I am so anti-new-legislation it's not funny. Too many excuses for authorities to randomly meddle into our lives as it is.
If you want to legislate that dogs should have to have a CGC, then how about legislating that people have to raise their kids not to tease and torment animals? That adults who tease and torment animals and don't teach their kids not to be punished? That every dog owner treat their dog with proper respect . . . That no dog be chained outside or be subjected to physical brutality as a way of training . . .
It all sounds good, but it's not possible to legislate these sorts of things; at least not without some sort of totalitiarian mindset and an unbelievable amount of expense for enforcement.
A dose of common sense would go a lot farther. When someone gets bitten, how about asking "Why?" instead of just assuming the dog is at fault? And geez . . . how many people rush off to the emergency room because they've gotten nipped and the skin is broken? Flush it out and treat it with Neosporin or Betadine and ask yourself why the dog bit and if it was even a bite or a play accident. Once it goes to the emergency room it's a statistic and a big deal - most of the time totally unnecessary.
"Don't tease the dog!" should be something that is first and foremost in the mind of anyone who is around a dog. We expect dogs to have more self control and forebearance than we ever would! Dogs put up with things that we'd never endure without lashing out, and when they're finally pushed beyond the point of endurance we act like the dog is vicious or unstable.
Teach kids not to run up to strange dogs and don't do it yourself. Now how hard is that to figure out?
And a little common sense about the dog that's chosen for the environment would go a long way too. An Australian Cattle Dog in a city apartment that is never able to go outside off leash is going to be a miserable, unstable dog . . .
I'd bet that the vast majority of dog bites are totally preventable - by a dose of common sense!
But I'm preaching to the wrong crowd - you guys already know this
If you want to legislate that dogs should have to have a CGC, then how about legislating that people have to raise their kids not to tease and torment animals? That adults who tease and torment animals and don't teach their kids not to be punished? That every dog owner treat their dog with proper respect . . . That no dog be chained outside or be subjected to physical brutality as a way of training . . .
It all sounds good, but it's not possible to legislate these sorts of things; at least not without some sort of totalitiarian mindset and an unbelievable amount of expense for enforcement.
A dose of common sense would go a lot farther. When someone gets bitten, how about asking "Why?" instead of just assuming the dog is at fault? And geez . . . how many people rush off to the emergency room because they've gotten nipped and the skin is broken? Flush it out and treat it with Neosporin or Betadine and ask yourself why the dog bit and if it was even a bite or a play accident. Once it goes to the emergency room it's a statistic and a big deal - most of the time totally unnecessary.
"Don't tease the dog!" should be something that is first and foremost in the mind of anyone who is around a dog. We expect dogs to have more self control and forebearance than we ever would! Dogs put up with things that we'd never endure without lashing out, and when they're finally pushed beyond the point of endurance we act like the dog is vicious or unstable.
Teach kids not to run up to strange dogs and don't do it yourself. Now how hard is that to figure out?
And a little common sense about the dog that's chosen for the environment would go a long way too. An Australian Cattle Dog in a city apartment that is never able to go outside off leash is going to be a miserable, unstable dog . . .
I'd bet that the vast majority of dog bites are totally preventable - by a dose of common sense!
But I'm preaching to the wrong crowd - you guys already know this
