Should new dog owners be required to take dog behavior classes?

[TimeChaser]

Hn... just an idea that popped into my head after reading through all the doggy flame-wars. It seems that in many (many, not all) cases of dog attacks, at least part of the blame can be placed on owners ignorant of a dog's instinctive behavior (being territorial around food, their social hierarchy, etc). Perhaps all new dog owners should be required to learn something about dogs before they own one?

I'm just curious as to what other people think on this.

[DBoon]

1. License the owners?

You would avoid not just attacks, but also mistreated and abused dogs.

For every dog that kills a human, there are hundreds of dogs that are killed by their "owners" through abuse and neglect

[ecstatic]

2. great idea

if you can't handle a Rott/pit bull, then you should not have one. period.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

20. I was just going to say this. Thanks for beating me to the punch. n/t

[MindPilot]

3. I say yes. You already have to prove vaccinations in most places.

I think there should also be a financial responsibility requirement, especially if you have one of the more aggressive breeds.

I'm also in favor of a licensing requirement to have kids.

Flame on...

On edit: Where I live the county animal shelters do a brief background check. One of the private shelters actually sends someone to your home.

[RebelOne]

29. Most private shelters and rescue groups always have

follow-up visits after a dog or cat has been adopted out. And just about all rescue groups require the prospective adopter to fill out an extensive questionnaire.

[Siena]

4. Well if you're going to do that...

then we should make parents get licensed before they have kids. That would certainly make the world better!

[Caoimhe]

5. Sure....

right after they require all new parents to take parenting classes



:bounce:

[TimeChaser]

6. But dogs are a completly different species

Many dog owners just don't understand how dogs think and function.

[DBoon]

14. When women can give birth to puppys?

nt

[ulysses]

7. yes. so should anyone who might come into contact

with a dog, at any point.

[oldcoot]

8. Basic Health and Safety Course

Perhaps we should offer a basic health and safety course to public school children. We could teach them not to approach strange dogs and how to behave around dogs. We could also teach them other safety issues such as how to protect oneself from bullies.

[ulysses]

9. you have my complete support.

How not to cut yourself...how not to get run over...how not to approach snarling dogs...:)

[Guaranteed]

19. LOL "For those who don't already know." nt

[TimeChaser]

11. They used to do that

back when I was little.... I don't think so anymore. Funding and stuff, you know.

[DBoon]

15. I thought you meant canine health and safety

Doggie first aid classes.

The local Red Cross actually sponsors these.

[Beaverhausen]

10. If dog owners are I think gun owners should as well

:hide:

[TimeChaser]

25. Actually

I'd support you there. People who want to own guns should know gun safety.

[the other one]

12. Absolutely!!!

Society must bear the cost of poorly socialized animals and of uncontrolled breeding.

Owners should be required to demonstrate the same level of proficiency over their animal that a driver must demonstrate over a car. Further, all animals must be fixed or their owners must pay a yearly "breeder's fee" equal to the price of neutering.

Most people who own dogs just should not. And most people who are responsible enough to own dogs won't have a problem with demonstrating their responsibility.

[Straight Shooter]

13. Before I got my male Rottweiler, the guy told me training was mandatory.

He said he wouldn't let me have the dog unless I promised to train him. Well, I kept my word and I really enjoyed the obedience training as much as Mr. Bear enjoyed them.

He was a sweetheart, so good-natured and all the kids in the neighborhood loved him. I think even without training he would have been fine, but I think if you're going to have a dog that is capable, at least in theory, of harming someone, then you must take responsibility for that dog.

The damn thing is, people who are willing to spend the time and attention and care in getting their dogs trained, those are rarely the people whose dogs get into trouble. I got Mr. Bear for companionship, not to be "tough." Wish I could say the same for some other Rottweiler owners.

And, BTW, I never considered myself his owner. I always thought of myself as his guardian.

[RebelOne]

23. Yes, I have a female Rottie. And I don't own her, she owns me.

When I first inherited her from a friend (because she is AKC registered, my friend was going to breed her, but changed her mind), I immediately took her to obedience classes, mainly because I was tired of being dragged down the road when we went for walks and I wanted to teach her to heel. Well, she never did get the heeling part, but my Rottie is the best behaved doggie you would ever want to know.

[mongo]

16. Where will this nanny-statism end?

Sorry, but I'm completely capable of training a dog without government intervention, thanks.

Yeah, there's a lot of folks that don't take care of their animals the way you might like them to - but you know what? The animals are the PROPERTY of the owners.

That's why I have to pay property tax on my dog. Sorry, but with all the crap that's happening to other human beings around the world, maybe you would want to take care of that first.

[MindPilot]

17. That's very true, and as someone pointed out earlier,

responsible pet owners--like responsible gun owners and responsible car owners--aren't the problem. Like everything else it's a situation where people who aren't responsible with things that can hurt or kill other people are the problem.

Animals, like guns and cars, certainly are private property. But unlike guns and cars they are property which can cause harm without any human intervention. They are also property which can feel pain and be a victim of some else's' cruelty. If you sledgehammer your car to death no-one cares. But if you do the same to your dog, well at the very least you're going to piss off a lot of DUers!

[Guaranteed]

22. This is a rather extreme example of that.

As far as the taking care of animals, there are already laws and entire law enforcement departments for that.

[welshTerrier2]

18. there is no point in owning a dog if ...

you are not interested in learning to think like one ...

dog behavior classes should be for far more than the narrow purpose of preventing dog attacks ... it's the right thing to do for the dogs and the right thing to do to help owners bond with their dogs ...

[Guaranteed]

21. You're talking about making a LAW to require dog-owners to take

classes, right?

How many households in America own dogs?

Should we create a new Cabinet post?

"Sorry I was late coming back from lunch, folks. Got held up in the line at the Department of Dog Training."

[TimeChaser]

24. I don't think it would go that far

But we already require people to get a license and show proof of vaccination for their dogs.

[Guaranteed]

28. That's different, though.

For one, vaccinations don't require a class.

Would there be a test each owner would have to take?

[TimeChaser]

31. Maybe

I'm just saying that a lot of dog attacks come from circumstances where people do not understand dog behavior. Maybe if more dog owners were educated, there would be less attacks.

[cynatnite]

26. But don't require classes for gun owners

Dogs and cars, yes.

:sarcasm:

[TimeChaser]

27. Oh, believe me

I'd like it if gun owners were required to take a class on gun safety.

[DanCa]

30. I think it depends on the size and the temperate of the dog.

I mean I took my 168 neopolitian masttiff to classes because of her size because I dont want her to chew off someones arm. On the other hand I dont think a chiuah (sp) needs classes to behave in public.

[sweetheart]

32. Other ( fuck no )

I *HATE* being in the same coalition with those who use government to
destroy freedom. This is just another waste of taxes, another stupid
idea to be petty and fuck with peoples lives; to erode the decision
making power of the sovereign citizen and make people not responsible
for their own behaviours.

It is a gross violation of the covenant of the citizen, that we are
free private individuals able to make our own choices. For the record,
i've owned dogs for over 2 decades, and i breed them. I know that people
can handle a dog, because i check it out 1 to 1. I don't need some
meddling government regulator to fuck up my privacy when it has no
business.

I wish people who made meddling laws to fuck with other peopels lives
would all just go to iraq and fuck with people... leaving civil
society well enough alone.

This is the rot that eats away democratic legitimacy, making laws to
legislate what is freedom.

I mean, what about KIDS, not dogs. People need to take kid behaviour
classes too, and then we need to send our kids to re-education camp
to learn about how to treat dogs not as equals.

If, in a society without stupid laws and stupid law makers, a person
gets a dog, they pretty much figure it out, or they don't. Its part
of life, and we should leave it the fuck alone. Enact pet treatment
standards in the law if you must, but do not mess with liberty.

[OneBlueSky]

33. I agree 100% . . . this is an absurd idea . . .

next you'll have to take classes to own cats, birds, horses, or goldfish . . . if people want to start requiring training for something important, how about training for parents before they're allowed to conceive? . . .

all this government interference in private lives is leading directly to totalitarianism . . . it should be nipped in the bud right quick . . . license dogs, and hold owners responsible for their behavior . . . but that's as far as it should go . . . sheesh . . .

[Guaranteed]

35. Oddly, or not so oddly, I think that dogs and people are

genetically very well tuned to each other.

I honestly believe in that idea that dogs are "mans' best friend" stuff. There's something out of the ordinary that goes on as far as the relationship between the two- they understand each other very, very well. I can't help but think it's a product of evolution- both ways. We've become very close.

As opposed to cats. Cats are well domesticated, too, but it's not the same...they don't seem to CARE like dogs do...

[radwriter0555]

34. Sure, but only if people having babies or adopting babies are required

to take classes as well!

It's an excellent idea!