Today marks a pretty big day in Wicomico County as the County Council reviews a much awaited legislative package referencing what kind of standards will be set for pet owners in the County.
Last week a new Board met to decide what was to be with the fate of a Pit Bull that attacked a young child. The Board voted to put the animal down and the owners of the animal have appealed their decision. I'm told they have already made their decision but no one has confirmed it as of yet.
Today, I sat in with the County Council as they reviewed the 15 page document line item by line item. Thinks like collars came up. They stated they wanted people to get away from the choke collars and I firmly disagree. While you're training a dog, there are many times a choke collar works better than a standard collar. If they're any bit aggressive, the choke collar will not come off their head. A standard nylon collar will.
I have to look at the documents more to decide what I like and don't like but it's certainly a step in the right direction. The question is, will this new legislation be applied in the City of Salisbury as well? In other words, will the City adopt it. They have refused to follow the standards of the Graffiti Laws from the County to the City. Time will tell.
21 comments:
Joe, you are letting your tongue get in high gear before your brain turns over regarding the chain collars. I think the proposed law states that dogs cannot be on a chain collar when tethered. If you have ever seen a dog that the chain collar was embedded in its neck where the people do not bother to check it after they put it on a 5 month old pup and then the pup all of a sudden grows out of it...ask any vet that has had to CUT one off.
Hmm...that looks like the same lawyer who helped Delmar update their animal ordinance together recently.
A better option is the pinch collar. I have had owned several large dogs and hate the choke collar. They still could pull me to the ground. I purchased a pinch collar and by using it correctly it prevented any harm to myself or the animals. I weigh 120 pounds and could walk my two german shepherds weighing 120 pounds and 100 pounds by myself with no problem. The problem is most people don't know how to use them correctly. They are for a quick correction. If the dog pulls on you, you simply pull back on the leash and tell them no. After a few times of being pinched there is no problem. They won't pull any more. I've actually seen a dog have to be put down because it pulled on it's choke collar so hard it crushed his wind pipe. I also use them in the house when I am training them. I simply cut a leash and leave about six inches of the leash attached. If they jump on someone when they come in, you can do an instant correction with them. I do agree that this particular dog should be put down. If I had a dog that attacked a child, there would be no question as to what I would do. This boy is lucky to be alive. It would be different if the child had been teasing the dog, but he wasn't. The owners of the dog are idiots.
Wow. In my experience, for larger dogs, chain collars on the end of a walking leash are a tremendous training/maintenance asset. To distinguish a little though-12:06 is correct that it should never be used as a non-human-monitored confinement device. But in the dire situation 12:06 describes, the negligence there seems to be merely one straw that broke the camel/dog's back. A dog where nobody has sense enough to assess the choking ability of a collar growing into his skin can also easily be left to dehydrate/starve, die of heartworms/disease, or left to run into traffic. There is just a certain section of America right now that considers these animals as chattel (like the electronic security system they can't afford)Legislation can have benefit here, but it will never over rule individual, case-by-case, common sense. The terrible irony here is that in this photo of the hearing, there are probably twenty people spending hours of their time to address a problem after it has already, literally, "bitten them on the ass." A few months of a minute or two, very brief training sessions, by any one or two "masters" (or perhaps a small fence)on the front end could have resolved this issue proactively with no need for medical treatment time and expense, law enforcement hours or taxpayer litigation dollars...very very sad-but keep the adoption photos/ads coming...
Thanks for keeping us informed Joe.
Concerning the choke collars: If a
dog is tied out with one this could be very dangerous. On a porch, tied, & the dog jumps off ,
there's a possibility of them hanging themselves. I've never heard of a pinch collar, but that
doesn't sound to severe for training. There are "head collars" which are great for dogs.
The idea is: controlling the dogs head & they WILL follow you. Choke
Chains are very hard on the dogs
windpipe. Just imagine one on yourself, & imagine how hurtful & dangerous that would be to an animal who instinctively would take
off after squirrls & the like.
There are better ways then the choke chain, people just need to be informed. Check out these head collars for you out there who say you can't control your dog without one. Then , there is also obedience school for your family friend. OK joe, I know you're thinking hard. How about it, what's your conclusion?
Joe, even if "anonymous" reply was
from the same lawyer who helped Delmar with their rules, he's 100% right!!!. The problem being, not all pet owners are responsible!!! With this law in effect it will give authorities the right to help the animals who are being mistreated with them . To the pet owners who are responsible , there are other alternatives!!! If they don't pass this law, the irresponsible pet owner will still be allowed to use them ,causing possible injury to the animal. Remember, Joe, like you state: "It's all about the Animals" Let US protect THEM!!!
I'VE NEVER READ ANYTHING ABOUT A PIT ATTACKING A CHILD. MUST HAVE MISSED THAT ONE. WHEN & WHERE DID THAT HAPPEN. I WISH IT WERE LAW
THEY HAD TO POST A SIGH OUTSIDE
THE HOUSE OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG SO PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. I'M ONE WHO ENJOYS WALKING, BUT SURE WOULD NOT BE IF I KNEW THERE WAS A DOG LIKE THIS NEAR BY.
Choke chains are a tool, and have their appropriate uses.
Laws being created like this are terrible for everyone - there is absolutely NO input from experts in the dog field.
Did anyone contact the AKC? They spend millions of dollars a year helping develop legislation involving dogs.
Anon 1:39 - an electronic collar would be much better than a choke chain for the situation you describe - I am sure you'd like that! lol
That is part of the problem. Most municipalities have dog/animal ordinances which in essence protect the ANIMAL and not the HUMAN.
This is what Delmar found out when they contacted the Humane Society for help...they were NO help because their mission is to protect the ANIMAL not the HUMAN.
I'll bet it would be the same thing with AKC.
Don't contact the "rights" group of the person you are trying to protect others against.
I thought Delmar's sounded at least better than it was...why doesn't the County contact Delmar?
Delmar changed the way their enforcement is done also.
Guys , you just don't get it do YOU. The place for the choke collar, halte collar or pinch collar is for during training .... NOT on the dog FULL TIME. Now do you get it?
The AKC understands the relationship between animals and people, and works to create laws that are based on common sense.
They also oppose breed-specific legislation, which many folks do not realize.
I have worked with them on many occasions. They do not place the animal above the himan - that is for AR groups like HSUS, PETA, etc.
Why would they oppose breed specific legislation if there are particular breeds known to be more dangerous than others?
I'm interested in this current legislation change. My community has ordinances for the homeowners who have pets, but they don't always obey. We call the county and they say there is nothing they can do.
I have a neighbor who keeps a pit bull in their back yard. They have it in a fenced kennel with a plastic dog house. The only time this dog comes out of this kennel is when it breaks out. No one ever cleans the cage of poop, the water and food is usually trown over the fence, or a hose is put thru. The dog never gets exercise. It never gets loving attention. It constantly barks, and then they yell from their house for it to shut up. They have put on bark collars and muzzles. These only work temperarily, but then are ripped off. The county has been called at least a dozen times. It's very sad.
Once again another story distorting the truth about a pitbull... It's not the dog, its the owner. It's all on how the dog is brought up. In regaurds to the certain kind of collar a dog should wear? I have a pitbull, i used the "choker" chain to train him not to pull when i walk him on a leash. There's nothing wrong with that method and frankly its bullshit for someone to tell me to do otherwise...
The AKC opposes breed specific legislation because once one breed is made illegal, the precedent is set for others. Go to www.akc.org for more info.
From their Web site:
"The right to own and breed dogs responsibly is seriously threatened by the introduction of repressive canine legislation at the state and local levels."
"Local Legislation
Regional federations and more than 1000 individual club legislative liaisons contact the AKC with reports of local ordinances affecting dog ownership. Examples of such proposals included breeding regulations, leash laws, dangerous dog laws, and zoning ordinances. The AKC responds with advice, information packets, and examples of current laws from other areas, which the legislative liaisons may then present to local government members and officials."
Part of their mission is to preserve the rights of owners to responsibly own dogs.
J,
Pit Bulls are inherently nasty, dangerous animals, end of discussion.
TO SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT THE BOARD DID NOT DECIDE TO PUT THE DOG DOWN, THE WONDERFUL HUMANE SOCIETY HAD MEDE THAT RECOMMENDATION. THE BOARD WAS LISTENING TO THE OWNERS SIDE OF THE STORY ALONG WITH OTHER TESTIMONY TO INCLUDE TESTIMONY FROM MEMBERS OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY WHOM VIOLATED AND BROKE THEIR OWN RULES IN REGARDS TO THIS DOG. THESE MEMBERS SPOKE ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DOG AND HOW THERE HAD BEEN A LACK OF AGGRESSION WHILE IN THEIR CARE. THE BOARD HAS NOT YET MADE THEIR DECISION ON THE FATE OF THIS DOG...............
7:31 thats what they said about Dobermans and before that it was German Shepherds. Reality, a Dalmation is more dangerous than a Doberman or a German Shepherd
J,
"Pit Bulls are inherently nasty, dangerous animals, end of discussion".
That is an un-educated response! Yes when raised to be, Pit Bulls are inherently nasty, dangerous animals. By the way, who do you think breeds and raises them to be that way? Well the answer would be humans, without a doubt the most inherently nasty and dangerous animals on earth!! If you ask any accredited dog trainer, vet, dog expert or credible breeder they would tell you that way more often than not, it's how the dog is treated,socialized and raised by it's owner that dictates its chances of biting/attacking. Remember one thing here, all dogs with teeth have the potential to bite!! It is believed that on a yearly basis, smaller breeds inflict more bites than larger but the bites are not reported due to the minor injuries they cause. I have seen numerous "top ten lists" about the most dangerous dogs and the pit bull is often not at the top. Dogs such as the Dalmation, Akita, Husky, Doberman, German Shephard (which I have), Rotts, Labs and several different toy group dogs appear and are ahead of the pit bull. I have had the pleasure of working with a guy out of Virginia who trains dogs for Search and Rescue. He received a dog that was part of a Federal Case that involved a dog fighting ring in New York. He took in a pit bull that was bred for fighting and turned into one of the most amazing S&R dogs I have ever seen. The dog is now working in Turkey as a disaster search dog.
I also believe in the use of "choke collars". I personally use a "pinch collar" when I am walking or training my dog only. And like some of the comments stated on here, it is important to know how to properly use both. We talk about how we need to train our pets when we should be training their owners in most cases!
Chris O'Barsky
Anyone familiar with dog training knows that a choke-style collar is valuable in obedience and command training and I would hope people would know that these are only for on-leash use without the county having to explain it to them.Tying a dog outdoors with one?Absolutely not,but very effective on a leash.
If the County does not let the restriction of the choke chains go through they will be putting the
animals owned by irresponsible owners in harms way. I'm sure most all that visit this site are
responsible. However, there are a
very, very large population out there who are not!! THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE, THE PROTECTION OF THE ANIMALS !!! Please do not look at this as some-one taking your rights away, because it isn't.!! If you own an
animal it is your responsibility to train the dog to your commands.
There are methods other then choke chains for training. Do you know the resqued pits in the "Michel Vicks" case WERE NOT trained with choke collars for control.! !!!! Please take a look at this situation, where they were able to take Pit Bulls, trained to fight & kill, & make all of them , except 2,I believe, into loving,caring pets, even as far as for use as therapy dogs!!!! I personally don't think they should be used for training as our knowledge has advanced so much in the past yrs. as the proper & kind way to train our animals.
Remember, if you cannot control your animal, then they are controlling you. I understand there is a brand new facility in Salisbury where I'm sure dog training is done. Take the effort, take the time, get your animal under your control. Protect the animals who have no other voice then ours to speak for them. Think long & hard about this proposed County Law. If you are for the protection of the animal you will make the right suggestions to your County officials if you attend their meeting in November.
"IT IS ALL ABOUT THE ANIMAL WHEN IT COMES TO THE ? OF THE CHOKE CHAIN" AND NOTHING ELSE!!!
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