Put A Leash On Dog Owners

[White Shepherd mom]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydn...i-1226011617716

Put a leash on dog owners

PUPPY owners should be forced to undergo compulsory training with their dogs in a bid to stop attacks, leading canine advocates say.

The latest data reveals 12 dog attacks a day in NSW, with a total of 1168 in the December quarter.

Of those, more than 680 people - including 167 children - were attacked and 394 animals killed.

A total of 131 dogs were destroyed. But experts blame the owners - rather than their pets - for the majority of attacks.

Dogs NSW spokesman and veterinarian Dr Peter Higgins said owners were most often at fault because of a lack of training.

"People don't choose the dog that is most suitable for them, they go for the dog that is trendy, and they don't do anything about training," he said.

"It's not the dog at fault, it's often the dog owner not restraining it, or training it properly, or socialising it while it is a puppy.

"I am almost getting to the stage to make it compulsory for new puppies to be trained.

"Most [attacks] can be prevented with obedience training."

Staffordshire bull terriers, cattle dogs, german shepherds, rottweilers, labrador retrievers and jack russell terriers led the top 20 list of attack dogs.

Dr Higgins said while he felt there were already too many laws, mandatory obedience training should be considered.

Australia's "dog whisperer" and Dog Tech founder John Richardson agreed that large dogs should have compulsory training with their owners.

"With certain breeds it should be mandatory, most certainly," he said. "People don't know how to interact with a dog correctly - they are pack animals, but people go and get a darling doggie and think it's a human in a fur coat, love it to death and they do all of the nice things but forget discipline and guidance."

Dog schools surveyed yesterday said obedience classes were more about training owners than dogs.

"The dog already knows how to sit," Mr Richardson said.

Koala advocates, who see joey deaths in nearly 70 per cent of dog attacks in Port Stephens, believe training is not enough and called on owners to restrain their pets.

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

Local Government Minister Barbara Perry said dog owners face fines of up to $55,000 and two years jail if their dog attacks a person."Any dog breed has the potential to attack and it seems that an increasing number of dog owners are heeding the message that they must keep their dogs under close supervision at all times," she said.

[poodlefan]

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

So why not ban all cars? Oh that's right, people would object.

[megan_]

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

So why not ban all cars? Oh that's right, people would object.

He never asked for dogs to be banned. He asked for them to be restrained? Seems fair enough.

[poodlefan]

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

So why not ban all cars? Oh that's right, people would object.

He never asked for dogs to be banned. He asked for them to be restrained? Seems fair enough.

Why not just ask for them to be controlled and penalise those whose dogs attack wildlife. The laws exist to do that now.

That's what we do with cars.. speed limits and penalise the irresponsible.

Every call for dogs to be kept on lead in all places is another nail in the coffin of responsible dog ownership.

[MaKoda]

Australia's "dog whisperer" and Dog Tech founder John Richardson agreed that large dogs should have compulsory training with their owners.

Not just large dogs It tends to be the smaller ones that have the attitude problems & owners that encourage the bad behaviour.

I think it people should have to apply for a permit to own a dog & agree with compulsory training.

[White Shepherd mom]

Australia's "dog whisperer" and Dog Tech founder John Richardson agreed that large dogs should have compulsory training with their owners.

Not just large dogs It tends to be the smaller ones that have the attitude problems & owners that encourage the bad behaviour.

I agree with this. There have been many times when my dogs have looked on in confusion as small dogs run up to them, barking, ignoring their owners calls to go back.

If you are going to make training compulsory, it should apply to all shapes and sizes.

[Aidan3]

There's a lot more to responsible pet ownership and reducing dog attacks than has been offered by these experts. However, if training were compulsory (an idea I would strongly object to, but there could be more effective incentives) it would open up the opportunity to educate owners on responsible dog ownership and dog safety.

[GeckoTree]

I wonder if he has a $ interest in a dog training school or two?

[poodlefan]

I wonder if he has a $ interest in a dog training school or two?

Dr Higgins is the chief media spokesperson for Dogs NSW. To the best of my knowledge he's a vet, not a trainer.

[Leelaa17]

Australia's "dog whisperer" and Dog Tech founder John Richardson agreed that large dogs should have compulsory training with their owners.

Not just large dogs It tends to be the smaller ones that have the attitude problems & owners that encourage the bad behaviour.

I agree with this. There have been many times when my dogs have looked on in confusion as small dogs run up to them, barking, ignoring their owners calls to go back.

If you are going to make training compulsory, it should apply to all shapes and sizes.

I also agree with everything said above. Its commonly called by pet-owners 'Little Dog Syndrome'... where little dogs think they are tougher than any dog larger than them (not all little dogs have this but the majority I have come into contact with do have it).

Hoever, in saying this, there is no 'large dog syndrome'..... little dogs in my opinion have more attitude problems because their owners (NOT ALL OWNERS JUST SOME) treat them as lap dogs and therefore coddle them and make them the pack leader instead of the human being the pack leader...

If they want to bring in compulsary training - that's fine.. but it should be for every dog - NOT based on their size, breed, colour, sex or whatever else they want to discriminate against.

[Mum to Emma]

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

So why not ban all cars? Oh that's right, people would object.

He never asked for dogs to be banned. He asked for them to be restrained? Seems fair enough.

Why not just ask for them to be controlled and penalise those whose dogs attack wildlife. The laws exist to do that now.

That's what we do with cars.. speed limits and penalise the irresponsible.

Every call for dogs to be kept on lead in all places is another nail in the coffin of responsible dog ownership.

Dogs SHOULD be kept on a leash at all times when off private property except in designated off leash areas. To say you could with absolute certainty stop every dog attacking a koala or other animal through training is crazy. Are your eyes fixed on your dog every second that he is off leash? Particularly in a bush situation, this would be impossible. In the same way we have speed limits in an attempt to restrict irresponsible road behaviour, we need animal control laws to protect people and other animals from certain instinctive aspects of dog behaviour in areas of high risk, including urban areas (where there are a lot of domestic animals around) and bushland (where there is vulnerable wildlife).

[Staranais]

"Dogs are the third biggest threat to Port Stephens' koalas, after road kills and disease," Port Stephens Koala Committee chairman Geoff Dingle said.

So why not ban all cars? Oh that's right, people would object.

He never asked for dogs to be banned. He asked for them to be restrained? Seems fair enough.

Why not just ask for them to be controlled and penalise those whose dogs attack wildlife. The laws exist to do that now.

That's what we do with cars.. speed limits and penalise the irresponsible.

Every call for dogs to be kept on lead in all places is another nail in the coffin of responsible dog ownership.

Yes. Penalise the irresponsible, not those of us who have spent hundreds of hours ensuring our dogs are safe citizens.

My dog frequently comes bush with me, she remains within my line of sight when we're not working, recalls on cue first time when she gets out of my line of sight, and generally wears a muzzle and e-collar in any case when she's not working. When we're working, she is far too focused on her job to hunt wildlife.

Poodlefan is right, every call for dogs to be on lead in all places is a nail in the coffin.

There are plenty of options between "no dogs" and a complete free for all - how about compulsory muzzling when dogs are off leash in sensitive areas, how about having rangers out there spot-testing recalls and fining people that can't recall their dog first time, or as we do over here how about requiring people to apply for a (free) permit to enter certain conservation areas and revoking it if the dog is found to be uncontrolled.

Of course, all of those would require effort on the part of the council concerned. Far easier just to require dogs to be physically tied to their owner at all times, or banned entirely.

[Swiss Girl]

I have been recommending for years that it be compulsory that ALL dogs and owners must do 10 months obedience at a registered class, although it would be difficult to enforce, it is certainly not impossible. I think all dogs, no matter of size must do this, as it also enforces socialization, so smaller dogs learn not to fear larger dogs. It would also decrease the impulse puppy buyers.

[tdierikx]

I've been rushed by more small breed dogs out in public than large dogs... I reckon ALL dogs and their owners should have some basic obedience training under their belts.

T.