Welfare
Breeding, buying dogs, rescue dogs...
Electric Kickback
Stop Press: The government has announced that it will at last introduce a complete ban on shock collars in England from February 1st, 2024. About time too.
The Government has been too preoccupied with its own internal wranglings to prioritise the ambitious raft of animal welfare legislation into effect, having announced in 2022 that it would be put on hold.
This includes the proposed ban on shock collars, even though the Scottish government put guidance in place advising against their use in 2018. Whilst this is still too weak, it is better than the nothing that pertains to England and Wales.
Now a group of dog boarders have petitioned DEFRA to oppose the ban, claiming that it puts their livelihoods at risk. It is easy to react in an emotional way because there is no doubt that electrocuting animals in the name of training is unethical.
More importantly such training, it is ineffective and, in spite of protestations to the contrary, there is a great deal of good scientific research available to prove it. At best, punishment only stops the behaviour at the time that the behaviour is occurring and the dog does not learn an alternative behaviour – indeed cannot learn an alternative behaviour when under stress and suffering pain.
There is no doubt that more needs to be done to train dogs not to harass wildlife, livestock and domestic animals and it is imperative that the results of any training are as effective as possible as well as ethical.
DEFRA needs to throw this complaint out and more needs to be done to educate people in effective training.
State Of Play
I often wonder why some people bother to own dogs. After all, they are messy, have a very different sense of disgust to humans, disrupt our lives and they don’t come cheap.
The pluses must outweigh the minuses otherwise we wouldn’t do it again and again, however much we feel that it would be impossible to get another dog after a beloved dog has died.
It was an idyllic morning when I took my puppy out for a walk this morning. Blue sky and full sun after days of rain and cloud and not too warm – perfect. I passed a woman on her mobile telephone, her dog’s eyes fixed somewhat worriedly on mine and I overheard her say “I’m only walking the dog – so boring”. She hadn’t even noticed that we were there, never mind that her dog was initially hesitant and she obviously had no interest in interacting with her dog.
We did in fact get talking as she reminded me that we had met on another occasion when it wasn’t appropriate for our dogs to interact. She admitted, although I had not solicited it, that she had only really bothered giving her dog toys when she was puppy and that she didn’t really play with her, although, she explained that she gave her lots of cuddles. It was abundantly clear that, after some polite conversation with me, she couldn’t wait to get back on her mobile telephone.
I know that I am an outlier in not owning a mobile telephone, but I would like to think that if I did own one, I would not use it for trivial (not to mention public) conversations instead of enjoying the day and my dog. Actually, come to think of it, it’s one of the main reasons why I don’t own one.
Get a life people – it’s a much better option than forcing everyone to listen to the minutiae of yours.
Sad Farewell To Paul O’Grady
It was a great shock to hear of the sudden and early death of performer Paul O’Grady.
Although he came to prominence as a drag artist in the 1980s with his alter ego Lily Savage, latterly it was as a dog lover that he was principally known.
He hosted two animal-themed television shows Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs from 2012–2022 and Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans from 2014–2016. For the Love of Dogs was a documentary that promoted Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and O’Grady not only filmed there but volunteered for six months. There is a bronze statue of his dog Buster, a bichon-frisé/shih tzu cross (pictured left) in the centre and he adopted another dog, a JRT/Chihuahua form there. His Animal Orphans programmes took him to Africa and India.
Although the programmes that he made about dogs were a fraction of his wide output, it is probably safe to say that they were close to his heart. he will be sorely missed.
Horse And Hound – A Nightmare?
Horses and dogs may seem to be a natural match but not always.
There are now far too many irresponsible dog owners who do not bother to undertake any training and make no effort to control their dog. That is of course, assuming that they are in the same place as their dog in the first place.
The incident shown in this image fortunately didn’t result in any injuries but it was obviously very frightening and was described as being “nine minutes of absolute hell”. The rider concerned was nervous and trying out the horse for the first time. What a dreadful start to their partnership.
A further incident that took place in Victoria Park today did not have such a happy outcome. The police horse did remarkably well not to injure the dog or unseat his rider but did not come off so lightly himself. The horse will be off duty at tax payers’ expense and may require re-training and the police officer no doubt will have his confidence dented too.
Owners are happy to pay a fortune for their dog, stock up on expensive accoutrements, pay other people to walk and groom them but are often far less willing to stump up for a qualified, professional trainer or even invest a few pounds in a long line.
Whilst it’s understandable that the police officer shouted, yelling at the dog and poking it with a tree branch were not calculated to save the day. It was lucky that the man who grabbed the dog had the presence of mind to finally intervene before anything even worse could happen.
Fighting On The Beaches
There are many hazards for which dog walkers need to be vigilant. As a puppy owner, I often feel that I wading knee deep in litter, every bit of which has the potential to end up in my puppy’s mouth and some of which could be fatal.
Getting out of town no longer provides respite as litter is far from an urban problem. Fly-tipping in the countryside has been an increasing problem since Covid-19 lockdowns and the sparsity or rural police. However, it is not the only difficulty that may be encountered.
There has been increasing concern about direct discharges of sewage onto UK beaches resulting in dog walkers being warned about 83 beaches. Problems have been exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall. The Thames has long suffered from this problem, although it seems not to deter owners from allowing their dogs to swim: if the tides don’t get you the sewage will, to misquote Tom Lehrer. Hopefully, the Thames Tideway Tunnel will alleviate the problems along the Thames and its tributaries, although that isn’t due to open until 2025.
In addition, the horrendous outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) that had ravaged domestic and wild birds has spread to some mammals. So far, it has been detected in foxes, otters and seals in the UK. Whilst the number remain small and H5N1 may not have been the cause of death, it does pose a risk. Training your dog not to harry wildlife or scavenge carcasses is vital, not only to keep your dog safe, but to limit the potential of overspill form birds into dogs.
As the easter holidays approach, many people will no doubt be heading to beaches. Training and vigilance should ensure that it shouldn’t turn into a vet emergency.
Barking at the moon(pig)
Congratulations to online card retailer Moonpig after their announcement that they will no longer sell images of brachycephalic dogs such as pugs and French bulldogs.
Many brands have exploited such dogs for advertising purposes, often with a sick irony. BullDog Skin Care using a severely compromised dog with probable skin problems, Vitality Life Insurance using an image of an extremely achondroplastic Dachshund with an obscenely long back are just two examples.
Hopefully where Moonpig lead, others will follow. We live in a culture that is so quick to take offence over trivialities that may not even possess the perceived connection, so how can we, in all conscience, still find deformed phenotypes in dogs attractive? Not displaying them in advertising may help to dispel the normalisation of illness and pain that these dogs suffer and reduce their popularity.
Dog Walker Fatality
Update: the coroner’s report has revealed that dog walker Natasha Johnson died from neck wounds that punctured her jugular. In the same week, yet another fatality was recorded in Milton Keynes and the poor “family” dog has been euthanised as a result. The fate of the dogs in the Caterham incident has yet to be decided even though the police have stated that no prosecutions will be brought. How many more dogs must die before something is done to educate the public, train are dogs using positive reinforcement and compel dog walkers and boarders to be sufficiently qualified and experienced backed up by the resources to reinforce it.
2022 was the worst year on record for fatal incidents involving dogs and now, barely half way through the first month of 2023, we have another.
A dog walker was killed in what seems to be a case of re-directed aggression. The fate of the eight dogs has yet to be established. If, as has so far been surmised, the dogs were in a ruck and the walker became entangled in their leads, it only goes to show how poor the skills of so-called professionals are. Whilst anyone can be involved in an accident, dog walkers need to know that it takes more than just holding the lead, liking dogs and taking clients’ money to be a professional.
Dog walkers need to be fully trained and licensed as well as regulated and we desperately need the resources to police it. Moreover, as this item emphasises, people should not get a dog unless they are prepared to mostly look after it themselves. We all need help from time to time, but if it’s on a daily basis, what’s the point in having a dog?
Congratulations Manchester – Buck Up Nottingham
Following a three month trial. It looks as if Manchester are going sanction canine travel. About time too.
They will limit it to two dogs per person and not allow dogs on at busy times, but at least it’s a step forward.
Unfortunately Nottingham still restricts access to assistance dogs (they have no choice as it’s a legal requirement) or insist that dogs are carried in bags – not possible for many breeds. Come on Nottingham: 26% of the country own at least one dog and not everyone can drive and they have a right to travel too. Surely, even if people d drive, it’s better that they use mass transport anyway.
Dartmoor Dog Restrictions Proposed
Dartmoor National Park Authority members are voting on proposals to restrict dogs to lead-only walking between March 1st and July 31st to protect livestock with young and ground-nesting birds. There would also be a limit of six dogs per person at any one time. Rangers can require owners to keep dogs in lead at any time if they are deemed to be out of control.
It is irresponsible owners who have led to restrictions being imposed and it had become a necessity for farmers to protect their livelihoods, never mind for the welfare of stock and wildlife. A farmer lost 37 ewes earlier this year in a dog attack, at a financial cost to him of £4,500, never mind the emotional distress.
There were 108 cases of dog attacks on stock in 2021 and 78 in 2020 when the country was in lockdown. Enough is enough.
All dogs have the potential for prey drive, regardless of their demeanour at home. Too few owners train their dogs in even the basics and too many think that the countryside is their playground by right.
Ewes and cattle can abort when distressed, never mind the risk from diseases picked up from canine faeces. Farmers are having a tough enough time as it is without irresponsible dog owners adding to it, so the irresponsible cohort will have to suffer restrictions due to their actions.
Dogs On Beaches – Have Your Say
Cornwall Council have opened a consultation onto their summer restrictions on dogs on beaches.
This is a welcome opportunity for dog owners to represent their case, not least their legal obligations under the AWA 2006.
Only 20% of the population has children but 27% own at least one dog. Children are often not only a nuisance to other beach users and dogs but parents allow them to use the beach as a lavatory or dump used nappies.
Every beach user has moral and legal obligations to behave well and it is unfair that dogs have been excluded.
Have your say now – the consultation closes in November.