Mon 9th April: Should dogs be pets?

These were a few of the first dogs I ever took from AFCD

I've been rescuing dogs for a very long time now, thirty two years to be exact, starting from when I first moved to Lamma Island and began taking in strays, then re-homing when I had reached what I thought was capacity at five (though that seems like nothing now).  I really didn't know much at all about dogs other than the basics, but over the years I have come to understand them properly,  to speak "dog" almost fluently, which includes being able to read their body language and interpret the signals that are clear if you know what you are looking at.

I live with far too many dogs, but in doing that and immersing myself in their world, it has given me a pretty good insight into what makes them tick, how their social structure works, and how dogs live without too much interference from humans.  I have seen first hand the huge variation in personalities, from the shy recluse to the gregarious and outgoing, and having only two hands and limited time to spare I'm actually quite grateful that many dogs don't want endless cuddles and full time attention.

I have never dictated to any of "my" dogs (the HKDR dogs that ended up living with me) what they should do or how they had to behave, as they have their own social code just as any human group or society has to be able to coexist peacefully.   There are some who form tight groups (almost exclusively female) , some who prefer partnerships which could be two females or  male-female, and the boys who are anybody's friend if they feel like it.  They are all free to choose to live where and how they like within the confines of the house and garden, and there's really only very few who want to be "pets". 

Griffin during his short-lived adoption

Griffin is one of those, and the irony is that he was adopted as a puppy only to be returned for being "aggressive and untrainable".  I'm actually grateful for this as Griffin is a very special dog with a unique character, and he is the only one who sleeps beside me at night in my bed, bringing me a toy from his bedside collection every morning to wake me.  To me he is the perfect dog, loving and funny but undemanding other than a short playtime at night. I didn't train him or any of the dogs to do this or anything else, although many of my dogs would appear to be perfectly mannered when going out walking, or to the vet for any reason.  I never had to teach any of them to walk nicely on a leash and not to pull as they do it naturally, although it has to be said that most of them have never needed to be on a leash at all. Allowing dogs to make their own choices may end up with surprising results, and not the chaos that most would imagine.

The reason I was prompted to write this today is that I have just watched a very good Ted Talk saying pretty much the same thing, and talking about the reasons so many dogs are misjudged as being bad.  If you have a few minutes please do watch this video.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ND3suK1y8&feature=youtu.be

The above is a good explanation of why so many dogs end up being abandoned, and in many cases killed as a result.  In countries like the United States, millions of shelter dogs are killed every year while the puppy mills flourish and prosper.  It's sickening to anyone who has the tiniest of brains or a shred of humanity, yet the pet trade continues to grow and people still think it's OK to buy their puppies from these places.  I don't understand it and never will.

One of the new poodles

New shih tzu girl 

Today we took in the latest group of rejects from AFCD and breeders, with more arriving later in the week.  Some of these have health issues, either skin or eye problems, both being common in small dogs.  There was only one bigger dog, a husky with possible mange, but all of these are treatable.

The Doggie Dash takes place this Sunday in case you have a dachshund or a pug you would like to enter, or just go to watch the fun.  There are still some spaces left for competitors, but don't leave it too late.  Race registration is between 12.30 – 1.30, with races starting from 2pm.

Please sign up now via this link:
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfWBhO-7fA5aOn4NG…/viewform