PETA is at it again - Page 1

Some of you may have read about the musher who got DQ'd from his placement in the Iditarod for "spanking" his team with pieces of lathe when they tired out and refused to go any farther on glare ice. Of course PETA has gotten hold of it and they now have one more weapon to use in their battle to stop the Iditaord. If they have it their way, there will be no more dog sports of any kind including Schutzhund. Please be careful what videos you are putting out there on the net where anyone can access them. PETA watches those videos and they are not planning to use them for their for their entertainment or educational value.

I won't want it done to me... Americans used to do that to other people.......it was called slavery

It's time for the organizations to WAKE UP and start enforcing some rules of conduct and codes of ethics with their members.

If the guy really did "whip" his dogs because they were tired, then he ought to be in jail. I agree with LaPorte, I also agree with what Blitzen is saying about what type of videos are being posted with regard to our sport of sch. mfm makes a good point as well, I would not want to be lashed eigther.

Here's a link to the story if anyone is interested in the details. This race is 1,000 miles by dog sled and dogs have died just about every year. It is very grueling for dogs and mushers. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6584440?MSNHPHCP Echomeadows got my point of even mentioning this on a GSD breed board. PETA is watching everything having to do with dog sports. Showing dogs biting helpers and being swung around by their jaws might be cool to us, but to those who don't understand what it's all about, it looks like some sort of animal abuse. Think about what they have probably made of that popular video showing the Mal taking a triple back flip after losing its grip on the sleeve. They can also spin these videos to make it look as dogs that participate in mansports are vicious, out of control and pose a danger to the public. I remember seeing one where a Mal was stnding atop a car trying to get to a person seated inside. Some might think that is pretty cool, but the general public is going to be horrified and next thing is breed specific legislation banning malinois from their neighborhood. We really need to start to use out hears more in order to keep the sport legal here. Why give PETA and the other extremists more fuel for their fires so we can brag about how tough our dogs are and what great trainers we are. Might be a better idea to save the videos to share privately with those who understand the sport.

I disagree. PETA is going to find it somewhere anyway. I think we should try to teach the general public about dog sports so PETA will be laughed at with their version. If the general public never sees dog sports how will they ever learn the truth and how will we ever expand with new members?

good post 4pack... PETA just did a video on Rodeo's that pi@@'d me off... no way are they like that in everyday life. It took them 100 plus Rodeo's to make a 8 minute tape on cruelty. No doubt. I think the more people know in General, about a certain topic of interest... is the best way to go in overall ones beliefs. Let's face it... not many people have or had the opportunity to live the lifes of others. It takes one to know one. A sport is a sport is a sport.. most people just stay on the porch.

I had a run in with the law acouple of weeks ago i was doing some obd with my dog and gave him his reward (TUG)I was playing tug and someone called and said i was choking the dog well the police came and was watching from a distance they stoped and talk to me and said that they seen nothing wrong with what i was doing so i guess what i am getting at is that the public does not know what we are doing and thinks we are harming our dogs. I agree we need to becareful of the videos and pics that are posted on the net. Jerry Marshall

4pack you nailed it right on. Also, the Iditorod is a historical event based on getting vaccines from point a to point b saving hundreds of lives. Those mushers take extrememly good care of their dogs, probably some of the toughest dogs out there. No dogs, no survival. We talk about the AD at 12 miles, the Iditorod is over 1,000.

In theory it makes sense to me to try to to educate the general public on Schutzhund etc so they will recognize any attempts to discredit the sport. If that is the plan then you all had better get organized ASAP and start to brainstorm a way to do it since PETA already has theirs wheels in motion. I seriously doubt that showing videos of training sessions on the net is going to get you anywhere. You know that the majority of the American dog-owning public treats their dogs like their children and those who don't own dog are dog haters and want them all gone tomorrow. Showing dogs on videos on the net biting sleeves, being swung in circles, table training, flanking, the use of e-collar, etc is not going to win anyone in the sport any points. Schutzhund has already been banned in some countries.