I was enjoying a peaceful walk in the park early this morning when the pleasant start to the day was shattered by a man with two Staffie types. My dog was on the lead and I had stopped to pass the time of day with the senior park warden.
Two men approached with two dogs, off lead. One, a small, fawn Staffie type approached my dog in a relaxed and happy manner but wasn’t confident enough to make contact with my dog or me when I stretched out the back of my hand to be sniffed. The dog glanced anxiously back at the owner. Meanwhile the other, larger dog was rigid with tension, the pilo erection extending throughout his hackles along his back. He looked very worried and had a tense face with a closed, tight mouth.
I was about to walk onwards to avoid potential problems when one man swung his leg out and kicked his dog squarely on the hip. Both dogs cowered and moved away.
I think that I was remarkably restrained under the circumstances, limiting myself to calling the man “a fool” for potentially setting off a fight, not to mention the injustice of kicking a dog. Boy did I unleash a mighty ego.
The man didn’t give a toss about what he was doing to his poor dog or what could have happened had he provoked re-directed aggression. He was incandescent at the thought that I had called him a “fool”.
Needless to say, the park warden was pretty astonished at his reaction too.
How sad that these poor dogs have to put up with this behaviour when what they need is some guidance and reassurance. No wonder the small dog is too nervous to approach and the larger one too frightened when seeing another dog is associated with a hefty kick.
Human “freak shows” were popular pastimes in England from the mid-16th century until the 19th century, by which time they had spread to the United States. Popularised by figures such as PT Barnum, they were extremely successful commercially and often the best way of people with disabilities making a good living and preserving some dignity. I doubt, however that many modern audiences would find them acceptable, so why is it that we deem it permissible to exhibit such dogs?
What should the British bulldog do and what will happen to the resources? Do we get to keep our own bones or do we have to hand them over to Europe?
Normally, most of the things that I see people doing while with dogs annoys me. So, I was gratified to see two owners on consecutive days using successful distraction techniques as I walked past with my dog on a lead. Perhaps non-aversive training is beginning to percolate through after all.
Meanwhile, a bizarre conversation with a bus driver gets the thumbs down for TFL. I boarded the bus with my dog whereupon the driver thumped his window at me as I was moving towards the rear. Assuming that he hadn’t seen my pass, I went back only to be informed that “There’s a baby on the bus”. As I do not suffer from deafness or anosmia, I was only too aware of the fact. My reply: “Yes, and?” The driver just repeated himself and I carried on being wilfully obtuse. Eventually he said “I’m not taking responsibility….”
The China Kennel Union and its partners have been working on the design and implementation of various campaigns aiming to make Chinese legislation address animal welfare issues. There have been several initiatives aimed at dogs, including establishing winter housing facilities for strays and aiming to stamp out the practice of dog meat eating festivals, especially Yunin. Several charity events have been run between March and May, culminating in the establishment of the Anti-abuse to Animals Legislation Network Vote Platform prompting more than 150,000 people to cast their votes.