Louisville - Page 3

Blitzen, is correct about the breed banning, this is where it starts. It might be better served for us as a whole in the USA, to offer up our own legistation that makes sense. That will protect the breeds, the breeders, the show/working dogs and the responsible owners. I think this movement is getting to strong, They are trying to pass somethng similar in CA. Instead of us always being on the defense.

Problem is nation wide the number of irresponsible owners are outnumbering the responsible ones and with that these ordinances will keep getting passed, unfortunatly. I can say the same thing about parents of children. shall we ban them? What about child molesters, and rapists, that we let roam the streets?

Many times, for the law makers and enforcers, BSL is the path of least resistance. It's a lot easier to ban Pits from a city than it is to prosecute and convict the drug dealers who use them to protect their own best interests. It seems to me that the BSL started with banning Pits in the major cities where drug dealing was rampant. Now, it's opened the door for the dog haters to call for banning of other breeds, specifically those breeds used for protection and specific dogs the general public considers dangerous. I'm sure many will not agree with me on this, but I think it's much better to keep a low profile with a GSD in today's world than it is to try to convince the public that these dogs are all we know they are. The fewer GSD's they see on the streets, the less they will think of us and that can't be a bad thing. It's not fair, but it's reality. Unless the dog people in this country find a way to ban together to fight this sort of legislation, I foresee that Schutzhund will one day be relegated to an underground activity like dog fighting was at one time, maybe still is. Here in PA we have the PA Federation of Dog Clubs. They do a great job of fighting unfair dog legislation at the state level. Maybe other states have similar organizations that you could join with? Are the local Sch clubs involved in fighting BSL? The general attitude that AKC sucks in all venues is self defeating too as they do have a legislative branch that is also involved in acting as watchdogs regarding proposed dog laws in all states. Keeping current on their activites can only be a good thing for all breeds. It would not be a bad idea to bite the bullet and log onto their site AKC.Org and see what's going on in your neck of the woods. Clearly, we dog breeders are in the minority and we will have to figure out a way to present a strong lobby in DC and at the state level. Otherwise, it does not look like it will be getting better any time soon. Letting the other guy do it is not the solution, it's the problem.

The dog organizations need to INSIST on responsible ownership and stable dogs, period. We have no credibility in fighting things when we have members out and about creating the very incidents that get these BSL things started. Anybody can have a USA registered kennel if they fill out the form and pay the fee. Some of the clubs and affiliated clubs (USA, DVG, etc) scare me with the behaviors and ideas that come pouring out. Then our organizations will turn around and try to fight BSL and might just get laughed at. They need to start kicking people out.

LaPorte, that is all well and good, but let me tell you from experience that it is next to impossible for any dog club to police it's members and to enforce bad behavior even if it is in violation of the by-laws or codes of ethics. Once one is a member of any dog club, it is not easy to expel or discipline them. Not only does the burden of proof fall on the accuser, but many times there are others in the same club doing worse and they are never sited. The rules must be applied equally to all. And then there is the question of what really is unethical behavior - breeding untitled dogs? dogs with questional hips/elbow? dogs that have consistently produced serious health issues? How should club members keep their dogs - inside the house? in kennels of specific sizes? never crated for longer than X number of hours? how many dog are too many? etc. What sort of exercise is appropriate for the breed and age? You get the picture. Ironically, if you look at the KY legislation that is creating all the problems right now, they have addressed many of these same issues telling dog owners hom they can and cannot handle their dogs. It sounds like politics are involved in most AKC and local USA GSD clubs and some of the frequent violators seem to also be the elected officers. Some members get away with murder while others are condemned for the same or a lesser infraction? Try to be exclusive by siting one member for a violation and let another get away with doing the same thing and that club will be hit with a lawsuit from which it may never recover. Once a person is a member of a dog club, they are there until they decide to leave. I've seen a number of suits filed in different AKC dog clubs and only two were ever sustained; one was a member who sold puppies directly to petshops. The other was a member who failed to provide the papers on a dog she sold to another represented as purebred and AKC registerable. AKC disciplined the later, the local cub did not and she is still a member in good standing. In general I agree with your thoughts and wish it could be enforced the way you have suggested. It would benefit the breed for sure.

Blitzen, but I think it's much better to keep a low profile with a GSD in today's world than it is to try to convince the public that these dogs are all we know they are. The fewer GSD's they see on the streets, the less they will think of us. I would disagree, by putting our head in the sand, we will allow this to happen. The GSD is already on the dangerous breed list for insurance companies, even the Dalmation is on there. (I know because I owned one, and my insurance company sent someone out to meet him, I was just glad he was over 2 years of age when they asked about my dogs). So unless you plan on becoming a mop dog owner, you better start standing up and showing what a good ambassador for the breed you have.

You can change public perception. My 65 year old Mom at the time insisted on me getting her a rottie, I wanted her to get a GSD, for alot of reasons, public perception being one, she lives in a community with close quarters. I rescued one for her, took me a year to locate the right dog. When I would go check on them to see how they were doing, I was noticing everyone taking wide paths around my Mom and the dog, and my Mom started walking her only in the wee hours of the AM and midnight walks. The dog would roar at everything that got close (across the street close)to her and my Mom. The dog was reading the fear of my Mom. After talking to my Mom, I discovered she was afraid that she would be taken away if she bite anyone. This became a vicious circle. So I signed us all up for obedience classes,(the dogs already knew, including my Mom's).

now this story gets funny, we pull up to the park and park the car towards all the people and the other dogs out there. My Mom begins to cry and will not get out of the car, She is sobbing that her dog will kill the other dogs. With everyone looking at me, I take out my dog and hers and pry her out of the car. By the 3rd lessson her dog was just as social with the people and other dogs. My Mom had relaxed. They now stroll downtown with all the bikes, kids on skate boards, etc, and the fellow walkers in her community adore the rottie. They can not beleive it is the same dog. What I could not understand was my Mom, we had trained protection dogs growing up, she use to know how to handle dogs, I understood the dog, but was really confused by my MOM.

I wish these people would just turn their attention to cats & leave us dog people alone.

AMEN.