Posted by Sue, on March 23rd, 2012
 Having only just launched our Barks but no bites in Berkshire campaign aimed at trying to make this the safest county in the UK for dog bite incidents, it was a bit disheartening to see this article in the local news this week:
Why do dogs attack posties in Bracknell?
Of course, a dog biting the post person scenario has always been a bit of a joke, unless you happen to be a post person, of course – in which case having an out of control dog on your daily round is anything but amusing! To be honest, with a bit of consideration and thought, it should also be totally unnecessary too.
As the Royal Mail worker in the article says, we have all been told that the reason a dog targets any delivery person is because the dog’s action is almost always instantly rewarded by success – the dog barks and/or growls, the delivery person goes away. What we are often not told, until it is too late, is that it is not very sensible to actually encourage your dog to become excited and to bark when someone comes to the door in the first place. When you stop and think about it, what is the point? If the person at the door is someone we want to invite in, we certainly don’t want our dog to be over-excited and jumping around our guests. If it is someone delivering something, or maybe wanting to read the meter, again we just want to be able to deal with it and close the door. We don’t want or need any input from our dog at all.
Here are our top tips to keep postie safe:
If you have, or are thinking of getting, a new puppy, then start as you mean to go on by rewarding him/her for being quiet and calm when someone comes to the door. You might want to keep a jar of treats by the door and ask visitors to give one to your puppy to help teach him that a visitor or delivery person is a good thing not a bad thing.
If your dog is already conditioned to over-reacting to visitors, you can still take steps to change that behaviour, by asking him/her to be calm, and rewarding acceptable behaviour. However, if your dog is likely to become aggressive with strangers, do not ask anyone to feed him/her treats directly, although they may still be able to throw your dog a treat without putting themselves in any danger.
If possible, make sure that your dog can’t get direct access to the front door at all, possibly by putting up a dog gate in the hallway. If that is not practical, then consider fitting a letterbox cage on the door so that your post person can open the letterbox without any danger of having his/her fingers bitten. Another option is to fit a lockable outside post box on the wall so that your post person doesn’t have to use the letterbox at all.
If your dog can’t be trusted to behave at the front door then shut him in another room before you go to answer it. Again, if you practice rewarding quiet, calm behaviour, you can gradually recondition him/her to see visitors as a good thing.
If your dog is likely to be in the garden alone, then make sure your back gate is secure and, if necessary fit chicken wire around the edges and along the bottom so that your dog can’t get his muzzle through anywhere to nip anyone. A dog should never be loose on his/her own in a front garden and/or where visitors have free access.
If your dog does threaten or bite your post person and is reported, the best outcome could be that Royal Mail refuse to deliver your post in future and you have to go and get it yourself. If you have ever queued up to collect a parcel you won’t need telling that you would not want to do this on a daily basis. The worst outcome however is that you could be fined under the Dangerous Dogs Act and your dog may be taken away from you and even PTS. Don’t wait until it is too late. Act now and keep your postie safe!
If you have any other thoughts or suggestions on how to keep our posties safe, please let us know.
Posted by Lou, on January 30th, 2012
 For those of you that watched the BBC1 programme ‘Dogs on Death Row’ last week, you’d have seen a number of cases where the Police were sent in to confiscate dogs that they believed to possibly be ‘Pit Bulls’ or ‘Pit Bull Types’. ‘Pit Bull Types’ are dogs that have a substantial number of the physical characteristics of a Pit Bull Terrier.
Although both Pit Bulls and Pit Bull Types are banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act, as with anything illegal, these dogs do still make their way into the country, and consequently some unsuspecting people end up buying an illegal dog.
What struck me though when watching the programme, was that many of the dogs I saw confiscated did not appear to be Pit Bulls to me. So how can you avoid being sold a dog under the guise of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, for example, that is in actual fact a Pit Bull?
The first way of avoiding this is to buy a Pedigree dog that comes with all the relevant paperwork (such as Kennel Club registration) that provides proof of the breed of the dog.
If you don’t want to buy a Pedigree dog, page 14 of DEFRA’s paper on ‘Dangerous Dogs Law – Guidelines for Enforcers’, provides useful guidelines on Identifying Pit Bull Types:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/dogs-guide-enforcers.pdf
But, going back to my original point though of people mistaking other breeds for Pit Bulls, check out this link to the ‘Find the Pit Bull’ game; you’ll be surprised how difficult it is to get the answer right! Have fun!
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
Posted by Sue, on January 6th, 2012
From January 1st, 2012, the UK’s animal quarantine laws, which were originally introduced in the 19th century to combat the threat of rabies, have been relaxed to bring them into line with current European legislation.
Under the previous legislation, any dog, cat or ferret entering the UK had to be vaccinated against and blood tested for rabies, and also needed to be quarantined for six months. From January, however, pets travelling from the EU or certain listed non-EU countries such as the US and Australia no longer need a blood test and will only have to wait 21 days before they travel.
Pets from unlisted non-EU countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa can also enter the UK if they meet certain strict criteria to ensure they are protected against rabies, including a blood test and a three-month wait before they travel.
Additionally, the rules which require animals to be treated for ticks and tapeworm have also been relaxed, although tapeworm treatment is still required for dogs entering the UK from certain countries – see link below for further details.
Defra-pets-travel-parasites
While many pet owners welcome the changes, which make it much cheaper and easier to travel abroad with our pets, there are also fears that the relaxed rules will inevitably result in rabies getting into the UK. There are also some concerns that the relaxation of some of the tick and tapeworm treatment regulations might be detrimental to pet’s health, and pet owners are urged to be on their guard against these parasites, particularly after travelling abroad.
For more information about all the new quarantine laws, check out the Defra website at:
Defra-Travelling with Pets
Let us know what do you think. Is it time for change, or are we inviting trouble?
Posted by Sue, on November 11th, 2011
When I was about seven, my parents purchased a 3 year old GSD from a chicken farmer who could no longer keep him as the farm was being sold. The dog was called Rikki and he had been police trained as a guard dog. We were told that, one night, five men who had been regular customers at the farm and therefore knew the dog, climbed over the back fence to steal livestock. In the morning, the farmer found 4 of them up a tree and the fifth one lying on the ground at the foot of the tree with the dog standing on his chest growing. Rikki had not been fooled for a moment by the fact he knew these men, and had kept them all trapped for several hours, afraid to move. It was a story our whole family loved to tell about our clever guard dog!
With theft on the rise, so much publicity surrounding dog attacks and so much controversy regarding the current Dangerous Dogs Act legislation, it is important for dog owners to know the legal position should a burglar be bitten by their dog.
First of all, we can take some comfort from the fact that most dogs are more likely to just bark or growl at an intruder than they are to bite, especially if the intruder is trying to get away. However, it is worth remembering that any dog, if cornered, frightened and/or sufficiently provoked, might snap, and that some intruders may respond to a barking dog by actually attacking it to quieten it, rather than running away.
Under the current Dangerous Dogs Act, if you come across an intruder in your home and actually set your dog onto them, then you will probably face prosecution, and the court could also order the dog to be kept under control or even destroyed as a ‘dangerous dog not under control’, especially if the intruder suffers any injury.
If an intruder breaks in whilst you are out or asleep and is attacked by your dog then it is still quite possible that you could find yourself facing a court order. Additionally, if the intruder were to be injured, not only could the dangerous dogs act be invoked, but you could also find yourself facing civil action for any injury or damage that your dog may have caused.
In other words, the current law is very ambiguous and a clever intruder could easily turn the tables on you so that, not only were you broken into but also you dog could be punished or even destroyed for trying to protect your home, you or even himself.
This is just one of the areas where Lord Redesdale’s proposed Dog Control Bill currently under discussion helps to make things clearer, by specifically stating that ‘a dog that bites a burglar or mugger does not commit an offence if the burglar is in the wrong’.
The Dog Control Bill has now successfully completed its final stage in the House of Lords and will soon go on to be debated in the House of Commons:
http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/news/1155_dog_control_bill_to_continue_to_house_of_commons
So, if we all want to sleep easy knowing that, should an intruder break into our home and maybe provoke or scare our dog into biting, the law will at least give us and him/her a fair hearing – then we all need to back this legislation now!
Posted by Sue, on November 1st, 2011
There is a lot of confusion about Pit Bulls because the name can be used to refer to as many as 5 different breeds of dog, plus  all crosses of those breeds. Probably the most accurate definition refers to the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier, although some people also include the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog as well, because these breeds share similar head shapes and body types. Today’s American Pit Bull Terrier is, itself, a cross between terrier and bulldog and was initially bred in the UK. It arrived in the USA with immigrants from the UK and was originally used for hunting hogs and herding livestock.
During the early 19th century, after blood sports such as bull baiting and cock fighting were outlawed, dog fighting or pitting became popular in both the USA and the UK. Unfortunately for the Pit Bull and Staffordshire Terriers, their muscular bodies, courage and tenacity made them perfect candidates and they were deliberately bred and trained to be aggressive towards other dogs, although genuine breeders still took pride in producing dogs that were trustworthy and friendly towards people.
Although dog fighting has thankfully been out of favour in the USA and the UK for many years, towards the end of the 20th century the Pit Bull’s tough, muscular appearance made it a popular choice with people looking for a macho status symbol, and this encouraged unscrupulous breeders to produce puppies that were not necessarily bred to be so good-natured with people. To further aggravate the situation, irresponsible owners then deliberately encouraged their Pit Bulls to behave aggressively on command.
Gradually, stories about this small minority of badly-bred, badly trained dogs fighting other dogs and even attacking humans crept into the news and, slowly but surely, Pit Bulls and the other similar breeds began to get a reputation as being dangerous and aggressive. Finally, fuelled by public hysteria, Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) was adopted in some parts of the USA and UK as well as some other countries across the world, and Pit Bulls were put on the top of the list of dogs to be banned because they are considered too aggressive and dangerous.
While probably well-intentioned, the problem with BSL is that, in reality, the breeds most often involved in bite injuries and fatalities vary significantly from year to year and country to country, depending on the popularity of different breeds. Also, while breeding and genetics do play a role in determining how aggressive a dog is, these factors are not nearly as significant as how the dog is raised, socialised, trained and treated. Finally, it is almost impossible to know where to draw the line with regards to mixed breeds. If the Pit Bull is dangerous, is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier also dangerous? What about an American Bulldog/Staffordshire Terrier Cross or a Pit Bull/Labrador Cross?
The truth is that Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and any associated breeds or crosses are no more or less potentially dangerous or aggressive than any other breed of dog. In fact, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Pit Bull Terrier were once so superior in their unparalleled love and devotion for children they were commonly known as “The Nanny Dog” throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All dogs have teeth and the potential to use them, and the bigger and/or more powerful breeds especially need to be properly bred, properly trained and responsibly supervised and cared for. Dogs are pack animals and, when we take them into our homes, we become their pack leaders. Just because a few irresponsible people have chosen to lead their packs badly, why on earth should every other dog of that breed or even type be labelled as dangerous?
Today, some 40% of dogs in rescue centres are likely to be some form of Staffie or Staffie Cross, now as unwanted and out-of-favour as they were once prized. Why? Because a few mindless individuals thought it would make them look big if they deliberately bred some aggression into their bloodlines and then mistreated and abused the puppies until they learned to fight to survive. Unless we change our misguided attitude towards these dogs and replace our BSL legislation with laws that tackle the human element of a dangerous dog, then these few mindless individuals will have succeeded not only in ruining a lovely breed, but maybe even eventually wiping it out completely.
You may be interested to know that Battersea Dogs & Cats Home have just launched a campaign to help change the public perception of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. For further information- and to check out some of their lovely Staffie videos: http://www.battersea.org.uk/dogs/staffies.html
Posted by Sue, on October 17th, 2011
Did you know that the Control of Dogs Order 1992 states that your dog must wear a collar and identification tag when out in a public place or you can be found guilty of an offence against the Animal Health Act 1981? Did you also know that if you fail to comply with this, you could be fined up to up to £5,000 and your dog can be seized and treated as a stray?
Given that this offence not only carries the possibility of a very large fine but also the unthinkable chance of your dog being taken away from you, at least temporarily, it is perhaps a little surprising to hear from Battersea Old Windsor that, of the over 1,000 dogs they have taken in so far this year, only 52 of them were wearing collars and tags. Unfortunately, while it is probably true that, in a few cases, this was a deliberate attempt to make sure the dog was not traced back to an owner who no longer wanted it, in many cases it is probably due to laziness or lack of knowledge about the law and the possible consequences of breaking it. Worryingly, a number of dogs had bits of rope or old belts around their necks rather than a collar, which are not only useless as a means of identification, but also dangerous for the dog.
That’s why, next week, October 24th to 28th, Battersea Old Windsor are aiming to dramatically reduce the number of dogs in Berkshire that do not wear a collar and tag by offering free tag engraving at the Old Windsor site on Priest Hill. Both tag and engraving will be free, although donations will be very welcomed. Battersea staff will be on hand to offer advice about identification and any other issues of dog ownership and welfare. You will also be able to check out their great gift shop and maybe purchase a lovely new collar to go with your shiny new tag!
The centre is open 1-4pm Monday to Friday and 10.30-4pm Saturday and Sunday. For more information or directions, check their website: Battersea Old Windsor
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Having only just launched our Barks but no bites in Berkshire campaign aimed at trying to make this the safest county in the UK for dog bite incidents, it was a bit disheartening to see this article in the local news this week:
