This and that

[rimturse]

Today it's Felix's birthday. My little kitty will be 11 years old. :)

Felix is, according to species, definitely the daftest pet I've ever had, he's also not the bravest nor the prettiest, but he's is the most loving, obedient and easiest pet I've ever had, and we love him to bits.

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After a tragic incident some months ago, where three pitbull terriers killed a 6 year old boy, Switzerland went into a dog-fear craze. One of the more extreme cantons quickly forbid the following breeds: Pitbull-Terrier, American Staffordshire-Terrier, Staffordshire-Bullterrier, Bullterrier, Dobermann, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Rottweiler, Mastiff, Spanischer Mastiff, Mastino Napoletano und Tosa.

I don't believe in banning certain breeds, in my opinion, it would be much better to forbid certain dog owners and require a "dog license" for the more difficult breeds. I do, however, understand the reaction. What I don't understand is how they came up with this particular list? Did they ban a certain group of dogs? No, I see fighting dogs and mastiffs, but also guard/herding dogs! And if they wanted to ban certain groups of dogs, there are a whole lot of dogs missing on that list. Did they look at bite-statistics? I doubt it. If they did, there should be a high incident of popular family dogs on that list. Part of me is inclined to believe that they looked only at the dogs' exterior to determine whether they were dangerous or not. For example you have a mastiff, spanish mastiff and a mastino napoletao on the list, but you don't have a tibetan mastiff - a dog who has many characteristic mastiff traits, but undoubtedly looks more cuddly and fluffly than the other mastiff. And speaking of dog fighting breeds like the pitbull terrier - where is the Shar Pei? And you have dobermann and rottweiler, but no beaucheron (bet they didn't know this breed), hovawart, kuvasz?

The whole list just screams that there were no seriously dog knowledgable people on the board, which put that list together. *annoyed*
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Rant aside. I'm tired today. Usually I wake up when C's alarm rings or the latest when he gets dressed in the morning. This morning I barely registered that he kissed me goodbye. Managed to open my eyes around 7:50, but found it impossible to stagger out of bed before 8:35. I did some dishes and I want to write, but my brain seems to be covered with cottonwool. *sigh* It's probably time for more Twinning's Earl Grey. Or perhaps a coffee?

Comments

[navicat.livejournal.com]

Coffee. Defintely a coffee. *biased*

[cathemery.livejournal.com]

That's usually what happens with the banned dog breed lists---someone went by popular perception rather than statistics or knowledge. I've heard of proposed legislations that would ban dogs merely by size, because *of course* large dogs bit more than small dogs. ::rolls eyes::

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard that one as well. I think large dogs have more damage potential than small dogs should they bite, but then you'd have to forbid everything larger than a chihuahua, including parrots, horses, vietnamese pot belly pigs etc. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know much about dogs (*bows to May's superior knowledge*) but I've read that small dogs are more apt to bite (especially children who try to pick them up) than big dogs. Persnally, I love big dogs and I think that big dogs tend to be mellower than smaller ones. They have less to prove :). Our former landlady had a Rottweiler (named Daisy), a big solid chunky dog who was a complete sweetheart and a pug who had a personality three sizes too big for her (and didn't she let us all know it!). Guess which of the two dogs was 'liability" according to the home owner's insurance people? :P

~Rabia

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

This has been my experience, too. Also: I much preferred to work with big dogs because they were honest about how they were feeling.

If a Rottie growled at me (or a Shepherd, which was the most nervous and bite-y big dog that I remember running into when I worked at the kennel) and I didn't adjust my behavior, it would be my own fault if I got bit. He'd warned me, after all. I don't think I ever had a big-dog bite.

(I had a very nice relationship with a bad-reputation Chows that we boarded based on this. He would do what I asked and allow me to pet him, and I would stay out of his space unless he asked me for some love. We got on great; I thought he was a most fantastic dog.)

Little dogs, on the other hand, did get their teeth on my hands occasionally because they had a much greater tendency to spaz out without warning.

(I like the idea of owner licenses!)

[frigg.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is the owners of small dogs. Many of these little dogs are not treated as dogs and are not allowed to play with other dogs, so they lose their dog language and often learn that they are the alpha dog and at the same time that the world is dangerous to them. My mother's friend got a perfectly normal, well-socialized pup (small breed) and four years later he was not only running the household, he would bite strangers, avoid most people except his owner and not know how to play with other dogs.

Oh yes, dog language is priceless. When I walked Nero (notorious fear-biter, belgian shepherd), he would be communicating all the time, showing me when he was insecure and fearful, so that I could back of and give him some breathing space and time to calm down. I've also played with a dog with a very bad reputation not knowing this was the "dangerous dog", because her body language told me we were okay.

The one time I've been bitten was by Frisbee, whom I almost adopted. His mind completely switched off when he saw a running car and he'd bite whatever was close by. Nobody had told us about this and there were no warning signs from "barking at car" to "biting May" - and in fact once the car had passed he did not seem to realise what had happened.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

hehe yeah, small dogs can be quite snappish.