As an ex police dog handler I worked and trained a number of large dogs over the years:
And I can tell you, these problems that are encountered with dogs including dog attacks and dog behaviour are down to one thing only - humans.
We bring these dogs into our world, and expect them to think and behave like humans and that where it begins.
How many owners actually flip this and try to behave like a dog - very few is the answer. These dogs don't choose to be brought into a human pack to have to try and understand without any form of decent training what is expected of them and this makes me mad.
If you want to buy a horse, or run a cow dairy then most people would have some experience as well a high level of knowledge on these animals. However when it comes to dogs people think they can just rock up, pick the cute doggy and take it home where it miraculously without any training turned into the most well trained human dog in the world - and this is the problem. People like this anger me because the dog then gets blamed for its unruly dog like behaviour and the dog gets punished.
Even with my working dogs that went through severe training for most of their lives still had the odd blip or override of natural instinct when a rabbit popped up whilst on a track / this you can't get out of them. But you must understand this dog behaviour and accommodate it and anticipate it will happen.
Dogs do not have voices, or hands to push someone away, they have mouths, this is what they use. How many of us have ever given someone a stern shove in disapproval of their actions? For dogs this is bite - a behaviour that will then tarnish this animal for ever.
Dogs are the most amazing creatures ever, far superior in my opinion to any human and that fact that the majority are purchased by people that have no idea infuriates me.
All dogs are working creatures / they need a purpose, the ability to hunt and search / something most never get to do because their owner thinks they are quite happy to lay by the fire or have a little lead walk. How many owners train their dogs in exercises to keep them mentally motivated such as agility, searching for objects etc / the answer in none, they just drag them along for a little sniff and that's it. Again how many dogs are left alone all day, instead they should be out in the car, seeing new things, smelling new things, not locked in the house, they need to run and play and be dogs, not pets cos we want something that looks nice and fluffy.
I still have my retired police dog he's nearly ten and he's still as sharpe as a knife because every day he goes out in the car twice and day and with my mum to our horses where he gets the roam the yard and be a dog.
When he is gone I will not get another dog despite my love for them and the reason is because I work too long an hours now to give a dog the time and training it needs. I would have time to walk in morning and eve but I know that not enough ( dogs don't actually need to be walked) / they don't walk themselves in the wild / they need mental stimulation And because I love an understand dogs I put them first and know that I currently couldn't give a dog that.
In an ideal world is like to see dog owners to need a licence or some form of qualification to own a dog. It will never happen though do until them we will have to sit back and watch dogs get the blame for having to live in a human world!!'
