Britain desperately needs to tackle its dog control problems - The Guardian

Merseyside police seized this pitbull terrier, trained for fighting, after an attack on a five-year-old child. Photograph: Merseyside Police/PA

Dangerous dogs are increasingly linked to worrying and persistent trends in antisocial behaviour, and so it's no surprise that so many of us up and down the country are concerned about the problem. Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, together with the RSPCA and Blue Cross have called for an urgent and overdue review of the existing failing dog legislation. Maybe, just maybe, with the recent appointment of Lord Taylor of Holbeach as the new government minister there could be a glimmer of hope that we will see some effective action.

Lord Taylor has promised to make any future legislation effective and enforceable in tackling the dangerous dogs issues that are so concerning us all. But as the problems around irresponsible dog ownership, stray and dangerous dogs intensify, and budgets get tight or, in the case of some local authorities disappear altogether, it may not be long before there is another serious dog attack on a member of the public, or even a young child.

This is not scaremongering. It is a sad but inescapable fact that a minority of people still continue to treat dogs irresponsibly, use them for the wrong things and care only about their personal status in their community or peer group. Battersea is on the frontline dealing with the repercussions of dog issues, as on average 17 stray, abandoned, abused, or dangerous dogs come through our doors every day.

We are the first to pick up the pieces for these dogs, but the pressures on us, as well as the police and local authorities, are mounting. For more than 150 years we have stood by our founding mission to aim never to turn away a dog or cat in need of our help. But as the stray and dangerous dog problem gets worse, our work becomes harder and harder.

What many people may not realise is Battersea takes in every type of dog, and not just those that are easy to rehome. So inevitably more and more of the dogs coming into the charity's rehoming centres have been so badly abused, or trained to be a dangerous "weapon" that it's too late to help them. Some of these dogs can't possibly be safely rehomed, and sadly we have to put them to sleep. At least most people recognise that the harsh reality is this is the only responsible option.

This is predominantly an urban problem and, like us, many of our local authority partners are struggling to cope with the growing stray and dangerous dogs problem. They are legally bound to accept stray dogs off the street when a dog is first spotted or brought to them but severe budget cuts mean they are having to put to sleep perfectly friendly and healthy stray dogs, before they ever reach rescue centres such as Battersea. And more and more strays remain on the street, presenting a potential risk to the public. Battersea is working with local authorities to help find solutions. We're encouraging them to share their kennelling costs with neighbouring local boroughs, but there is only so much we can do.

It would be simplistic to say these problems will go away if only the government would put its hand in its pocket and support inner city local authorities. But Lord Taylor must now take the lead and develop a national strategy to tackle dog control problems. If stray dog services were given a higher priority, we wouldn't have as many of the dog problems we see on our streets today.

New legislation is a must. You'd be hard pressed to find anybody who would disagree on that. And so animal charities such as Battersea will continue to argue that the existing dog laws need to be urgently updated and consolidated into a single effective piece of legislation to improve public safety and protect animal welfare so there are fewer dangerous dogs that have to be put to sleep.

We cannot afford to have a repeat of the kneejerk policymaking on dog control that happened 20 years ago, and Lord Taylor himself knows the government must get it right this time. We must deal with these problems now before we face another tragedy.

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The force needs you - Midweek Herald

One of Devon and Cornwall's police dogs undergoes specialist training.

Katy Griffin, Reporter Tuesday, July 19, 2011
10:37 AM

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s plea for puppy walkers.

THE growing success of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s puppy scheme has led to a call for puppy walkers in East Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is casting a wide net to find willing walkers for its puppies, which are trained at the police’s Middlemoor headquarters in Exeter.

The dog school trains puppies from 12 months and once fully trained they will assist with tracking missing people, locating stolen property and chasing and detaining suspects.

However, before the puppies undergo their training they are reared in homes until their first birthday where they then embark on a 13 week training course.

All puppy walkers must have a settled family background, a secure garden and be willing to undertake daily exercise, grooming and care of the dog.

The puppies are placed with the walker at eight weeks of age and it is the responsibility of the walker to expose the dog to a variety of situations such as a bustling town centre, busy roads and rough terrain.

Throughout the year the puppy walkers receive training and socialisation advice from the dog training school and can attend weekly puppy classes.

The force also pays for any food and veterinary bills during the year.

Anyone interested can call the dog training school on (01392) 452410.

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URBANANIMAL: Hyper dog needs patience, training and love - insideTORONTO.com

Dear UrbanAnimal,

Robbie is a two-year-old mixed-breed dog that I adopted from a woman who had a baby and couldn't keep him any longer. She told me Robbie has always been a hyper dog, but she didn't have time to fix it. When she brought the baby home, Robbie became even more rambunctious and she couldn't handle dog and baby at the same time. I thought his problem was lack of attention and exercise and, because I'm semi-retired, I felt I could give him these things. As it turns out, after just two weeks of living with Robbie, I can't do anything with him either. I asked the original owner if she could take him back, but she refuses. She said he was "impossible." I don't want to send him to a shelter. Have you got any other ideas?

Caroline

Readers, I contacted Caroline to find out more about Robbie's life and discovered his original owner had bought him as a young puppy from a pet store. It was one of those "puppy in the window" scenarios that, unfortunately, continue to take place no matter how much education is available.

Robbie was her first dog and she couldn't resist. So without considering how a dog would fit into her life, she bought him, then left him in a crate while she went to work. As he grew larger, she put him in the backyard while she went to work. She didn't walk him, socialize him or pay much attention to him beyond feeding and complaining about his "hyper" behaviour.

Oh my goodness, where do I start?

It would be so nice to re-wind this story and start over. Can this dog be saved? Absolutely. But it will take time and patience.

In some ways, it's good that Caroline was able to obtain Robbie's background information because it helped her understand why he had been labelled with words such as "hyper" and "impossible." If she didn't know anything about his past, she'd only know this dog needed a new home.

On the other hand, knowing his history meant Caroline expected a hyper and impossible dog, so that's what she got. Robbie didn't come to her with a clean slate and he was unable to verbalize his side of story or tell her what he needed. Caroline has a big heart and would like to keep him, but she has no experience with dogs.

My first suggestion involved Robbie's physical health. I asked her to obtain all veterinary records from the previous owner then make an appointment with a veterinarian of her choice. The appointment would involve a health checkup along with advice on essentials such as proper diet, nail clipping and training.

To address my second suggestion, Caroline would ask the vet to recommend a professional dog trainer who would coach Caroline and Robbie on a one-to-one basis. With no previous training, I was concerned Robbie's exuberance wouldn't be welcome in a traditional class setting and that a behavioural assessment by an experienced trainer would be invaluable.

Robbie's new veterinarian checked him over and started him off with vaccinations, blood tests, a flea preventive product and a much-needed nail clipping. He also recommended a groomer and the names of local dog trainers.

Just one day after Robbie's veterinary appointment, Caroline had arranged interviews with two dog trainers and had even printed off a list of "Questions to ask a dog trainer" from the Internet.

Her last email to me was much like a mother whose child had learned to tie his shoelaces.

"Robbie is doing wonderfully. He's learning to walk on leash and today he sat at the curb before crossing the street. He did it twice so it's not just my imagination. The trainer thinks that Robbie is far from 'impossible' and I agree."

Another happy ending. No, that's wrong. It's not an ending. It's the beginning of a great relationship. Every day will bring new delights as they learn more about each other.

Congratulations, Caroline. Robbie needed someone who would work to understand his needs and you stepped up to the plate. I hope you have a terrific life together.

Email jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion. Visit weekly for more UrbanAnimal columns

View the original article here

URBANANIMAL: Hyper dog needs patience, training and love - insideTORONTO.com

Dear UrbanAnimal,

Robbie is a two-year-old mixed-breed dog that I adopted from a woman who had a baby and couldn't keep him any longer. She told me Robbie has always been a hyper dog, but she didn't have time to fix it. When she brought the baby home, Robbie became even more rambunctious and she couldn't handle dog and baby at the same time. I thought his problem was lack of attention and exercise and, because I'm semi-retired, I felt I could give him these things. As it turns out, after just two weeks of living with Robbie, I can't do anything with him either. I asked the original owner if she could take him back, but she refuses. She said he was "impossible." I don't want to send him to a shelter. Have you got any other ideas?

Caroline

Readers, I contacted Caroline to find out more about Robbie's life and discovered his original owner had bought him as a young puppy from a pet store. It was one of those "puppy in the window" scenarios that, unfortunately, continue to take place no matter how much education is available.

Robbie was her first dog and she couldn't resist. So without considering how a dog would fit into her life, she bought him, then left him in a crate while she went to work. As he grew larger, she put him in the backyard while she went to work. She didn't walk him, socialize him or pay much attention to him beyond feeding and complaining about his "hyper" behaviour.

Oh my goodness, where do I start?

It would be so nice to re-wind this story and start over. Can this dog be saved? Absolutely. But it will take time and patience.

In some ways, it's good that Caroline was able to obtain Robbie's background information because it helped her understand why he had been labelled with words such as "hyper" and "impossible." If she didn't know anything about his past, she'd only know this dog needed a new home.

On the other hand, knowing his history meant Caroline expected a hyper and impossible dog, so that's what she got. Robbie didn't come to her with a clean slate and he was unable to verbalize his side of story or tell her what he needed. Caroline has a big heart and would like to keep him, but she has no experience with dogs.

My first suggestion involved Robbie's physical health. I asked her to obtain all veterinary records from the previous owner then make an appointment with a veterinarian of her choice. The appointment would involve a health checkup along with advice on essentials such as proper diet, nail clipping and training.

To address my second suggestion, Caroline would ask the vet to recommend a professional dog trainer who would coach Caroline and Robbie on a one-to-one basis. With no previous training, I was concerned Robbie's exuberance wouldn't be welcome in a traditional class setting and that a behavioural assessment by an experienced trainer would be invaluable.

Robbie's new veterinarian checked him over and started him off with vaccinations, blood tests, a flea preventive product and a much-needed nail clipping. He also recommended a groomer and the names of local dog trainers.

Just one day after Robbie's veterinary appointment, Caroline had arranged interviews with two dog trainers and had even printed off a list of "Questions to ask a dog trainer" from the Internet.

Her last email to me was much like a mother whose child had learned to tie his shoelaces.

"Robbie is doing wonderfully. He's learning to walk on leash and today he sat at the curb before crossing the street. He did it twice so it's not just my imagination. The trainer thinks that Robbie is far from 'impossible' and I agree."

Another happy ending. No, that's wrong. It's not an ending. It's the beginning of a great relationship. Every day will bring new delights as they learn more about each other.

Congratulations, Caroline. Robbie needed someone who would work to understand his needs and you stepped up to the plate. I hope you have a terrific life together.

Email jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion. Visit weekly for more UrbanAnimal columns

View the original article here