Muzzling Dogs
April 30th, 2007 at 7:07 am by David FarrarWhile I think moves such as dangerous breed bans need to be looked at, the suggestion that *all* dogs outdoors should be muzzled is an over-reaction. It would look ridiculous on the smaller breeds.
Take for example the dog above, which is a 4 inch long-haired Chihuahua weighing just 18 ounces. If you muzzle him, you might as well start muzzling guinea pigs.
Tags: New Zealand
April 30th, 2007 at 7:38 am
I am infavour of declaring all dogs over knee high dangerous with exceptions if they are a well known “pure breed” or a working dog. But the mogrel dogs which are the source of so many attacks should be rounded up and destroyed with compensation being paid to owners of registered dogs only.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Guinea-pigs can bite quite hard you know!
Vote:And what about rabbits? Did you see the white rabbit in Monty Python and The Holy Grail?
April 30th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Of course, the govt must issue all citizens with a holy hand grenade of antioch, just in case the nefarious beast attacks. e
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 9:35 am
All stable citizens of kiwiland should be given a operating manual and clear instructions outlining the practical use of the Holy grenade against crazed animals escaping the vile behavioural patterns of their deranged owners. The owners of such sad and angry animals should have a large microchip inserted in their scrotum then catapulted over the high walls into the castle of wasted space fools.
I hope we don’t have to muzzle our German Shepherds at the ready in the yard, as the dog handler’s boys will be most upset.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 10:19 am
That is SO cute, but those little dogs, despite fitting in your handbag, can be very snappy and their nip hurts.
However, I don’t think they make muzzles small enough anyway.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 10:32 am
Why don’t we ban humans? After all it’s humans who actually cause the problems with all sorts of things, not dogs, guns, drugs etc.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 10:56 am
The primary issue continues to be that in the main bad owners create bad dogs.
Of course there is a high correlation between certain breeds and attacks – there is a high correlation between those segments of population most likely to be bad dog owners and the breeds they favour.
Step one would be to enforce the current rules and registration. That alone would drastically reduce the problems experienced with dogs. Introducing new rules, regulations, fees and restrictions while the bad owners continue to flout the existing ones isn’t going to achieve anything.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 11:30 am
leave the poor woman alone – her elderly mum got attacked, of course she’s not a best person to be coming up with policy advice. No-one takes the idea seriously.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Oh great, lets let parliament write yet another law to control the masses and their animals. Thats seems the modern response to all problems, big or tiny!
Vote:A few tards beat the crap out of their children. Oh, let penalize all NZ’ers. Another couple of morons can’t treat their animals well and let them attck and injure . Oh, lets penalize all the dog owners and the dogs in NZ.
As much as i love the land i live in, the nation itself has become an ass run by morons and soft touches. I am not proud to be a kiwi anymore and believe more in my ethnicity now than ever before.
God save the Queen!
April 30th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
“Step one would be to enforce the current rules and registration. That alone would drastically reduce the problems experienced with dogs. Introducing new rules, regulations, fees and restrictions while the bad owners continue to flout the existing ones isn’t going to achieve anything.”
Amen.
“leave the poor woman alone”
Oh, I think it’s her suggestion being criticised here, not the woman herself.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Give me memories of Clark asking Brash to “call off the dogs”.
Hehe!
Vote:=)
April 30th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Dale, spot on! This is exactly the country we have become. But worse, its getting worse!
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Muzzle the little bastard. And all the time. I lived in an apartment next to one for 3 months. Do you know how many times they bark when the owner is out.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Sorry Cactus – if you muzzle them then they’ll just whine…
Personally I’d prefer the barking!
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
When I was a teenager a friend’s Chihuahua (named Sharon) killed a half grown Great Dane. Even half grown Great Danes are not small dogs.
Chihuahua are vicious little things. Perhaps it is time to equip everyone with Chihuahuas and Guns. Then any maraudering larger dogs could be set upon and\or shot. As could wait staff who bring you cold coffee or badly poached eggs. Perhaps Mrs Smith could be our patron.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I think the police should just be allowed to shoot roaming dogs. That would solve the problem.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
“I think the police should just be allowed to shoot roaming poor people. That would solve the problem.”
Edited for truth
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
“a friend’s Chihuahua (named Sharon) killed a half grown Great Dane”
I presume the Great Dane choked?
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I have the solution, dont muzzle dogs ,kneecap the STUPID MAORI owners of pitbulls and every other owner who breeds vicious mongrels to get around the bans,Have you seen these half,wits what the dak hasnt ruined lion red ,and p will,.Im not a red neck???? (IE POOR WORKER stooping in the fields)just a responsible dog owner ,shit its amazing these dog owners can collect their benifits , as i think most of these lossiers left school before the 3rd form. The gene pool between pitbulls and the owners of pitbulls are the same, they both kill kids. I.P.Freely
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Bad dog owners like other antisocial types are well known to Police. Problem is soft cock politicans and civil servants are too scared to allow effective action to be taken.The Pollies being the little gutless wonders that they are would rather pass laws to make good citizens in to criminals than clean up the streets.
Good citizens are easy targets too ‘show’ they are doing something.When we get rid of these dog turds on the soles of my shoes and get some pollies with guts then we will get some action.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Of course you are all to young to remember that it was a National govt in the early 90′s that permitted the importing of US-sourced “fighting dog” pit-bull breeds against the advice of numerous expert organisations such as the SPCA.
The outcome has been exactly as predicted, that the dangerous genetic traits of these animals has now been cross-bred into some of the general dog population. All dogs will attack in order to “defend” against perceived threat, but normally the animal backs off fairly quickly unless:
1. It has been trained not to. (Few people have the time or skill to actually achieve this.)
Or
2. It has been bred not to.
It is this characteristic that makes these specific dogs so very dangerous. Whereas I have the confidence and ability to control almost any normal dog, one that has been cross-bred with these “fighting dog” genetics I cannot. They are lethal; the National govt of the time was told this, and they ignored the advice and protests of the day totally.
Unfortunately we have no way to undo the consequences of this typical arrogant Tory incompetence.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Red Rag …Despite the weakness of the initial National Decision Liabour have had every opportunity to recognise and do something about it. All they did was force responsible dog owners to have their animals Tagged at considerable cost. I am a long term dog owner and it would be quite acceptable to me for dog owners to be vicariously reponsible for offences committed by their dogs. If a dog assault someone owner charged with assault whether present or not. Dog causes grievous injury, owner charged with assault causing grievous injury. Dog kills, owner charged with manslaughter…Dog does any of above to a criminal intruder man and dog receive medals.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Back in the days of Wyatt Earp, a biog part of the Sheriff’s pay was the 50 cent bounty he used to get for shooting stray dogs.
Now if we could extend that to burglars and car thieves…
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
iiq374
You haven’t got the right muzzle then.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
A few years back we had a problem with dogs on our road that would chase cars and bite at children on their bikes. My cousin and myself decided to take action. I reload my on shotgun cartridges and made up a dozen cartridges full of wheat. The dogs would love to chase my cousin’s ute so I got on the back loaded my semi auto and we proceeded down the road. Went pass the first house and two dogs came running out to get at us. Imagine their horror to be greeted with two shotgun blasts. Their back legs would cave in and they would roll down the road, as mastercard would say, priceless. We dealt to about eight dogs that day. This may seem somewhat cruel but the dogs had to be dealt to as someone was bound to get hurt. The dogs ran home with their tails between their legs and have since not transgressed.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
I live in a leafy,middle-class suburb of Auckland and have twice been threatened with $200 fines because my old foxie sleeps on the grass verge while I weed the garden.Meanwhile feral dogs and their feral owners in well known areas are fairly untouched and ignored until there is an inevitable attack.Then the media feasts for a while,and the ferals continue their wild/sad habits. If you were a debt collector/dog ranger,would you rather earn your revenue in a safe area or in one which contained stupid,ignorant people with their abused,savage animals?We do not need new laws…we need dog control people and local Govt to grow balls and actually enforce reasonable Laws which already exist and ignore the nonsense about dog-chipping etc.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Can this government not find someone who will stuff tennis balls into the mouths of these brutes?
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Speaking of muzzling dogs, have you seen that Jordan only lets people comment on posts he selects now? So far he has chosen daylight saving. Do we think it is a good idea? I look forward to debating other trivialities, such as whether sponge cake is better than banana cake, and whether Britney Spears spells her first name correctly.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Side Show Bob – shotgun blasts in the suburbs tend to get people agitated. Worfarin and some chuck steak do the trick. Good for stray dogs and toss a piece over the fence to that dog that whines and barks all damned night.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
“We do not need new laws…we need dog control people and local Govt to grow balls and actually enforce reasonable Laws which already exist and ignore the nonsense about dog-chipping etc.”
Fill the spaces:
We do not need new laws…we need ******* people and Govt to grow balls and actually enforce reasonable Laws which already exist and ignore the nonsense about ******* etc.
Vote:April 30th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Simple answer to the problem (other than banning certain breeds). If the police put the resources in to addressing this problem as they do with policing the speed limit, then the problem becomes almost solved overnight. I’d wager a wee bet that 5/10/15 years hence, we’ll still be arguing about the problem of dogs attacking people. Guranteed.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 5:46 am
The problem can be easily solved by simply taking all non-working dogs out the back and shooting them.
End of dog problem.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:52 am
I can add a few outside entries in so called working dogs to this dog-shoot.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 11:08 am
I had far more problems teaching my wannabe feral chihuahua acceptable behaviour than I ever did my Staffordshire Bull terrier. In fact when she was a puppy and I took her to the vet for her shots I was warned that they are notoriously difficult and in his experience vets experienced much more aggression from Chihuahuas than any other breed.
She’s learnt now, but it took my an awfully long time to get the message through her stubborn little skull. As opposed to the staffy who got it the second she got in trouble as a puppy and lived a life of scaring people with her appearance only, and wanting to be friendly with literally everyone.
Moral? Never underestimate the Chihuahua.
And FYI, mine is a Chihuahua/foxy cross, and she’s actually a lot more friendly than chihuahua’s are reputed to be.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I have a valuable working dog.She is trained to erupt in a growling,fang-baring,evil-eyed fury whenever she hears the following words spoken on my front porch…..hallelujah,salvation,praise-be or donation.
Vote:May 8th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
true a normal muzzle would look stupid on a chihuahua, although i have seen some dog owners at the dog park with the thick type rubber bands on their dog for a muzzle.
i also phoned dog control and asked what the difference was between a menacing dog and a dangerous one. His reply was a menacing dog goes on its looks, and if it snarls or nips at someone where its not serious its upgraded to dangerous..
To me thats just stupid because a dog that shows aggression to a human no matter what breed it is should be put down? and isn’t that the case anyway? So how can they upgrade it from menacing if its dead already?
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