Admit It: Your Dog Is Mean
Wouldn’t it be nice if, just once, a dog owner admitted that his pet was ill-tempered and menacing?
Of course, that will never happen. People who own aggressive canines tend to be in denial.
Does any of this sound familiar?
“Oh, he never bites.” (As the drooling pooch snaps at your ankle while straining at its fraying leash.)
“She’s just a big baby. She won’t hurt you.” (As the growling dog tries mightily to high-jump its fence and sink its gleaming fangs into you.)
“Don’t you like doggies?” (As the sneering pet emits a guttural grumble and gives you that evil-eyed look suggesting an intention to make a chew toy of your groin.)
The problem is, some pet owners can be like parents of rotten kids. Blinded by love, they refuse to face reality.
That’s not good for the dogs. And it’s not good for their potential victims.
With the exception of the occasional inbred mutant killer-hound, people are to blame for dogs’ bad behavior. But pet owners don’t like hearing that they’ve done a horrible job training their animals, so they say things like, “Well, he never does that to me.”
Now let’s be clear about something. I’m not talking about junk-yard dogs or other canines assigned property-guarding duties. (Don’t get me started on that.)
I’m talking about everyday neighborhood walk-in-the-park dogs that routinely lunge, snap and intimidate.
They aren’t as numerous as dog-haters would have you believe. Still, there are enough of these misbehaving pets to warrant demands that owners open their eyes and take some responsibility.
Pretending that your dog isn’t a problem won’t keep it from chomping somebody. And then it will be the animal on death row.
Don’t wait for that. Check out some books. Talk to a dog trainer. Ask your vet.
Just don’t pretend all those anxious looks on people’s faces are simply the products of overactive imaginations.
* The Furry Talk List:
1. You aren’t the only one touched by that dog-food commercial showing “Casey” progressing in age.
2. Four out of five Spokane cats want their own theme songs.
3. The person who first suggested that people tend to look like their pets must have been stoned.
4. Dog droppings can contain parasites harmful to humans.
5. Having a cat fall asleep in your lap is good luck.
6. North Idaho residents seem to have a gift for naming dogs.
* Look for the results of Furry Talk’s Inland Northwest Cutest Pets 2000 contest one week from today.