Dog Attacks

I remember the days when I read that dogs attacked, mauled or even killed humans, most recent one being the case of an old man being mauled by a bull terrier in Subang Jaya during his morning jog. Most have typically blamed the dog, many have blamed the owner, but how about the victim? (Please note that this post has no offense towards any victims of dog attacks and is not blaming anyone in particular, this is just to only share knowledge so that we can reduce the possibilities of future accidents)

It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their dogs are inside their home's compound, no matter what the reason, there is no justified excuse to let a dog roam freely in the streets, especially ones that are strong enough to injure people. Dogs are always going to be animals, although loyal, their natural instincts will never be wiped out from their blood. Trainers can only train a dog to be obedient on command, but dogs will always be the descendants of wolves, it is not something that can be trained to be forgotten. Most people tend to think that because they are domesticated, they would start to think logically or humanly.

Here's an example of what I see everyday. My dogs are within the garden compound of my house. Now due to the transparent fence and gate, practically they can see everything happening outside. What I notice is that sometimes, joggers passing by would stare at them and taunt them. What they fail to realize is that by doing so they would only make the dogs feel protective of their territory,making them aggressive but still within a boundary due to the fence, so what do they do? They bark.

But let's just say, the gates are opened for some reason, and the dogs are out, most likely the dogs would aim for the person that taunted them before, because to the dogs, that person is a threat. Now, who's to blame? Other than the owner that failed to make sure the gate is not closed properly, who is the one to blame in this attack, the dog which was trying to protect, or the victim that taunted the dog in the first place?

Every morning on my way to work, passing by SMK Damansara Jaya, there is a piece of land beside the school at the traffic light going into Sprint Highway, I would see this black dog (mongrel, medium size) practically staying on that piece of green grass. I noticed that when strangers go by the roadside while ignoring the dog, the dog would only follow behind them, obediently. Was the dog trained? I don't think so. Was the dog a pure breed? After years of looking at dogs, I doubt I'd miss that mongrel look. Without posing a threat to the dog, the dog could co-exist with other beings (not sure with cats though, that's another story).

Now, I'm not denying that there are dogs that would attack anything that moves, but dogs should not be natural attackers for no reason. There are numerous reasons they could be at that state, they could be mentally unstable, tortured, traumatized, startled etc. I'd believe even humans in these conditions could attack others more likely than others (but hey, maybe that's just me).

But looking at it more subjectively, a dog normally doesn't  bite unless it needs to or is commanded to. Now, I wasn't at the scene of any of the past dog attacks, nor I cannot say that would started to attack, the victim or the dog. But there are a few pointers for someone without dog knowledge, on what to do when you see a dog roaming the streets:

1. Never taunt a dog without a valid reason, don't throw stones or swing a branch at a dog for being too close. You'd just be taunting or challenging it for no reason. And if the dog is aggressive, you're just picking a fight with it.
2. Don't act afraid, or get frozen. Dogs can literally smell fear, it's the chemical reaction in your body that let's them smell that you are afraid. Once that happens, you're the prey. Just act normal, or try to act normal and walk off the other direction calmly and don't look back. After they see that you are "retreating" they might follow but after a few steps, they might also leave you be. Never run, as that is a sign of being scared and they will chase.
3. A dog is basically challenging your stand in his territory. If you don't plan to fight the dog, don't stand up to the challenge. Just walk away calmly.
4. Never try to think that you are OK with all animals. Even dog trainers/owners not necessarily get along with all dogs. Dogs are loyal but only to specific people. They will snap at anyone that they feel is a threat to themselves and to their owners.
5. If you see a dog faraway, and you have to go that direction, but it doesn't show any sign of trying to attack, it just looks at you at a more normal way. Just walk by, don't look at it, don't care for it and walk on calmly. The dog most likely will lose interest in you as there's nothing for it to be attracted to.

Now, in the media, certain dogs have been characterized as dangerous and aggressive, first it were rottweilers, then German Shepherds, Pitbulls and Bull Terriers. Personally, I think it's nonsense, just because a few dogs from a breed attacks, that makes them dangerous? It's just like saying a Malaysian that killed someone in another country, then that country should brand Malaysians as dangerous. Or someone driving a Ferrari crashed, the car should be branded too dangerous to be driven. This doesn't make sense to me. It is constant training and socializing that can help dogs to be less aggressive and obedient, but there will always be accidents if precautions are not carefully taken. This all depends on how much work the owner put in and how the public as a whole react to dogs.

I know this Japanese lady, Sayori-san, that comes to Bandar Utama Central Park almost every week day. She adopted a traumatized black German Shepherd by the name of Bangsar (yes, because they stay there). Bangsar was a victim of torture, because there were obvious burn marks on his neck, due to constant usage of the electric collar. Now electric collars are common tools to train security dogs, so that they are obedient and aggressive at the same time. But sadly, some trainers tend to go over board, and when the dogs are not coping to their training program, they could use the collar as a torturing tool without noticing it.

Bangsar was saved by a Non-Profit Charity Organization, and was adopted by Sayori-san, first time I met Bangsar, he didn't trust me, he was not aggressive, but he didn't let me touch him. It's normal as he was tortured by humans. But after a few months of constant introductions to the park, my third meeting with Bangsar let me to be surprised, that he was much opened German Shepherd that is now approachable and of course lovable.

Dogs, like humans, can be great at times and aggressive at other moments, it only depends on when and where. Hope this knowledge sharing can bring some insight into how a dog reacts and how humans should react to them.

Like always, please post your comments below or send me an email if you want me to post some information that you'd like me to share at wchui22061985@gmail.com

Till next time, woof!

Owners and Neighbors

For my first post, I'm re-posting a comment that I made in Facebook regarding Owners and their neighbors. We discuss on what it means to be an owner and the responsibility while also giving an in sight to neighbors who are not dog lovers what happens to dogs that get taken away.

Came across a few articles, forums, news and personal experiences regarding neighbors' dissatisfaction when one owns a dog/dogs and wanted to give my own two-cents.
Most of the problem occurs when the dog(s) are smelly, noisy, destructive, breaking out the house and chasing passby-ers, parasites and so on. They complain to the Newspapers and Authorities (Majlis Perbandaran), in the hope of getting rid of the dogs. I don't side with all dog owners, knowing many are irresponsible and want dogs for fun, but here's a little trivia before you decide your quest to get rid of your neighbor's dog:
1. When a dog is confiscated, they go to a pound or an organization that houses unwanted dogs. Everyday thousands of dogs are in these places, and only a small minority gets the chance to get a new home
2. As these organizations are not funded and rely on donations, they can't keep all of them. For dogs that have no hope to have a new home, they are put to sleep (which means dead for those who don't know)
3. For those that are "lucky", there might end up wondering the streets (not neutered or spayed), mating endlessly, causing even more stray dogs
4. Worst case, irresponsible owners moan about the last dog, after a few weeks gets a new one (which most likely will come from pet stores), restarting the whole process.
5. Most non-dog owners don't realize the security benefits of having a dog in the neighborhood; they are alarm when it comes to suspicious people (some can detect a human body's chemical works), alerting not only the owner, but the neighbors as well.
6. Studies prove that a child that is exposed to dogs have a higher chance of getting lesser allergies (Google it up)

For dog owners, if you don't know what you need to do as a responsible owner, you shouldn't have gotten it, but now that you have, you need to cope up with the work.
1. Dogs have to be cleaned/bathed at least once in 2 weeks (why not every week? Bcos they need to develop oil that is good for their skin, if u clean them once a week, u wash away the oil)
2. If you bring them for walks, wipe them to ensure they don't catch ticks during the walk
3. Poo is supposed to be picked up, packaged and go to the trash bin. Don't leave them on the street, regardless it's on the grass or roads. No one likes crap in front of their house or under their tyres. Don't wanna pick it up with your hands? Get clippers or paper to pick it up. NEVER leave it there.
4. Pee you can't do much, but try to wash up if possible, cos after the sun shines directly on pee, there will be a stench
5. Train your dog not to bark at every small thing (cats, birds and so on), socialize them to meet people, so that they would not be suspicious at every passer by, only those that are suspicious, they have a natural instinct on those types.
6. Train your dog to listen to you (obedience training), never let them off leash when you're outside, and minimize risk of letting them break out of your home. Once they get the habit, it's hard to train it out of them.
7. Ticks are a common problem with dogs, make sure to get proper medication for maintenance and prevention (ie Frontline). These bugs have strong will and can survive up to 6 months without food. They can hide in small holes or cracks in the house, so maintain your house to be clean. Neighbors don't like it when they see ticks in their houses, guaranteed.
8. Groom your dogs, if you know your dogs are gonna shed, comb them frequently, gather the fur and those go into the trash, don't leave the fur around, if it flies to neighbors place, neighbors aren't gonna gather them to make a pillow
9. Take your dogs for walks, 20 to 30 mins a day is good enough if you have a busy schedule. They have to utilize their energy, if not, can't blame them for being destructive. Imagine you being energetic and you have to stay at home everyday on your mom's orders without any reason, you'd go crazy too right?
10. Respect people that don't like dogs (be it religion, allergies, bad experiences), you like dogs, doesn't mean your dog can do whatever it wants and get away with it. There are official laws that can take away your dogs if you don't follow them.
11. You get a dog, it's for life (at least the dog's life), you can't do a good job, then don't get one. But if you have already gotten a dog, don't give up, don't send it away thinking that it will get a good home, more often than not, it doesn't go to a good home, and the dog's fate is unknown. Change your lifestyle for the dog, adapt to a dog owner's life, don't give up because u're too busy, u can't have time, u can't give enough love, that's just bullshit, period. Once you get a dog, you have an obligation to it, it's not law but it's your responsibility as a human being. Unless you're dying, I don't see any good reason you're giving up on a dog. Even when you die, the dog might hang out at your grave (real case in Germany). If you're one of those that give up on your dogs just because you're busy, to be honest, you're nothing but trash to me.

Just my two-cents, leave your comments if I left out anything. There's no one formula to having a dog, you just need to live the life and learn from it. You can always share your own experiences with new owners or future owners, to help them adapt to the enjoyable life :)

Introductions

For my first blog post, wanted to introduce who I am and what is the blog about.

I'm Jon, an amateur dog trainer/handler that has been in the works for about 2 years now. I myself am having and training a Beagle and a Great dane mixed. I belong to a dog training group called Pawsitive Friends, where we  train dogs majorly for Obedience.

The purpose of this blog is to share knowledge, experience and personal thoughts on issues relating to dogs, such as obedience, healthcare, problems with having a dog, breeding etc. The blog is open to all to comment, as in the Canine world, there is no such thing as 100% correct method, every dog has a different training or treatment method, just like humans.

We welcome disputes and objections, but please do not only throw in negative comments and leave it be, cause that will not help anything. Only constructive opinions or disputes are welcomed.

As Malaysia is a country with various races, cultures and religions, dogs are often misunderstood and under-estimated. Only a handful of knowledgeable owners/handlers/breeders know what is are the better ways to own a dog and to fully enjoy the life. Hopefully this blog will help with the situation, to pass along the knowledge to other dog owners so that we can make our lives as dog owners much better.

We will post our comments and our techniques online, anyone who has comments or questions can let us know and we can discuss further. All in all, everyone wins. And as mentioned before, haters or owners with only negative feedback will not be entertained. We only welcome those that have constructive opinions to help our community.

If there are any issues that you'd like to talk to me personally, here's my email wchui22061985@gmail.com.

So I hope everyone enjoys themselves. :)

Yours truly
Jon Wong