Dogs Here To Stay-Attitudes Must Change (Van Courier Mar 5/04)

http://www.vancourier.com/031204/opinion/031204le1.html

Dogs here to stay-attitudes must change

To the editor:

As a dog owner of many years I would like to respond to Dennis Taylor's letter ("Off-leash policy shows world out of whack," Letters, Feb. 29).

Dogs must be accommodated in the city; there is no way to avoid this. Dogs and people have been inseparable for tens of of thousands of years; this is not going to change. What can change is knowledge, attitudes and enforcement.

Taylor suggests a relationship between the mauling of Shenica White and off-leash parks. This is the most damaging kind of nonsense in the struggle to accommodate both parties in this issue. In fact, the people who regularly bring their dogs to off-leash parks are the most responsible of dog owners and are not likely to raise vicious, dangerous dogs like those that attacked Shenica.

Dogs must run free together to be properly socialized and prevent attacks such as that on Shenica White. It is in fact irresponsible to advocate preventing dogs from socializing in public, because this will lead to more dangerously vicious dogs living in the city.

People who have not had any exposure to dogs are often needlessly frightened of them. The stories in the media are the exceptions, not the rule. Most dogs are harmless, well-loved pets. When a dog barks, it is communicating; this does not mean he is going to bite or kill something, but that he is expressing some emotion. Dogs are very communicative animals, as they live naturally in groups (like people). The worst thing that can be done to a dog is to isolate it from other dogs by preventing it from playing with other dogs, and meeting other people.

I understand the concern for children's welfare. As a general rule, always stay very close to your child when around dogs you do not personally know, and stay close even if you know them. Always ask the owner before allowing your child to approach a dog, and be prepared to pick up your child if you feel any concern. That said, it is a good idea for children to meet dogs so that they do not grow up with an unnecessary fear of them. My Akita/Shepherd cross Tycho has met hundreds of children in his nine years, and tolerates them pulling his ears, climbing up his back and trying to poke out his eyes with endless patience. Just remember that dogs, like people, are individuals.

Steve Forster,
Vancouver