Devil Dogs!!!!......Or Are They?

Following the recent tragic incident in Leicester in which a five month old baby was killed by two Rottweilers in a pub, there has been a huge amount said and written about such animals. I do not intend to talk about the specifics of this case as it is still under investigation, a inquest has yet to be held and therefore it would be inappropriate to do so.

Having said that, one thing is clear. There were three victims in this case, the baby and the two dogs. All three victims are now dead. Whenever dogs are confused and are given the role of 'Decision Maker' in their family group or 'pack' the likelihood of confrontational situations is increased. When the dogs are large dogs then that confrontation can turn to tragedy.If you are going to own a dog you have a responsibility to ensure that your dog is safe and under control at all times. NEVER leave a young child alone with a dog whatever its size.

As soon as news of this tragedy became public we had the expected knee-jerk reaction. Put down all rottweilers, Outlaw all large dogs, Muzzle all dogs, All dogs must go 'for training', Bring back Dog licences etc. etc.

We need to think this through. We should have learnt by now that law made in haste is almost always 'bad law'. What is going to be classified as a 'Large Dog'. What are the Police, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Gamekeepers, to name but a few essential groups going to use? "Police Officer with a dog! Put the knife down now or I'll send the Pomeranian!!!". No, I'm sorry it doesn't have quite the street cred about it. Visually impaired people bent double being guided by Chihuahuas? It's a non starter.

If all dogs are to be trained then to what standard? Who is going to do it? How are we to be sure that these people have the skills and experience needed. At the moment anybody can set themselves up as a dog trainer with nil credentials (and many do). A local hall can be hired and away you go. If the dog does not respond well you can just tell the owner that the dog is 'over the top' or 'untrainable' and should be put down. The usual remedy for failed traditional methods is castration, they never seem to have an answer if you ask what you should cut off of a bitch to improve their behaviour. Let us be clear on this matter. Castration will never cure behavioural problems, in most cases it will make it worse. Why not save your dog from a needless surgical procedure with all the attendant risks, the resultant imbalance in testosterone in his body. If that doesn't influence you then why not just save yourself a large vets bill?

Dog licences. How is that going to help? Is the tattooed neanderthal who uses his poor dog(s) as an extension of, (or substitute for), his manhood going to line up at the post office to comply? Only the responsible owners will dutifully pay a few more pounds in yet another tax. The irresponsble will carry on as before.

Who is going to police all this new legislation? The Police don't have the resources to do it. The R.S.P.C.A. have nowhere near enough staff. One Government Minister when asked this question said that the local Council Dog Warden could take on the job!! Of course there would be no more money or resources from central Government the cost would have to be borne by the council tax payer. No change there then.

We need to cut through all the hysteria and make it clear to everybody that if they have a dog of any age, breed or gender, neutered or intact then it is their responsibility to ensure that the dog knows his place in the scheme of things and is never allowed to think that they are the decision makers. that way lies tragedy. Ask any postman which breeds are most prone to bite, you might be surprised. Trying to pin the blame on specific breeds will not work. Any dog can bite, any dog can be a sweetie. The only reason that breed makes a difference is that a bite from a large dog will cause more damage than one from a small dog.

Is there a way that a responsible dog owner could understand why a dog acts and reacts the way it does in every aspect of day to day life? It's funny that you ask that, the answer is as always Amichien Bonding. Please read the rest of my blog and visit my website to learn more.

Talk By Jan Fennell at Dorchester

Just a quick plug for a talk by Jan Fennell 'The Dog Listener' and founder of 'Amichien Bonding' which is taking place at Dorchester in Dorset on Sunday 22nd October 2006. The event will last from 11a.m. to 4p.m. and the ticket price will include a light lunch. All profits will go to the 'Hearing Dogs' charity who do truly wonderful work.

If you are really interested in the way your dog sees this world and their relationship with us humans you must attend this event. Jan will give you an insight into the thought process of your dog that you never knew existed. she will do it in such a way that you will end the day saying to yourself, 'Of course. It's just so obvious'. There will be time for questions at the end of the talk.

In addition to Jan there will be a number of Jan trained 'Dog Listeners' present. All holders of the Amichien Certificate in Advanced Canine Communication. They cover South and South west England and, I think, at least one representative from Wales. Jan spends so much time travelling the World now promoting Amichien Bonding that we like to meet up with her whenever the chance presents itself.

If you can get to Dorchester on the 22nd you can buy your tickets in advance by visiting www.speakdog.co.uk One day in Dorset could drastically improve your relationship with your dog for the rest of his life and with any other dogs you will own in the future.

Got Any Spare Money?

I've just received a catalogue from a well known Pet Company. What an interesting read it is too. It just goes to show that there is a market for everything.

I just looked at the equipment recommended to train a dog in basic good manners compared to what it would cost using Amichien Bonding.

Do you want to stop your dog going into a particular area indoors? No problem, all you need do is spend £160 for a spray barrier to spray some unpleasant fluid at your pet if he approaches. Of course that will only cover one area of the house so, if you have more than one 'no-go area......... Then of course you will need to buy the refills of 'training spray', they don't come cheap. But, I hear you ask. What if we have more than one dog? Well don't worry because for only an extra £30 per dog you can annoy, distress and confuse multiple canines at the same time.

O.K. We've now got the dog too worried to move about the house but hey, he might still bark BAD DOG!! How dare he do something so natural? Don't worry once again technology triumphs over taking the time and effort to understand your dog. For only £70 you can buy a machine to emit a sound that will cause a dog discomfort if they bark. It is very clever because it can be adjusted so that if the tone can be heard by a human with very sensitive hearing you can alter the pitch. It would not do for a human to be made uncomfortable would it?

Right, now the dog is in the garden. He's away from the indoor gadgets. He can relax a bit and start being a dog can't he? Come on! What if he goes on the flowers? What if you couldn't be bothered to make the garden secure? Electric Fencing that's the answer. Lull him into a false sense of security and then..... ZAP!! He won't do that again will he? Only he will. When a dog is frightened or angry they will power through the pain barrier and there is a good chance that the last you will see of him is his rear end as he heads over the hills and far away. How much will that cost you? The answer ranges from exorbitant to utterly ridiculous depending upon the area covered. Of course you might also need to buy a replacement dog

Your home and garden are now secure but of course the whole idea of having a dog is so that you can interact with him on nice healthy walks. What if he barks when you're with him? There must be a way of stopping him from barking outside and of course there is, this one only costs £80 (plus refills) and, joy of joys this time you get a choice. Do you spray citrus in his face or good old traditional mustard? At this point I would suggest to potential buyers of these gadgets that they try them on themselves. They could rub lemon juice on one eyeball and Colmans English mustard on the other. They could then reflect as they hold their head under running cold water that a dog can't use a tap or even rub their eyes.

You are now at the stage of letting your dog off the lead. A big moment for both of you but you are about to give-up complete control. What if he does not respond to your every whim? Well for only £165 you can buy yet another gadget. This one works upto 200 metres away. I particularly like the advertising blurb with this one. 'Now you can control your dog at a distance. WITHOUT PUNISHING HIM you can cause him to hear a sharp unpleasnt sound at the same time as being sprayed in the face with cold liquid and being distracted by the sight of a harmless mist. This will let him know that his behaviour is unacceptable'. I don't know how the manufacturers define punishment but equipment like that wouldn't be allowed in prisons.

There are still all the special types of harness and headcollars to make sure that the dog does not pull. Of course you could just teach him how to walk properly in the first place. You might also want to buy the airhorns and numerous other bits of expensive kit to distract your dog. The amount of money you can spend is endless. Before you do consider:-

If your dog is not doing what you want him to do:-

Does he KNOW what you want him to do? If he does and is still not doing it:-

Have you trained him how to do it? Remember you can't tell a dog what to do but you CAN show him in a stress free way.

Only if your dog knows what you want, has been trained how to do it and still does not comply do you have major problems. Yes you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Rather than make your house look like Dr Who's Tardis you could raise your dog using Amichien Bonding and learn to understand why a dog reacts the way he does to various situations and to day to day life in the human pack. What equipment will you need to use Amichien Bonding?

Oh, just a collar, a lead and a toy.

If however you would rather spend vast amounts of money to make manufacturers rich and inflict pain and misery on animals then please contact me URGENTLY........I have a bridge that I want to sell you!!

Improved Service

With immediate effect all 'Amichien' Recommended Associate Dog Listeners will be subject to continual monitoring and will have to prove that they are providing and maintaining a high standard of service to keep their qualified status. This is a move that we all strongly support, we are proud of the help that we can give to both dog and owners.

The monitoring will take several different forms. All clients will be issued a comprehensive post consultation evaluation form which they can send direct to Jan Fennell without the consulting Dog Listener having sight of the form. This is to enable the client to record their true feelings of all aspects of the service without feeling pressured. The consulting Dog Listener will provide in depth case histories direct to Jan Fennell including problems faced by dog and/or owner and all advice given to the client. A number of clients (with their consent) will be contacted by Jan at random to ensure that standards are maintained.

The system is constantly being evaluated for further ways to improve customer service.