passionate leader, animal lover, pet care professional, advocate for the bully breed.
10 个月I do believe in change and through education and resources I hope we can see the pendulum move. How do we change the dangerous people? People are products of their environment and resist the help.