Sep
Muzzle Them, Ban Them, Destroy Them – Why Not Just Train Them?
When they get it right on animals (and they often do) we’re the first inline to pat them on the back and pay credit to Britain’s largest selling daily newspaper. But just lately they’ve got it so wrong something needs to be said.
The Sun’s campaign to highlight animal cruelty was noble. They dedicated entire front pages to the issue of animal neglect and campaigned to stamp out cruelty. They are a largely influential newspaper.
In the wake of the two tragic Rottweiler attacks over the past week The Sun have been slavishly sticking to the good old tabloid principle of using language such as ‘devil dogs’, ‘raging beasts’ and so on. Today especially, The Sun have got it totally and utterly wrong. Their stance will achieve nothing for the victims of dog attacks and certainly nothing for dogs.
Today The Sun tells us their position on ‘devil dogs’. “Muzzle Them”, they bellow. Reading further it seems the “them” in this case are Rottweilers.
© Sun Newspaper, Sept 28 2006
“BRITAIN is a nation of dog lovers.
But even those who love their pets more than their fellow humans must accept there is a limit to the risk society can tolerate.
The shocking death of tragic tot Cadey-Lee Deacon, mauled to death by two raging rottweilers, makes the blood run cold.
Such deaths are mercifully rare. Attacks are not.
In the last few weeks alone rottweilers have savaged a two-year-old toddler and a girl aged 12.
These powerful guard dogs have jaws like a steel trap. They are highly-intelligent, territorial — and domineering when inadequately trained.
Like a car in the hands of an inexperienced or incompetent owner, they can be lethal.To make matters worse, some unscrupulous breeders deliberately produce aggressive “devil dogs”, favoured by saddos to project a macho image.
Rottweilers are exempt from the list of breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. This loophole-riddled law also fails to cover dog attacks on private property.
For Cadey-Lee, any action is too late. But the government cannot sit back and allow another child — or adult — to be torn apart by these eight-stone beasts.
It must follow the example of countries like Germany — and order them to be muzzled”
So, given that both of these attacks happened on their owner’s private property are we to assume The Sun wants all Rottweilers muzzled all of the time rather than just in public?
What is The Sun’s view on Rottweiler crosses? How do they want to legislate against dogs who are ‘a bit’ Rottweilerish?
What about the dogs of a similar size, all of whom are equally capable of causing serious damage to people, the Doberman, the Anatolian Shepherd, the Leonberger, the GSD, the Belgian Shepherd, the Japanese Akita and what about the nation’s favourite dog, the Labrador – you know – the one responsible for a fully grown, adult woman who had to receive the world’s first face transplant this year? What about them? Should ALL dogs simply be muzzled at all times, surely that’s the logic at play here?
No, this is the EXACT type of kneejerk response that would solve absolutely NOTHING.
Pit Bulls were banned – whether you believe rightly or wrongly – so surely we should be safer from dog attack, yes? Well no actually, Home Office statistics reveal dog attacks on the up and the reason dangerous dogs are on the agenda again is because a child has died.
So let’s muzzle the Rottweiler. What happens then?
Well, apart from subjecting the many thousands of Rottweilers who haven’t done a damn thing to a single person and have been found guilty by association , condemned to a life of misery, walking around with their muzzles on 24/7, they would inevitably become a less popular breed. Owners who want a large, sturdy, reliable dog to share their home with and yes, offer a degree of home security, would find themselves opting for a dog who they didn’t have to witness living in misery thanks to a muzzling order and who wouldn’t be the cause of abuse from misguided non dog owners, convinced that Rottweiler ownership is only one notch worse than paedophillia. Other breeds will take their place in the popularity stakes.
Let’s take ourselves forward 20 years. No more Rottweilers, no more Pit Bulls. We’re all completely safe from dog attacks now surely? Of course we’re not and it’s ridiculous, incompetent and downright opportunistic to think otherwise. Where the Rottweiler once sat will be the Mastiff, the American Bulldog, the Ridgeback or other dog of similar size and stature. Take your pick, which is the one who’ll be responsible for the next title of ‘devil dog’?
We need education not legislation. We need to ensure that this vicious cycle of the wrong dogs getting into the hands of the wrong owners stops. We need to ensure people not only fully understand their obligations as a dog owner (of ANY type) we need to ensure people ARE DUTY BOUND to comply with their responsibilities. We need a dog ownership screening test.
We can legislate to high heaven. We can get down to a situation where we’re only allowed to keep dogs of a certain size. We can all just decide that the risk of keeping dogs is to high. Afterall one death, as absolutely tragic, appaling and stomach churning as it is, is an isolated incident.
If dogs were killing people week in week out, we’d be in a different position. The fact is, they’re not. Electricity is though, cars are, smoking is, drinking is – should we ban it all or should we take the view that, by and large, these things co-exist with us in normal society and in many cases they enance people’s lives. Yes, there are dangers. Yes, lack of care can cause accidents to happen. But simply banning or imposing ill though out restrictions won’t cure the problem and we’ll have learned nothing. Let’s get this one right. There is an opportunity to make something positive happen from a truly tragic week. Dog ownership tests WILL have a positive effect. Banning orders, muzzling and breed legislation wont. We’ve already proved that haven’t we?
i have a rottweiler he is a big softy.any dog can be vicious if brought up wrong ,just like children bring them up bad they are bad!.if you had two men kidnapp a 5 month old from a pub they wouldnt get put down.The responsability was with the parents.They were guard dogs not pets.Also the second attack the lady had a £500,000 house and she had a rottweiler maybe for protection of this property?people like this dont see them as loving family dogs that they can be if in the right hands.
I completely agree about your comment on dog ownership screening test. As you say just because 2 out of control rottweilers savaged a child, every single rottweiler in the country should not be victimised, punished and singled out. Each and every dog is a liability if you let it be. I myself, own a Japanese Akita, he was rescued from people that battered and starved him. I have now had proud ownership of my boy for a year and he is the softest most loving dog I have ever seen. He has never once in that year of owning him inflicted any injury on a human being. He has been attacked by other dogs time and time again and of course, he has fought back to defend himself while I have looked on in horror as these morons do nothing but shout and whistle on their dogs from a distance. The dogs owners do not ever appear to own what is known as a DOG LEAD. This enrages me. My dog is never let off the lead because I have the sense and respect not to let a large japanese akita pose any kind of threat to anyone or thing in it’s immediate surroundings, not that my dog would in any case. In my opinion, it is down to the owner to take the time and responsibility and RESPECT to train and control ANY dog, no matter what his/her breed may be.
Have to say what a well written article, well done who wrote it! And the other 2 comments are good to, with excellant points.You have pretty much said whats on my mind with this whole issue. Has anyone noticed that articles supporting rottweilers are always well written & thought out, wheras the articles written by the media & anti-dog people seem to ramble, make no sense & come from people who have no knowledge of rotties let alone dogs! Why don’t these people perhaps do some research on this wonderful breed, before they try go about thinking they know it all!
I think the ownership test is a great idea. So many people get a ‘family’ dog, don’t bother training it, then wonder why it goes berzerk at other dogs & they always blame that other dogs owner! How does someone get a dog & not train it let alone socialise it? Then you get the thug types who only get a dog to look hard and completety give the breed a wrong & bad name.
I own a rottie who has a lovely nature towards dogs, people and even cats! Yes we did train & socialise her. SHe is such a sweetie and I would not want to make her miserable with a muzzle.
People should prove they will be training/socialising their dog, prove they have sufficient knowledge on dog care in relation to the breed and prove they are in a financial position to support their dog!
I totaly agrre on all of the facts
like the saying band the deed not the breed . beacuse of 1 incediant we ll have to c our dogs suffer y should they. because of iresponsible owners who think they look good wiv having big dogs.I have 2 english springer spaniels witch we use for hunting and two stafordshire bull terriers they r very loyal family pets.if brought up wiv love and care they will protect u in any situation.Theres no need to make the dog agressive wen its young staffordshire bull terriers were orginally bred to fight as most people know how many people have got staffs and not one coplaint that ive heard so far its the breed and mostly the owners.In most cases its the owners. Who are iresponsible the owners should be banned and kept an eye on not ban the breed. Example the pitbull they make the dog look so bad beacuse of stupid idiots who fight them.The pitbull breed was used for there pwer and tepermant they r also loyal pets.Yes they have there agresive streak so does any other dog. any dog will atack someone and kill but beacuse evryine now a days have pitbulls thats y theres a lot of complaints. there a common breed. i still say band the deed not the breed
Its great to know that i am not the only one fighting for our ‘GENTLE GIANTS’. I own a rottie his name is Duke, he is 20 months old, and makes me laugh to the point that i find it hard to breath with his funny behaviour, he loves nothing more than to steal socks and run around the coffee table or ‘hide’ under the bed. I knew with the attitude most people have with a breed such as a Rottie I would have to go that extra mile to do my best to train him properly, he has been going to training/socializing classes since he was 10 weeks old. I fully support that there should be some law in place that makes every owner have to train their dog, perhaps take a test of some sort. I was reading The Sun paper from the weekend and throughout the paper was story after story about ‘Devil dogs’ pit bulls, rotties etc etc then on page 33 I spotted a tiny story about a woman who had her finger mangled and it was unabled to be repaired, why? She was posting leaflets and a West Highland Terrier bit it off, her response was ‘ im an animal lover and it was just an ACCIDENT’. My response was… ‘but if it was a rottie then it would be all over the front page as another devil dog story and all hell would break loose’. My biggest fear in owning a rottie is not that he would attack or kill anyone, because i know i am doing everything in my power to ‘educate’ him, my biggest fear is that if something isnt done to punish those who owners who SHUN their responsibilty, one day i will have a knock at my door and someone will take my beautiful gentle giant and i will never see him again. At the end of the day whatever size, shape,colour, they ALL have teeth, they ALL can kill and they ALL can be taught.