Dogs
One of my first memories was either Bruce or Prince sticking their snouts against the bars of my cot.

I grew up in a household that included dogs. Trained, well behaved, contented dogs. My parents both had dogs when they met.

Whenever it's been practical since I've had at least one dog. Currently I have two and that's because I can fit my working hours around them, and have two people who can look after them when I'm not available.

And that's my point. Dogs are pack animals. They have been successfully domesticated over four thousand years or so and can live alongside people but under certain conditions, which are seldom understood.

1 - A dog needs it's owner to be in charge. This is it's pack conditioning.
2 - A dog will respond to verbal commands. It will react against physical punishment because it's hard-wiring doesn't understand that.
3 - A dog is not conditioned to sit at home patiently from 9-5 waiting for it's pack (qv) to come back to it.
4 - A dog is conditioned and built for exercise according to breed. A whippet needs a quick sprint, a retriever needs a good run every day.
5 - A dog does not understand English, no matter how often you tell it.

There are lots and lots more. If you're going to own a dog, understand how it thinks, what it needs and what it wants and you and the dog will live happily ever after.

Sadly, most dog owners don't. I don't give a shite about people riding their bikes, or the x-factor. I love dogs and it breaks my fucking heart to see so many miserable dogs out there.

The fix - it's hard to say it, but a dog cull. We've already got to the point where the domestic cat overlaps into feral (I own cats as well) but we have too many dogs in this country. Too many fall into the hands of idiots who fail to understand the need of neutering, then we get far too many more.

Dog lover advocates dog cull, if you wish to summarise this post. Coupled to a reintroduction of the dog license but set at an appropriate amount.

If you want me to justify this - miserable, ill-treated dog or no dog? Which is happier?

Edit - because I feel that I need to add a little. I was a volunteer at the local Dogs Trust for a few years and I still support them. We got dogs back, over and over again, that were beyond homing. They'll never put a healthy dog down, and that is commendable, but if the dog is fit and terrified of human company - is that commendable?
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 19:03, 14 replies)

much approval given
with an additional pedantic note... that all those who think that dogs evolved from wolves be forced to understand that they co-evolved alongside wolves and that they are not a subset of wolves. This is a subtle distinction but one which is the correct view see Coppinger etc...
(gearanach #wankwankwank, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 19:19, closed)

Correct
It is actually quite possible to keep a pet wolf should you wish. The instinctive development of the strains was similar but the strains are entirely separate.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 19:47, closed)

i read about a book recently which argued that we'd got the wolf/dog thing wrong.
The vast majority of domestic dogs are descended from domesticated Eurasian wolves, which are comparatively unstudied (being extinct in much of Western Europe), and not the North American Timber Wolf (genetically v similar). American wolves tend to be much more hierarchical than Eurasian ones, which are more, well, doggy.
So trying to train dogs by thinking about how Timber Wolves behave isn't all that useful.
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 15:00, closed)

I mostly agree with this
Dogs are very easy to train, but it is extremely difficult to train dog owners.
( Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 19:25, closed)

lets steer away
from the picking up shit (or failing to) discussion, as I might be forced to vent a touch of spleen.
(gearanach #wankwankwank, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 19:28, closed)

Couldn't we just cull pet owners, instead?
Maybe just the irresponsible ones, if anyone wants to get a bit precious.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 21:30, closed)

Ah, genocide
Is there nothing you can't cure?
(Godwin's Lawyer is more evil than Hitler, Sun 25 Sep 2011, 23:40, closed)

So
Should we cull all unhappy kids with poor parents too?

Same thing, no?
(Cloudane, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 0:01, closed)

Is your name Morrissey by any chance?

( Ham o' Shatner -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / --. .- -.--, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 1:10, closed)

You might be onto something there..
except calling parents who raise feral kids, poor. Not the same thing.
(M61A1 CUPID- STUNTS, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 4:03, closed)

Poor as in "not very good"
Not poor as in "hasn't got much money".
(gordonjcp, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 8:41, closed)

I have a Brittany
She is still hyper at seven years old, which I love! But I have a touch of land and great open space , so she can still get her run on - she is glorious to behold, questing and running, especially since my back keeps me to a slower pace.
( BrokenCoccyx doesn't mind if you grope on, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 4:08, closed)

Hear, hear
I'm absolutely batty about animals in general, but I agree that far too many people own dogs and have absolutely no idea how to properly care for them.

I would add that all prospective dog owners be required to learn a bit about basic dog body language. It makes everything SO much better, and you won't look like a twat when you say something along the lines of "But he was wagging his tail!" after being bitten by an aggressive dog.
(herbivorous, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 8:13, closed)

If the dog is terrified of human company...
... then it's not a healthy dog. You can't put it on prozac, so put a bit of lead in its ear.
(gordonjcp, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 8:42, closed)

As someone who generally hates dogs
I think you're spot on. I got bitten by a yappy little fucker (drawing blood through my jeans) in the street the other week and whirling around to deliver a good solid kick to its head was the most cathartic experience I've had in ages. I've got a baseball bat and an air rifle, where do I sign up to this cull?
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 9:37, closed)

Applies (sort of) to cats as well.
A wee addendum.

Don't get a pet unless you can afford to take care of it even if you're unemployed. Far too many people get an animal then dump it at the first sign of financial hardship.
(chuckle_h0und You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 10:19, closed)