Rottweiler and Baby

All too often we see terrible news about dogs. In my own town there has been a spate of recent reports of dogs attacking humans or other dogs. Within the past few weeks a woman was attacked by a dog, a child was attacked by a dog, and a dog was attacked (and killed) by a dog. New laws have been passed specifically requiring one particular breed of dogs to be muzzled if they are in public.

I'll save my view point on breed specific legislation for a future post. For now, I'd just like to remind you all that for every scary attack you hear about, there are no doubt thousands of joyful experiences between humans and dogs each and every day. When we are trained well, socialized, and loved we can transform your lives.

I've seen lots of people using dominance techniques to train their dogs. Remember that we learn by role modeling--dogs and humans. An excessive hand, rough handling, and dominance style training role models a whole set of behaviors. Think about what sorts of behavior you are modeling (for your dogs, for your children, for your families and friends). I'll save that discussion for a future blog post too.

For now, just enjoy the giggle.