Thread: Councils should admister an IQ test before people can own a dog!

Well get ready for it, here's the first edition of "What really grinds Dougie's Gears"....

First off, stupid me for thinking yeah just 10min at Lyall Bay beach, we'll go to the quiet end and cool the boy down, then go home. There is no quiet end on a Sunday. There are no vigilant owners. There is no control of dogs. There is no aknowledgement and management of threshold, actually make that no idea what the f**k threshold is. And worst of all....there are tennis balls. LOTS of tennis balls.

So long story short, me and the boy are near the water's edge, he's cooling the paws and taking in the sights. From the heavens, a tennis ball comes flying and lightly strikes Jet on the side as it falls to the ground. Then, like a bat out of hell, comes Mr Husky who's owner is nowhere in sight, and he's angry. He's angry that Jet has his ball. So the reaction is to kill. I am not kidding here, he wanted to kill my dog.

I have been around dogs long enough to appreciate how sometimes a young one needs a good telling off or sometimes dogs just don't want to get along, that's fine. This usually results in some dominant behaviour like growling, biting, humping, pushing, whatever. And the recipient of the behaviour usually gives up and sends some signals to show that "yeah, you've won" like diverted eyes, tail down, turning around, walking away, yawns, or even rolling onto their back.

Dominant behaviour is not pinning another dog once it has rolled onto it's back and biting at their stomach. The latter is KILLING behaviour. And you can bet that I am very, very f**ked off. Of course there is no owner attached to this dog so he or she escapes some strong words from me and detail gathering to ensure that this dog is listed as dangerous. Jet gladly gave up to this dog as he is a big softy and happy to be a follower. After screaming and showing that he was submissing, it still took me physically kicking this Husky from him. I am less than impressed.

We've since come home and dried off (I had to get into the waves knee deep because the Husky had pinned him under water) I have reported this to the council but it's Wellington, so people will continue to be idiots and the council will continue to not care.

And that's what really grinds my gears!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd like to think I'm a pretty chilled out kinda girl but I am still absolutely fuming over this. Shit, when I actually pop out a kid one day, I'd be scared to be the first teacher to give him a poor report card......

I am sure that you will have given the Husky a lesson if you successfully separated it from Jet but it is the owners that need a real lesson. Go back next week and if it is there then put it on a lead and take it to the pound at the same time laying a complaint about it being aggressive and running around unrestricted. hope your dog is OK.

You were able to the tag number of the husky?
Unfortunately some breeds do attractive a higher number of idiot owners and breeders than others.

I didn't get a tag number, didn't stick around very long either. I could have gone back and waited to find the owner but I was on my own and too riled up with Jet. Apon further inspection, he has suffered a small singular puncture wound to just one side of his willy. Poor guy.

The mother of me wants 'vengence' or whatever but the real problem here is that people do not understand the limits of their dogs or how to avoid situations like this and also that people do not understand the body language of their dogs! This was not a pecking order confrontation, it was a killing one. I wouldn't expect this dog's owner to understand that considering that it happened and I am SURE it will have happened prior to today.

In Australia (I know we do think their rules are pretty over the top) this Husky would have been destroyed for its actions today.

Another one of their laws that I reckon is awesome though, is that registered Greyhounds must be muzzled at all times in public. That's called recognising a dog's heritage and being proactive about safety!! Well done Aussie for that one.

That is an awful experience....nothing equals a dog fight, except being attacked by one yourself...




Sorry, Dougie, an IQ test for potential dog owners is against Human Rights... you cannot formulate statistics in reference to intelligence

The beach is allways a mare Dougie. The odd times I take our mutts down there I see allsorts.
While someone such as yourself would probably be appalled at our lack of training with our dogs they do what they are told when they are told. IE if they run off to play with a pocket dog on the beach and i can see the owner is shitting her/himself that there dog is about to be eaten a simple "COME EAR" has them doing a 180 straight back to me.
I let them run round out to 80 odd meters away from me and if they go further(they dont usually) a short whistle brings them in.
The amount of people you see wandering around the back beach calling a dog that has gone AWOL
Iv never had an aggression issue yet but I guess its a matter of time.

Dougie,
As a former husky owner, my apologies. People see them as a fashionable dog to own when i reality they are a handful and not wildlife friendly. Most people never took our advise to not try walking them off lead seriously. . I would say its unusual to find one which is a real scrapper with other dogs but there's always one. No excuse for it really .Problem is councils are staffed with muppets as well. I no longer walk our dogs on the local back beach as its not safe for my dogs. 99% of mutts there are not really under control (unless you call rioting under control), if you asked their owners to call them they couldn't. I carry a big walking stick when out with my dogs and its not to control them!!! but just incase and yes I have been known to use it. My dogs know to get behind my legs when other mutts rush at them and I'll deal with it. Hope that does not come across too strong

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

The amount of people you see wandering around the back beach calling a dog that has gone AWOL

That would be me, 2 errant pointers and seagulls everywhere is just too much for them, now we stick to walking the riverbeds even at night in the winter as far safer.

Thats shit mate, poor old Jet lucky he didn't get a ripped willy alright, One thing life has taught me is theres some useless arse holes around



Shit try riding a bike around the river loop in Palmy, people let their dogs of the leash & run willy nilly & then start abusing you when they chase ya or run under your wheels

Yeah Mikee all good mate.

I tell the students at work...if you know that if you are somewhere that when you call "come!" the dog won't come, JUST DON'T SAY IT!!! And try to steer clear of those situations that it will occur...ie understand your dog's threshold and stay below it. Just like you taking your boys to somewhere without seagulls lol! Or even having no shame and going to the beach with a nice light long line that can drag through the sand and bush etc, then when you need to enforce a recall or put the breaks on you can stand on the line and then reel the dog in. This is how I proofed Jet's recall at the beach.

But you guys are right - Council seems to not give a shit about dogs, especially here in Wellington.

And EeeBees you're right, luckily I have only ever been bitten by my own dog (bite training, with a sleeve!) But I'd also like to point out that this wasn't a fight, it was an attack. Jet was completely submissive.

Moral of story - avoid situations like the above. Beaches are crawling with out of control dogs (and the equally out of control owners) You seemed to have known this by the intro to your story mind you

Originally Posted by Pointer

Moral of story - avoid situations like the above. Beaches are crawling with out of control dogs (and the equally out of control owners) You seemed to have known this by the intro to your story mind you

Exactly, hence why I am kicking myself!

Hope the pooch is OK

He'll be fine, willy is still intact, he had a wee before and seemed fine. Just my ego a bit bruised, I hate it when I have a feeling I shouldn't do something but then she'll be right kicks in and I end up feeling sorry afterwards!