Could there be stricter rules on dog ownership?

[Mamalicious16]

Thinking of getting a dog and came across this article? Could there be stricter rules and regulations on dog ownership?
Many, like the RVC, believe there should be. With so many pet dogs in society – a significant proportion of which have poor social and training skills – many feel there needs to be more interventions to emphasise the importance of responsible dog ownership. We are already seeing more restrictions on dogs in public spaces in the UK. Councils are frequently adopting Public Space Protection Orders, to ban dogs from areas such as public parks, beaches and even car parks.
This is largely as a result of too many people allowing their dogs to foul public spaces and creating tension by walking too many dogs at once. Indeed, in many towns and cities – especially in tourist areas, the numbers of people visiting with a dog has become vastly more noticeable.

Your post is, again, just about what humans want. Have you ever been to SE Asia for example? You'll see how dogs prefer to live there when left to it. In packs together, roaming totally free, approaching humans occasionally for food then retreating into the wild. People are totally delusional about how dogs would prefer to live if given the choice. It would not be in your average house with average sized garden, sorry. They are clearly happier better left relatively to their own devices with lots and lots of land to roam around on, based on their behaviour when they aren't turned into human pets

You are anthropomorphising your dogs. They would be totally fine and probably happier left to it with large amounts of land to roam around on and each other for company.

Are you based in the US @Gruffporcupine ? This seems to a prevailing view there. I have a friend who works for a charity rescuing dogs whose owners have dumped them in the woods in one of the more southern states so they can ‘run free.’ They generally starve, get shot (of course), or attacked by wild animals.

Recent research suggests there have been domesticated dogs for as long as there have been humans. The theory that they are wolves who’ve just popped into our homes for a bite to eat and a warm up is long discredited.

What is it about dogs that makes people think about children? Dogs are animals that people have as pets. They can be very nice but they have absolutely nothing in common with children.

Children are humans. You were once a child. There is a child out there who will be your prime minister, others who will have to treat you in hospital, deliver your shopping, sort out your legal problems, help you go to the toilet, serve you coffee etc. They are not in any way the same as dogs.

I realise that some people are not good parents but it is a completely separate issue.

It’s the dog haters who immediately, on these threads, accuse dog lovers of “treating them like children” so it’s a natural response @Neemie .

And it’s about the treatment of a vulnerable, living creature in your care, so there are inevitable similarities.

Personally I think there should be more checks and balances on having either children or dogs.

People who think dogs are being treated like children (because they’re wearing a jumper!) need to be better parents.

Anyway, is anyone else struggling with keeping their dogs entertained during half term?

Too right, @Onleemoi , tax breaks for doggy day care, that’s what I say!

I love dogs and have always owned them. I do take them with us to most places that allow dogs (pubs that advertise as sog friendly, outside cafes etc). But they are trained and will sit quietly or sleep under the table.

Yes, there should be far greater restrictions on owning (and I would argue breeding too) dogs.

I'm probably too hard line on it though.

I'd like people to have to get a 'dog license' like a driving licence BEFORE they can own a dog, with mandatory training classes for a certain amount of time. Fines for allowing dogs off lead without perfect recall, owners fined heavily if their dog is allowed to frighten or alarm others and wildlife.

No dog should be bred that will have poor health (including many kennel club breeds). Breeding should have two priorities, health and behaviour, appearance should never be a factor.

His would make dog ownership more expensive. I'm far from well off myself, so I'm not saying dogs should only be for the wealthy. But any good dog owner would be budgeting for a dog long before they come along anyway.

I grew up on my uncle's farm where the dogs were allowed to roam free. We had five houses on the farm. The dogs that were allowed into houses were much happier and chose to spend their time mooching around for food, snoozing in front of the fire, or curled up in a child's bed (with said child) than hang around with its mates outside in the cold.

For the millionth time don’t exaggerate
Ease up on the hyperbole, that’s not what was said

I’m sorry but I disagree. I love dogs and I love children but frankly it is ridiculous and extremely insulting to compare the two.

I am not a dog person so I'd definitely like to see stricter laws and less pandering. Particularly taking them into shops.

But I also think it would be better for dog welfare as well. If we introduced a dog licence and mandatory training, we'd also be able to fund dog wardens, which local councils have been doing away with.

I'd like people to have to get a 'dog license' like a driving licence BEFORE they can own a dog, with mandatory training classes for a certain amount of time. Fines for allowing dogs off lead without perfect recall, owners fined heavily if their dog is allowed to frighten or alarm others and wildlife.

I totally agree with this. I have had several dogs over the years but would have actually really appreciated some pre-dog owning classes. It might be rather nice - you go to your pre-dog classes, then all meet up when you actually have your dogs for more training/social walks etc.

No, there won’t be changes because who would check and enforce them? Other than bringing in dog licences but all that does is make you register a dog - still no other enforcements.
The authorities barely have a grip on crime they don’t have the time and money to make sure someone’s trained their dog to sit properly!

I look after a friend's whippet from time to time. Even though she's a young dog (4), she really feels the cold, because that's just how they are: sparse coat and no fat. On chilly evenings, if I haven't got the heating on, she will go and get her fleece coat from the radiator in the hall and present it to me so I can put it on her.

When I had my lakelands, I used to put a coat on them when the ground was wet. They were walked twice daily across fields that were often muddy and, being fairly close to the ground, their undercarriages would get splattered with mud which was a bugger to get off.

It was far more pleasant for all of us for them to have a coat on than for them to spend 20 minutes or more on the grooming table having dried mud combed out of chests and bellies!

I wonder how these licences would be policed.
If you get a dog through a licensed breeder then this could work but not everyone does. We have ended up with a few dogs over the years because DSil not allowed pets in the flat, DFil became unwell, DBil went to live abroad and DH does not know that No is a complete sentence.
I do not want a dog at this stage in our lives (DCs grown so would otherwise would be free to travel, go out, visit DCs) so I would probably not pass the dog test.

Then tell the dog haters to stop getting hysterical because the occasional cold/elderly dog is wearing a bleedin’ jumper!

I don't hate dogs, but there should absolutely be stricter rules about ownership, and much much stricter rules about breeding. Primarily for the dogs welfare.

Some breeds suffer so much just by existing that we should stop breeding them altogether. There should also be very strict rules about keeping female dogs just to produce more and more puppies. My friend adopted (from a charity) an elderly sausage dog who had spent her entire life producing one litter after another. She can't walk now and has a list of chronic health problems.

I also know someone in her late 80s who has a massive labrador she can't control at all because she isn't strong enough. She got annoyed recently that the dog ran off and ended up on a golf course and 'no one helped her'. She is also completely reliant on helpful neighbours to take him for his night-time walk on the lead because he is so strong. I don't think you should be allowed to get a big strong dog in your 80s when there's a strong possibility you won't be physically able to manage it for its entire life.

I see people letting their dogs into ponds and lakes in wildfowl breeding season on a daily basis, ignoring signs put up to prevent this. Same with sky-lark breeding areas where it clearly says to keep your dog on the lead. And the same for deer in their breeding season where it says at every entrance to the park that you must keep your dog on a lead. But people don't and deer are killed in increasing numbers every year, either mauled or chased into the path of cars.

Then there's all the people who don't pick up poo or pick it up and hang it on trees.

We're way overdue on stricter regulations and enforcement.

Sorry but this is just silly and ignorant. Lots of countries have packs of dogs roaming around, generally because they are not owned or even wanted. They breed indiscriminately and suffer from all kinds of disease, accidents, starvation and are sometimes managed in cruel ways. This isn’t the ‘choice’ of the dogs, it’s just how it is for them.
I’ve worked in animal rescue in the UK for many years and I can promise you, I’ve seen the relief of animals when they’ve been strays and are bought in and cared for. Over years, I was involved with hundreds who came to us in a terrible condition living on their own or with others as strays. With love and care many were rehabilitated and found loving homes. It was a joy to see manky, thin and scared dogs become happy and loved family members. Based on their behaviors, I am absolutely certain that these dogs greatly preferred being part of their human families. There is actually loads of research into the dog-human bond; it makes interesting reading.

As far as im aware its a civil fine in its own right like a parking or speeding ticket so if they dont pay i assume it either goes to court or a bailiff action or equivalent.

Just think how much money could be made....

I have no fucking idea.

It doesn't seem to be a thing round my way, I've never seen a poo bag on a tree in the 34 years I've lived here.

I suspect that dog owners might make quite a significant economic contribution overall.

There is VAT on almost everything dog related (although some dog foods are exempt), and I suspect that the average spend on a dog is more than many other pets. There are many small businesses like groomers and boarding kennels that are entirely patronised by dog owners and the "dog" section of every pet shop I've ever been in has been by far the largest. And vets certainly do well out of dog owners.

Totally agree @LakieLady , in fact there’s a government debate petition thing going on at the moment to exempt vet’s fees from VAT. I daren’t link it - it may send some people on this thread completely over the edge!

I suppose I agree with this in the main, but I do take a slightly different approach with my own dogs.

You are correct about projecting needs and we see this with the lockdown puppies that are taken everywhere - shop, bank, hairdressing salon etc., but that to me does not equate to gentle parenting. As you point out, gentle parenting is a democracy and a dog has no say about being taken shopping or to a restaurant. The dog's needs are not being considered at all there. Gentle parenting in a dog is having no boundaries and failing to teach your puppy what is acceptable behaviour.

In many ways I agree with the idea of a leader but more in the sense of being a provider, rather than "she who must be obeyed". I have a LGD breed so all my opinions on dog rearing are inevitably clouded by that. That's not to say my own dogs have no boundaries, they absolutely do, but the relationship has to be based on mutual trust and respect, hence I take the middle ground as provider and nurturer.

As we know, all dogs are different and there are different ways of looking at how you go about your "leadership", so in the main I do agree with you as far as being consistent in your training.

I never knew people hated dogs so much.