samedi 18 février 2012

Please try to understand us not choke us

I haven't updated my blog for a few weeks. Ma Maitresse has been busy writing her book. But she said I could borrow ze computer today to write with because I saw something on Twitter this morning which upset me very much.

It was re-posted by my friend @widgetty who is a very nice human bean who understands us animals, but it was about something very bad, so I couldn't stay quiet.

It's about someone who is selling collars which are designed to cut off a dog's air supply to stop them from being "dominant" and aggressive. You can read all about them for yourself here http://leerburg.com/746.htm

Now I am a dog who can be very aggressive, to people and dogs I don't know. And I can tell you quite simply why I am, and why almost every other dog which is called aggressive,is like that. I'm quite simply terrified.

Never mind any of this dominance nonsense. I don't want to be dominant, I want to be small and invisible so no-one notices me and leaves me alone. But when people come near me, I do the only thing I know to make them go away - I bark and growl and snarl. And it works, they usually go away. I don't chase after them and attack them because they've done what I wanted them to do - left me alone.

Now ma maitresse understands my fear and tries to help me. Sometimes she gets things wrong because she is only a human bean and she gets frustrated and even shouts at me. But I know she would never, ever deliberately do anything to cause me any pain or damage.

These collars, it says, are specifically designed to show the dog who is boss by cutting off its air supply. I'm only a leetle French dog, but I can't understand how that is even legal. It is so very dangerous, because it's not just the air to the lungs that can be cut off but the oxygen supply to the brain. Ma maitresse used to do judo and she was telling me about strangle holds, shime-waza, which can cause unconsciousness in a matter of seconds. And serious brain damage if maintained for too long.

I don't read heenglish all that well but I can't see anything in this article which stresses how very dangerous it can be to cut off oxygen supply to the brain, even for a few seconds. I can't see anything which shows people in detail how to avoid putting pressure on a dog's carotid artery, which would do just that. I can't see anything which tells people how long it is suggested that they deprive their dog of oxygen.

And I have to tell you, that in my humble dog opinion, the answer to that is never. Not at all. Ever.

If I bark because I am afraid, choking the air out of me is the last thing I need.

Please, anyone, no matter how desperate you are because of your dog's behaviour, I urge you, do not go down this root. There are lots and lots of nice human beans out there who can show you a different way. Ma maitresse has Grisha Stewart's BAT book, which has helped us both, and likes http://intellidogs.com/ for really simple, practical advice.

I am asking you all please, on behalf of my canine cousins everywhere, just to think hard about this. If your teenage son or daughter was shouting at you aggressively, would you think it acceptable to put them in a chokehold and cut off their air?

And if you answer no, please explain to me why you think it would be acceptable for your dog?

2 commentaires:

  1. Salut - I is Lili small terryer wot woz Englitch but livs wiff Mumndad in Frans toooooooooo (sorri dat turnd into a howl).

    I is reskyoo doggge too an I barks. I barks lots. I barks cos I is protecturr. My job is to tel Mumndad wen der is daynjer or sumwun norti is cumin to de howse. Sumtyms I barks so mutch I gets wot Mum calz "hysterical" I not no wot dat is.

    Mumndad wud nevvvvur put me on collar wot choke, givs electrik shoks or cut off breevin. Evun if I is "bloody pest" like Dad say.

    Dat is as bad as Spayn wer my best mate Titch cum from - dere dey hang dogs to kill dem an it take for ages.

    I witch you lotsuv luck wiff yore campayn Ci an I send yoo a lik on snout.
    Lili

    RépondreSupprimer
    Réponses
    1. Merci, Lili, ma p'tite amie. I fink it is up to us dogs to show zeez human beans how wrong they are sometimes.

      Supprimer