The government has this week announced new laws to protect livestock. As a result, owners of dogs who worry livestock face unlimited fines. On top of this their dog can be seized or detained, with the owner being liable for any associated costs. The question is will this solve the problem?
I'm part of the 'keep dogs on a lead around livestock' group. I don't believe that anybody can be 100% certain that their dog will not attack livestock. We have seen how Bow behaves in the proximity of livestock. He is scared of cows but would really like 'to play' with sheep. He would love chasing them but I doubt the sheep would fully appreciate it.
The issue I have is that it feels a bit knee-jerk. Like banning breeds of dogs, it doesn't feel like it really tackles the issue of responsible dog ownership.
There is a misconception amongst many people that if a dog is under control. In reality the lead doesn't control the dog, it is the person on the end of it.
I remember an incident when Bow was still quite young. We would sit him and Mac on the verge at the side of a path to let other dogs pass, admittedly they were off the lead. This particular day, I had the pair off them sat beautifully about a metre away from the side of the path waiting while a group of 3, plus 2 dogs on leads, walked past. As they walked past, one of the dogs pulled over to Mac and Bow resulting in a bit of aggressive barking (Mac was very possessive of his treats). As they walked off, one of the men said to the other 'that's why I keep my dog on a lead'. Unfortunately he neglected to consider that his dog was quite a large pointer style dog, at the other end of the lead was his 7 year old daughter. Was the dog under control?
I don't believe the threat of a bigger fine makes a dog owner more responsible. I think the issue is that it is too easy to become a dog owner. There's no requirement to train them. You don't need any basic understanding of nutrition. In fact you have to be quite a committed person to be a responsible dog owner.
To be clear, I'm not holding myself up as a perfect example of a dog owner. We do our best but we do feel at times that it isn't good enough. There are definitely times when we feel Bow is being neglected. I suppose this in itself suggests a certain degree of responsibility.
So how do we encourage dog owners to be more responsible?...that's my next blog!