Here ’ s how we should be taking responsibility for our actions to both minimise the potential for tragedy and maximise the humane treatment of a dog that has been unfairly vilified :
1 . Genetics aren ’ t everything , which explains why as many as 50 % of guide dogs don ’ t make the grade but power breed owners need to accept that their dog is powerful and historically has a genetic predisposition to arouse physiologically very quickly to extreme levels and has a propensity for animal aggression . When Pitbulls fight they are engaged in their predatory behavioural sequence , which is a nonaversive state of mind . They are engaged in what they were bred to do . For this reason , owners must take responsibility for their animal to live safely in society . Triggers for this aggression may not be clear and may manifest unexpectedly , regardless of how docile and loving they are towards you . Accept that nature and nurture cannot be viewed in isolation and that you only have control over one of these aspects – nurture . With this in mind ,
1.1 . Power breed owners must subscribe to puppy socialisation classes with reputable dog trainers who use only positive reinforcement training methods .
1.2 . Basic obedience training is a must to ensure that a dog becomes a socially acceptable pet . A dog that obeys recall and “ take it ”, “ leave it ” commands will be less likely to cause harm to other pets or people .
1.3 . Pet owners must spend quality time with their dogs . Daily , our Inspectors see dogs living on chains or confined to a small area of a property . These dogs isolated from the family and visitors , lose coping skills , trust and tolerance towards people .
Children running past fenced-off dogs “ tease ” them to the point of them being a tragedy waiting to escape . Barriers cause chronic frustration ; dogs locked up in a courtyard , living on a chain or confined to small space , will express one of their instinctive strategies when given freedom , which is freeze , flee or attack . Keeping a dog in an environment like this where there is no visual , physical and tactile stimulation results in dogs with a very low threshold for human behaviour .
1.4 . The vast majority of dog owners punish their dogs inappropriately . Too often people hit their dogs for reasons the animals cannot understand . Being pet and hit by the same hand causes serious confusion and conflict within the dog ’ s mind . Human aggression often causes canine aggression and aversive training techniques , like the use of harsh punitive methods , choke chains , pinch collars , shock collars , “ alpha rolls ”, hitting , leash corrections etc ., can lead to behavioural fallout and cause aggression .
2 . If you are thinking of getting a pitbull puppy remember that , by the same process of selection that we applied many years ago , irresponsible breeders are breeding for aggression - a trait seen as desirable by a criminal element or those looking for a vicious guard dog . A responsible breeder knows that aggression starts in puppyhood with the failure to develop tolerance towards children , adults , elderly people , both sexes , various races , able-bodied , disabled , calm or loud individuals etc . The impressionable period for pups is from as young as 3 weeks of age which means that a great deal of the responsibility for socialisation rests with the breeder .
10 FOOTPRINTS 2020