Laws against dangerous dogs are creating big problems for responsible dog owners. At the same time, such laws do little if anything to help solve the real problems related to dogs living in human communities.
The first flaw in dangerous dog laws is that they assume the dog is somehow at fault. This is emphasized in laws that use the word “vicious” instead of “dangerous.” Such inflammatory language implies that the dog is wicked, intending harm. Yet it’s unlikely a dog is even capable of understanding that aggressive behavior can do permanent damage.
As far as the word “dangerous” applied to some dogs rather than others, even experts don’t agree on which dogs are more likely to inflict injury. So how are non-experts such as legislative and judiciary officials going to accurately make such judgments?
The laws get passed out of frustration with dog owners who either do not know how to control their dogs or refuse to accept the responsibility. Communities can’t or choose not to spend the money to enforce the animal control laws they already have, so in order to appear to be “doing something about the problem,” they pass more laws. These laws hurt responsible dog owners and their dogs, who were not the danger in the first place.
There is much that the law-abiding citizen can do, though, to help manage problems from dog ownership. At the same time, taking these actions reduces pressure to create more anti-dog laws.
If You Have a Problem with a Dog Owner
Problems with neighbors bring people into conflict, and handling conflict is very difficult. Some people avoid it at all costs, in the process making things worse because they won’t speak up. Some people overreact, causing unkind and unfair results. This can happen when a person says nothing while getting angrier and angrier, and then finally explodes. Meanwhile, the one they are mad at didn’t even know they were mad.
The best way to prevent conflicts over dog ownership from getting out of control is to go directly to the dog owner when you have a problem over the dog. Try to make the acquaintance before there is ever a problem. Getting along with neighbors is so important to quality of life that it’s worth a lot of effort.
Besides a positive introduction to the human in the family, there are things you can do and not do to get off to a better start with the dog. People tend to want to feed dogs to win them over, but never do this without the owner’s explicit approval of that food at that time in that amount. Some dogs have special food limitations, and all dogs have problems with several human foods that the average person does not understand. The owner needs total control of what the dog eats. No neighbor should ever toss anything to a dog to eat without the owner’s approval.
If the owner approves of food you want to give the dog, there are specific techniques you can use to help the dog develop a more positive attitude toward you. One way to start out with a strange dog would be to avoid making direct eye contact, drop a bit of food and back away so the dog can come get it without touching you. Repeat several times with small bits of food.
Avoid giving the food in such a way that the dog’s teeth could touch your skin, because that puts the owner in the position of liability for a “dog bite” if you got accidentally nipped. Also avoid throwing food at the dog—that can make the dog feel threatened. If the owner is present and directs you as to how to give the food, follow those directions.
Do not antagonize a neighbor’s dog in any way. What counts is not what you think is provoking to a dog, but rather what arouses that particular dog—i.e., how the dog feels about it—and also how the law views it. Your best option is usually to leave other people’s dogs alone!
Never squirt a neighbor’s dog with water, bang on things, make threatening gestures, or do anything a dog might find threatening. That includes staring the dog in the face or making “stalking” body movements at the dog. Don’t scream, yell, whistle, make cat sounds, or otherwise egg a dog on to bark, either. It’s not funny, and if it doesn’t get you hurt, it might get someone else hurt because you’ve made the dog hypersensitive with your behavior.
Ignoring the dog is usually a good choice. Or, with the neighbor’s permission, it can be helpful to learn the dog’s name and sing it out in a friendly way (“Hi, Max! Good boy to be quiet, Max!”) to help the dog recognize you and your non-threatening attitude. Don’t persist in doing this if it doesn’t quiet the dog after a few times. Some dogs could be provoked by it, and it also depends on your vocal skill with dogs. If it does work for you, it can be a nice touch for walking in the neighborhood; so as to get the neighbor dogs used to your passing and help keep the peace.
Some of the most serious problems occur between two neighbors whose properties touch, with dogs on one side and children and/or dogs on the other side. The dogs may fence fight, perhaps scaring one neighbor while the other seems oblivious to the problem. The kids may tease the dogs through the fence, upsetting the dog owner and putting both kids and dogs at risk. Perhaps the scariest situation is when dogs leave their own yard and go into the neighbor’s yard with the children or dogs there—or when it appears they are about to do this at any time.
If you have dogs, it’s your responsibility to keep them safely confined, no matter what goes on next door. Homeowner restrictions that prevent people from installing real fences for their dogs should be illegal. They are certainly extremely dangerous. If you have any choice at all, don’t move into a house where you can’t provide your dog with a fence.
Two fences for your dog are even better than one. A fence to keep other dogs, children and any other intruders away from your dog is one level of security. Then you can make it really secure with another fence that keeps your dog tucked safely back from the fence that others can approach. Dogs cannot fence fight through two separate fences that are several feet apart, and they can’t bite neighbor kids through that gap either.
Don’t put your dogs’ yard off in a corner of your property away from the house. Have your house door open into this fenced area. This gives you maximum control over dog behavior on quick potty trips outdoors, and makes housetraining about as easy as it can get. A double-fenced yard is also better for dogs who will have access to the yard through doggie doors.
If the neighbor dogs enter your yard or leave their own yard to run loose in the neighborhood but don’t behave aggressively, start by talking to the neighbor directly. If you have to talk to the neighbors a second time, let them know in a matter-of-fact way that you will have to notify the authorities if it happens again.
Then follow through with authorities if the neighbor doesn’t stop the roaming—because dogs will get bolder and bolder over time with roaming behavior. There is no such thing as a dog who “would never do that.” No one knows what any dog would do, given enough stimulation. Instincts get more and more stimulated, a dog’s concept of home territory expands, and there is more and more risk the more the dog roams. The dog is also at risk of getting hit by a car or killed in some other way.
In the event the dog is aggressive the first time you see that dog loose, try to contact the neighbors, but don’t wait if you can’t reach them immediately. In the case of a loose dog showing aggressive behavior, contact authorities right then. This is the responsibility of any citizen toward everyone in the area who could be hurt by the dog—ESPECIALLY children, who are the ones most often affected.
When you report a loose dog, give specific information to the authorities. Report the behavior you saw, the time and place, and the address where the dog lives. If you know the owner’s name, give that, too. This is the dog’s best chance of being saved, if the owner is willing to step up and bail out the dog. If not, sad though it may be for a dog to lose a home or even be put to sleep, it’s not as bad as what happens to dogs whose owners don’t take care of them.
Instruct your children never to pet a dog without the owner’s presence and permission. Dogs who are friendly out walking on leash with owners may be protective of property when fenced in a yard or tethered. Children should NEVER pet dogs through fences or approach dogs who are tethered, no matter how well children may think they know the dog. Also teach your children never to enter a neighbor’s yard without asking. Permission in the past to enter the yard doesn’t count. They need to ask every time.
Know the limits for how many dogs someone in your area can legally keep on a property. You may decide with a particularly responsible dog owner not to report a larger-than-legal number, but think about this carefully. Dogs in groups become more dangerous due to pack behavior as well as an increased risk of fighting with each other and getting a human caught in the middle.
Dog Ownership that Improves Safety
There are many things you can do to hugely reduce the risk of anyone ever being hurt by your own dog. These precautions make you a better dog owner, a better neighbor, and a better citizen.
Be approachable to your neighbors. Make friendly overtures and stay open to conversation with them. If a neighbor ever has a concern about your dog, you need to hear it from them, before they tell it to anyone else. Never forget that. Don’t make them afraid to come to you. Make it easy for them.
While some yards are safer than others for outdoor dogs, the safest practice is to never leave your dog unsupervised outside your house. The things that happen every day to dogs in yards, fenced or not, are mind boggling. The greatest danger is to the dog. The more you love your dog, the harder you’ll want to try to arrange indoor housing.
An electronic containment system is not a fence. It doesn’t keep other animals or people out of the yard, nor does it keep a dog in the yard if the dog becomes highly enough stimulated. Some dogs become fearful or aggressive because of these systems. Never rely on an electronic containment system to protect or control an unsupervised dog.
Don’t tether or tie a dog out where animals or people can get at the dog. This creates frustration that commonly leads to aggression in dogs who would not otherwise have become aggressive. It simply is not safe.
Protect your dog from being agitated through a fence, window or other barrier by anyone. Forget about arguing the person out of teasing the dog through the barrier—that only makes it more appealing to some people. Instead, fix the situation so it is not possible for people to do it. Measures that work include installing a second fence, blocking the view through windows, and keeping the dog in a different area when you are not supervising.
A dog who barks at kids through a fence seems to them to be a “mean” dog and thus to “deserve” being teased or abused. Don’t put your dog in this situation. It’s just a bad thing any way you look at it. The kids should be taught better, but don’t let your dog be sacrificed in the process. Talk to their parents if you can, but only in addition to getting your dog out of that situation and into safer confinement.
Lock gates to a yard you use for a dog, even though the dog only goes out there to potty. You don’t want to accidentally let your dog out to a yard with the gate left open by some thoughtless person. If for some reason you don’t feel you can put a lock on it, consider putting a spring on the gate so it can’t be left open.
Make arrangements for safe meter reading and other utility services, repairs, etc. Leaving your dog indoors when you’re not supervising is a huge help with outdoor workers. Don’t put any worker in contact with your dog unless the dog is on leash at your side and is reliable not to bite. If you have more than one dog, it’s best to confine the others away from the worker and keep just one with you. Make sure a worker can’t accidentally release dogs. Use locked barriers, double barriers, and other precautions to prevent contact between a worker and your unattended dog(s).
Plan carefully how you’ll handle your dog when anyone comes to your home. Some situations may be best managed by boarding the dog.
Don’t leave any child under school age alone with any dog for even one second. Supervision needs to be by one or more adults who can control both the dog and the child.
Train with your dog for reliable control, working the dog in a formal event to a tangible goal such as passing a test or achieving a title. Simply having been enrolled in a class with your dog or having taught the dog some things on your own does not make for a “trained” dog.
If there is any question about your dog’s temperament or any aggressive behavior, have the dog evaluated in person by a veterinary behavior specialist. This is a veterinarian who is board-certified in the specialty of behavior, and is the most highly qualified and licensed person to assess a dog’s temperament and advise you of risks and options.
Check what your insurance coverage would be for the type of dog you want to own and the dog ownership laws in effect where you live. Research the liability and criminal prosecution to which you would be subject if your dog were to injure or kill a person. Also find out what additional penalties could apply if such a thing happened with a dog you had trained to use teeth. Knowing this information for your specific situation will help you make better decisions about what kind of dog to own and how to manage your dog in every situation that arises.
Do not let your dog run loose. Keep your fence properly maintained. Clean up after your dog, and keep the dog indoors whenever barking would disturb neighbors. Being in your neighbors’ good graces improves your chances of staying out of trouble with the authorities over your dog. Neighbor grudges often spill over into accusations about dogs. Do everything you can to get along with neighbors, because these grudges can be miserable to live with, as well as expensive and life-threatening to your dog.
Obey local laws on rabies vaccination by a veterinarian so there will be proof it was done. Comply with local limits on how many dogs can be legally kept on a property, or move to where you can legally own the number of dogs you want.
Make sure you have the proper facilities for the particular dogs you own, in terms of what contact is safe with other people, children and other dogs. Some dogs require special facilities, and are not safe, responsible choices to be kept by people without the proper resources. It may not seem fair, but the law must hold the owner accountable for controlling the dog. No other system works. If you can’t control that dog, you need to place the dog with an owner who can.
Intact dogs are more difficult to control than spayed/neutered ones. If you are going to keep intact dogs, make sure you know how to do it safely for your neighbors and the dogs. Don’t keep dogs together who will fight to the point of injuring one another. It is common for humans who get between fighting dogs to also be injured.
Don’t take your dog out in public (or expose neighbors to the dog at the fence) unless the dog is safe for people to contact in this way. Some home situations are not appropriate for some dogs: for example, a dog who can’t safely be walked around other people and dogs needs a private place to eliminate, not to live in an apartment where every potty outing creates contact with others. More than one dog owner has moved to a different home in order to find a better place to live with a beloved dog!
More than Halfway
Sometimes doing your part isn’t enough, and this can be the case when it comes to successfully owning a dog. Rather than just not annoying the neighbors, it pays to go out of your way to befriend them. More than keeping your dog inside your fence, it’s wise to keep the dog from even going up to the fence where children can reach through.
It’s somewhat understandable for a dog to get out of a yard one time, though far better if that never happens. Once should be the absolute limit, though. Owners tend to get complacent after dogs have been out a few times without disaster. What they don’t realize is that each episode makes it more likely the dog will get stimulated enough to do something dangerous.
At the same time, the fact that the dog has been repeatedly loose will increase the owner’s liability for what eventually does happen. That’s why these situations need to be reported by conscientious neighbors, first to the dog owner and then to authorities if the owner doesn’t take care of the problem. In many cases where people have been killed by dogs, previous incidents went unreported. Don’t be the one who fails to make a report that could turn out to have a life depending on it.
Many people will disregard the law if they are not held to it. That’s why it’s so important to be willing to speak up. Unless sensible and reasonable dog ownership laws are enforced with the help of good citizens, unreasonable dog ownership laws will be passed. We’re all much better off to enforce the existing laws in the first place. Our dogs are far better off, too, living longer and safer lives alongside the people they love with all their hearts.