Banning Certain Dog Breeds Not the Answer
Prince George, B.C. – In the wake of two recent and vicious dog attacks, a Prince George based canine behavioural specialist still says banning breeds is not the answer.
“I think the issue has to be addressed in a different way,” says Noel Pepin.”I believe that sometimes when we highlight certain breeds, not only do we do the breed a disservice, but we create an ownership profile that likes to be on the edge and own dogs like that.”
He says a better method would be to get people to license their dogs and make them behave.
“Dog ownership is a responsibility and teaching the dogs proper manners and how to behave in certain circumstances is important for owners to do and freedom comes with responsibility,” says Pepin.
“Like the young teenage boy or girl learning to drive, if they drive recklessly, their parents will likely take away their car privileges. If owners don’t manage their dogs carefully their ownership of dogs in the future should be somehow addressed.”
But are certain breeds more predisposed to act in a more aggressive manner than others?
“Well it’s a very complex issue that way and certain breeds over time have been bred for certain purposes,” he says.
“But I’ve seen more variation within breeds regarding aggression than seeing any breeds having a natural disposition for it.”
Pepin continues: “And how they’re brought up is very important. If you have a dog that has a tendency to play rough or to be somewhat aggressive, then you need to have proper management. There’s just a higher level of management required for dogs that have the power and strength of the bigger breeds.”
He adds like it does with humans, the pack mentality can also kick in when it comes to dogs.
“Think of the Vancouver Canucks when they almost won the Stanley Cup and all the people when they packed up and did things they wouldn’t normally do on their own,” says Pepin.
“Dogs are no different in that sense . It’s the same but it can be destructive.”
Pepin’s comments come less than two weeks after attacks in Fort St. John and Richmond.
Up north, a couple was brutally attacked by two dogs on Christmas day. Both were injured, an adult male severely so. A go fund me page has been set up to help them cover medical expenses.
The investigation into the attack continues.
Comments
So what kind of dog does the ‘Prince George based canine behavioral specialist’ have for her own pet? And what kind has she worked with in training? I think that makes a big difference in how an opinion is formed on this issue.
I think the biggest thing is the owners have to be fully responsible for the actions of their dog when it involves a violent attack, or act of intimidation that infringes on someone else’s right to safety. Penalties for violent dogs need to be stiff.
Noel is one of the most accredited, successful dog trainers in the province that specializes in pure bred German Shepard protection dogs.
License people to own dogs!
If dog (any breed) is out biting people the owner should be criminally charged with animal abuse! Criminal record should make people think about training their dog eh
What a load of crap. If this is the case, why not legalize handguns and open carry? I mean, by your logic it comes down to training , so we can trust all people with guns, just like pitbulls?
Got my popcorn ready and sitting here waiting for all the Couch Animal Experts” to rise and start posting their vast knowledge …..
Punish the deed not the breed
There is a lot of information out there in regards to dogs and dog ownership. Too much in fact to go into detail here.
The bottom line is that in the USA approx. 20 Million unwanted or abandoned pets (dogs and cats) die annually as the result of euthanasia, exposure, starvation, or trauma.
64% of all dogs obtained as puppies are disposed of by their owners within a year of acquisition. 76% of all dogs entering shelters were euthanized.
Only 4% of dogs surrendered to shelters had received any obedience training with a modest 1.2% actually receiving any professional training. One third had never been to a veterinarian.
Pits and Rottys already have to be muzzled in Prince George if out in the public but I have yet to see one owner following the bylaw. I did see an older gent with a muzzle on his yellow Lab at Spruceland last summer.
Whereas it’s true that any dog can be aggressive and bight, it does appear that in cases where dogs have attacked humans with deadly or crippling force, the breed does become a factor. When you cross a Rottweiler with a Pit-bull, you are breeding for size, strength, and aggression, but could also, simply by the randomness of genetics, breed out the intelligence. A large, fierce, stupid animal is the very definition of dangerous and is a disaster waiting to happen.
Can we recall Council???..Couple of Braindead there should not be paid to think!!Woof…..
It’s simple. Make it mandatory to carry liability insurance on EVERY dog. The insurance companies will very quickly figure it out. Think your pitbull is a sweetheart? Let’s see what your insurance premium is compared to a toy poodle.
Well, based on what I see on the roads every day, with people in charge of machines that have the potential to kill, I have very little confidence that people will act appropriately with their dog, when they can’t even operate a motor vehicle anywhere close to the regulations.
Pitbulls may not be any more predisposed than any other dog to attack, but they are a breed who when they attack, they do not quit until they are killed, or they succeed in killing. Ask a vet what happens when a pit bull attacks a porcupine. It comes home with a snout full of quills, ignoring the pain until the porcupine is dead.
It’s interesting that it is child abuse to whack your kid with a wooden spoon, but it’s not child abuse to leave it alone with a 50 lb pit bull who if the right set of circumstances occur, will kill the child.
But dogs are much like car accidents. We’re always surprised when it happens and we never seem to be able to connect our behavior to the outcome.
Noel and his wife are the best trainers I know.
They are second to none In the Prince George area.
I think the dog owner is accountable for he action of its pet. If your pet maliciously attack an innocent person. All costs involved with it should be charged to the pet owner. Example if you poodle bites the mailperson. All cost related rehabilitate the person, inclusive of hospital, and trama therapy should be borne by the pet owner. It should also cover the cost of lost wages.
The cost is capped at $20,000.00. By court order.
If you own a dangerous breed, the cost is capped at $30,000.00.
If it is proven that your dog attacked on the basis of protecting the property or individual, charges are waived.
If it is proven that your dog was being abused or provoked by the person attacked the charges are waived.
Dog ownership has responsibilities
Posted on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 @ 9:48 AM by ski51
“Pitbulls may not be any more predisposed than any other dog to attack, but they are a breed who when they attack, they do not quit until they are killed, or they succeed in killing.”
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Quite right, and when they do bite their jaws are extremely powerful, plus they can climb trees so their harder to escape from. Not only that, I’ve known people who have them just because of those traits and who deliberately train them to be mean.
Pitbull owners have pointed out that other breeds are much more likely to bite, the most likely being the poodle. Well I’d rather be attacked 10 times by a poodle than once by a pitbull.
“Dog ownership is a responsibility and teaching the dogs proper manners and how to behave in certain circumstances is important for owners to do and freedom comes with responsibility,” says Pepin.
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I agree they should, but this suggestion is just not realistic. The general population will never invest the amount of time that Mr. Pepin does in order to understand their dog’s behaviour and/or train them properly.
Much of the population doesn’t even walk their dog on a leash or pickup their poop when and if they walk them, and that’s common sense. Good luck with the advanced stuff.
There is no credibility in proposing a solution that requires the acceptance of the majority, when you know that it will only be adhered to by a significant minority. It would be like asking people in the US to voluntarily hand in their firearms as a way to get more guns off the street.
Statistics from the U.S. 2015 stats not yet posted but here’s the 2014 results.
Remove the space after http.
http ://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2014.php
“Statistics from the U.S. 2015 stats not yet posted but here’s the 2014 results.
Remove the space after http.
http ://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2014.php
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Kind of like I was saying . . .
Posted on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 @ 7:18 AM by PG101 with a score of 2
What a load of crap. If this is the case, why not legalize handguns and open carry? I mean, by your logic it comes down to training , so we can trust all people with guns, just like pitbulls?
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Handguns are legal. We are working on the carry part of it.
Posted on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 @ 7:51 AM by Palopu with a score of 8
There is a lot of information out there in regards to dogs and dog ownership. Too much in fact to go into detail here.
The bottom line is that in the USA approx. 20 Million unwanted or abandoned pets (dogs and cats) die annually as the result of euthanasia, exposure, starvation, or trauma.
64% of all dogs obtained as puppies are disposed of by their owners within a year of acquisition. 76% of all dogs entering shelters were euthanized.
Only 4% of dogs surrendered to shelters had received any obedience training with a modest 1.2% actually receiving any professional training. One third had never been to a veterinarian.
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How many are euthanized by PETA every year?
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