Cat & Jack K9 Safety
Safety Message from Cat
Have you read the headlines lately? Serious dog attacks have accounted for the deaths and traumatic injuries of too many young children. I believe it has also increased the public's fear of dogs and brought about the defamation of certain breeds. The debate over breed legislation, liability and additional licensing for certain breeds has become a hot topic. It must be emotionally devastating to know your dog has bitten or seriously injured a child. These particular owners may actually love their dogs as much as we do. Yet I feel their neglect comes from not recognizing, accepting and then dealing with the dog's potential danger to a child.
There is a saying within the dog community that, "Most owners kill their dog with kindness". It may be feeding special treats, that could be potentially toxic, (like chocolate), overfeeding, causing obesity, or never correcting poor manners which will eventually lead to a behaviour that gets the dog destroyed. Pet owners need to understand how a dog thinks. If you feel that treating your dog like a little human is kind, you are mistaken. Get to a bookstore and spend your dog's next treat money on educating yourself. The benefits will be astounding!
Every day "JACK THE BULLDOG" and I go into elementary schools teaching children dog bite prevention, offering useful preventative strategies and interpretation of animal behaviour. "Our goal is to create a generation of compassionate, knowledgeable children that will someday become a more responsible pet owner".
Health Canada Statistics reported in 1993, 86% of dog bite victims were between 0-15yrs of age. Well over half of these incidents claimed there was no provocation by the victim. Most injuries were to the head or arms. Too often it was the family pet or a familiar dog that attacked the child. Parents will often teach children to use extreme caution concerning a large strange dog, yet fail to see the danger within their own home. Statistics proved Rottweillers had tied Cocker Spaniels for biting children. We need to accept the fact that all breeds can be potentially dangerous. It is understandable if you fear a German Shepherd, the number 1 biter in Canada. But did you realize that the all-time favorite family dog, the Golden Retriever, is also within the top 10 biters. We need to look beyond pretty faces, and see each dog as the individual. Breeders have understood this for years. Within one litter you could have opposite ends of the spectrum. This is explained with simple genetics. Each parent gives half of the chromosomes, but never do two puppies get the exact same combination of genes, even though they may be littermates. There are benefits to choosing a pedigree dog over mixed breeds. The Canadian Veterinarian Medical Association suggests that aggressiveness is largely a product of inappropriate methods of genetic selection, rearing and training. An established breeding kennel can offer more predictability in temperament, personality and conformation. The next step is to have an experienced person help you choose the right puppy for your household. You will need to provide a rich and stimulating atmosphere equivalent to his abilities. Every dog needs to experience numerous settings, people and places before 16 weeks of age. Consider them moldable clay prior to 4 months. Each new experience has to be stress free, positive and enjoyable for your puppy. Always be in control of your young dog's surroundings. Providing this type of beginning will help your dog become a confident, well-mannered canine good citizen.
Cathie Cino is the program coordinator and creator of the "CAT & JACK K9 SAFETY PROGRAM". Her outstanding educational credentials, along with her natural instincts and genuine devotion is the foundation of this program. For further information please contact Cat & Jack K9 Safety by phone (905)945-9142 or 1-877-CAT-JACK(228-5225) or by email info@catandjack.com’