Teaching your children to be dog aware..

[ronthenekred]

Too bloody right.

 

Some of the people who own dogs are not in control of themselves, let alone an animal. They should bring back dog licences and would-be owners should have to pay £200 to the RSPCA to pass a suitability test.

 

That would be a tax on the vast majority of dog owners who are responsible. Equally dogs are regarded as part of the family to most..to quite a few the pet is their only family. Those that abuse animals or show disregard for others should be hammered in the courts. And I don't mean a 6 month dog ban, a muzzle maybe.

[aliceBB]

That would be a tax on the vast majority of dog owners who are responsible.

Yes, that's right. It might also deter or weed out the few who are irresponsible and incompetent, before their untrained/uncontrolled dogs kill someone.

 

Equally dogs are regarded as part of the family to most..to quite a few the pet is their only family.

Indeed. So they shouldn't object to paying about £20 per year for the pleasure of that companionship, should they? Internet dating or even going down to the pub every week is far more expensive.

 

Those that abuse animals or show disregard for others should be hammered in the courts. And I don't mean a 6 month dog ban, a muzzle maybe.

What - a muzzle on the owner?

 

I agree, but we need to be more proactive. The owners of uncontrolled dogs need preventing from doing the harm, not just punishing after the event.

[ronthenekred]

Yes, that's right. It might also deter or weed out the few who are irresponsible and incompetent, before their untrained/uncontrolled dogs kill someone.

 

Indeed. So they shouldn't object to paying about £20 per year for the pleasure of that companionship, should they? Internet dating or even going down to the pub every week is far more expensive.

 

What - a muzzle on the owner?

 

I agree, but we need to be more proactive. The owners of uncontrolled dogs need preventing from doing the harm, not just punishing after the event.

 

Muriel my neighbor (86) wouldn't know how to use a computer let alone internet date, yet her only family are her cat and Hugo her Highland.

 

£20 is a small price to pay to own and abuse a dog or pet. Some moronic dog owners spend thousands on dogs. For her £20 wouldn't be as a loving responsible owner.

 

A £20 yearly fee wouldn't make a dent as a deterrent.

 

And yes, muzzle the convicted.

[angel22]

I have a rescue Staffy and I trust her 100%. My boyfriend has a 3 year old son and she's wonderful with him.

 

However, I'd never leave them alone. Not because I don't trust my dog but because I just wouldn't leave a 3 year old alone anyway! When he's older though, I'll have no worries about them being alone together in another room.

Edited March 17, 2015 by angel22

[aliceBB]

 

However, I'd leave them alone.

 

That would be, 'I wouldn't leave them alone', then?

[angel22]

That would be, 'I wouldn't leave them alone', then?

 

Oops! Yes, that's what I meant. I've edited it now. Thanks

[monkeygirl]

i was working in a school the other week and a woman from dogs trust came in to teach the children how to be "dog aware" i.e. how to approach or not dogs that they don't know and how to know how dogs are reacting. i thought it was an excellent idea and the presentation was very good. apparently they offer this to all schools in the uk.

 

she quoted a statistic that i was surprised at but it was something like only 0.3% of dogs in the UK attack people unprovoked and so the importance was knowing what things make a dog feel threatened and so more likely to attack and when the dog is saying "keep away from me." she also asked the children to do a show of hands on those who had dogs, who would know when their dog was angry or afraid. she pointed out that the older children understood this more than the younger and that this was because younger children interpret something like barred teeth as meaning a smile - when of course with a dog it's not.

 

a long way to say that i think children need to be taught how to be "dog aware" from a very young age.

[aliceBB]

Definitely a good idea.

 

What surprised and shocked me was seeing my sister's normally passive spaniel bare her teeth, growl, snarl and bark very aggressively at my mother (whom she knew very well), the moment my mum picked up her walking stick (didn't even wave it at the dog or anything).

[WeedNoMore]

Definitely a good idea.

 

What surprised and shocked me was seeing my sister's normally passive spaniel bare her teeth, growl, snarl and bark very aggressively at my mother (whom she knew very well), the moment my mum picked up her walking stick (didn't even wave it at the dog or anything).

 

If shes had it from a pup then she or someone else could have hit the dog with that stick. Dogs dont generally do random snarling at a loved one without good reason.

[PeteMorris]

Personally, I wouldn't leave a very young child alone with a dog....Not because I wouldn't trust the dog....It's because I wouldn't trust the child!

 

I've seen small children torment dogs and pull their tails and pull their ears...maybe not maliciously, but simply because they maybe don't know any better....and are simply too young to appreciate the danger, and of course can't read the dogs warning signs....