SBC Dogs Blogs |
This is where we can discuss things about the shelter and the community that will help the dogs and try to educate the people in the local community!
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Aggression in Dogs Monday, March 20, 2017, 5755 views |
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In September of 2012, Donald Thomas went to check his mail and was brutally attacked by two dogs near his home in Leeds, Alabama. The dogs were shot by a police officer, but it was too late. The injuries to Mr. Thomas (a WWII Veteran) were fatal. Upon further investigation, law enforcement officials determined that the dogs were owned by neighbors and that there were 33 other dogs inside a fenced yard of a home in a residential area inside city limits. The community was mortified. Neighbors later reported that while they felt terrorized by dogs running at large, they did not report if to the police because the owners were always remorseful that the dogs had gotten loose and assured them that they would make sure it did not happen again. Although the other 33 dogs found in the yard were originally slated to be destroyed based on the order of a judge, only a few were found to be dangerous to people and the rest were ultimately spared. An expert called upon to evaluate the dogs found that they had been fed a substandard diet, they were not socialized to people (making them "resident" dogs") and they were unaltered, being used in backyard breeding operation. The media would have us believe that only certain breeds of dogs have the capacity to be aggressive (such as pit-bull type dogs, Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc.) but the reality is that there is no such thing as the “super predator” dog hyped by the media and falsely accused of the majority of injuries or attacks. The February 14, 2013, breed statistics published by The American Temperament Test Society indicate that a variety of breeds of dogs are statistically more aggressive than dogs we call “Pit Bulls” and which are most often vilified in the media. These breeds include the Beagle, Border Collie, Boxer, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Dalmatian, Great Dane, Italian Greyhound, Maltese, Old English Sheepdog, Pomeranian, Standard Schnauzer and Weimeraner (among many others). There are a number of things we can do to keep our families safe and to reduce the number of cases of dog aggression and dog attacks: spay/neuter your dog, do not leave your dog chained outside, never leave infants or young children alone with a dog and always properly socialize and train your dog. Children also need to be taught how to safely interact with dogs. Simple instructions such as “do not approach an unfamiliar dog” or “do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies” can go a long way toward keeping unsupervised children safe. To learn more, please visit these web sites: Canine Body Language from Labrador Training HQ (very comprehensive article on body language) |
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