What Jan Fennel says about the UK "Dangerous Dog Act".

Jan's thoughts on the Dangerous Dog Act
       
The ‘Dangerous Dog Act’ is based on the misguided, traditional belief that it is the breed of a dog that determines the personality or traits and is responsible for the misery of so many dogs and their owners. This belief results in certain breeds of dog being considered dangerous and even banned in areas, districts, even countries and, whilst I fully respect and accept that the thinking of the relevant authority is to protect the safety of its citizens, it would be much better if real truth and informed advice was sort, especially when we consider that the steps taken to eliminate any danger to people is unsuccessful and no matter how many times the legislation is altered, reformed or changed the fact that the whole premise is wrong will absolutely prevent any real change.

Another sad outcome of such legislation is that, presented with any situation associated with the ‘law’, a council will take (what they consider to be) the appropriate decision which causes others to suffer physically and this is usually an innocent victim, a dog. A further question that arises from these legal procedures is who is qualified to assess the temperament of a dog? Are they aware that removing a dog from the family that it loves and placing it in an isolated, confined space will affect its “normal” behaviour? This makes it totally impossible to make any judgement on the actual nature of the dog.

Blaming a breed is like insisting that it is inferior, aggressive or problematic in some way – this would not be tolerated in humanity. The truth is that all dogs respond to the influence of their owners and that some owners are drawn to the appearance of specific dogs and that alone is where the real problem lies.

Once we accept to blame the ‘deed and not the breed’ then the situation becomes much easier to work with; a loving pet who has difficulties adapting to the society in which it find itself (this will be displayed by the dog in the only language it understands), then there appears to be no reason for any authority to become involved. It is the duty of all dog owners to take responsibility for any situation that their dog becomes involved in, a quick and just resolution can be agreed on quickly, instead of leaving a miserable dog left abandoned in less than ideal conditions for an extensive period of time, as anything over three months is an eternity in a lifetime that spans approximately 10 years. The Amichien® Bonding process enables owners to understand their dogs from a canine perspective, therefore, allowing owners to feel comfortable accepting responsibility for this family member.

It will be a bold and informed Government or Council that decides to take the right step towards success; to learn from their mistakes and lead others to a real solution.

Jan Fennell
17-05-11