Archive for the ‘Recommended Resources’ Category

Although there are certainly many varying ideas amongst the human population about what constitutes a “dangerous dog”, for those living within the Capital Regional District, there is a very specific Bylaw (No. 1465) that might surprise you.

The CRD Bylaw quite clearly defines a dangerous dog as being “any animal that has attacked or bitten, attempted to attack or bite or chased any person, or animal or wildlife; but excludes any attack by a dog on other animals or wildlife engaged in molesting livestock.”

If you think that your dog falls under this definition or you’re not sure, it’s long past the time that you became proactive about it and hired a professional to help you before the unthinkable happens and your dog is ordered destroyed by the Provincial Court or before you find yourself fined up to $2,000. and/or imprisoned for five years. You can also be charged with criminal negligence if you fail to control your dog that has any sort of “vicious propensity”.

You might also be surprised to learn which canine breeds are deemed to be amongst the top 15 most dangerous.

Although any breed of canine has the propensity to become dangerous if not properly trained, and/or under the control of the wrong human, and any breed also has the ability to be the most loving companion when it’s particular needs are fulfilled, there are breeds that rank higher on the scale when it comes down to them possessing a more natural propensity to fall into the “danger” category.  Owners should always do their research and be aware of the natural tendencies of a particular breed when choosing a family pet, and even more so if you may be a first time dog owner because “cute” is not always the best choice.

According to a recent study carried out by the University of Pennsylvania who surveyed 6,000 dog owners, researchers determined that the breed who was the “most dangerous”, ranking #1 out of 15, is the Dachshund. This German breed was originally “designed” by humans to hunt badgers (Dachs meaning badger) and badgers can be very viscious creatures. Researchers discovered that “one out of every five Dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers and a similar number have attacked other dogs…”, while one in 12 have even display aggressive tendencies toward their owners.

If you’re thinking that the #2 dog on the list is probably a Pit Bull or Doberman, according to this study, you’d be wrong, because Chihuahuas have “similar statistics to Dachshunds when it comes to biting strangers, their owners or other dogs.”

And another dog which you might not guess, that ranks in the #3 position, is the Jack Russell Terrier.

Most people assume that the dangerous dogs are the big ones, such as the Dobermans, Rottweilers or Pit Bull types, when in fact the smaller dogs can certainly inflict a great deal of damage simply because they are small, tenacious and fast.

As well, it’s usually the larger breeds that are at the top of the doggy hit list because when a large breed attacks, simply because their mouth and teeth are larger, the wounds they create are larger and the attack itself usually much more traumatic for dog and human concerned that it’s generally the larger dog attacks that get reported. Because medical data is used as a basis for much dog attack research it then inaccurately appears that most attacks are from larger dogs.

We humans tends to give way too much leeway to a smaller, cuter-looking dog and will generally allow these cuties to get away with bad behavior that there would be no question of tolerating if they were a larger breed. In fact many of us humans laugh and think it’s “funny” to see a very small dog displaying signs of aggression because they just don’t see this pint sized pup as any sort of real threat.

If you are curious about which breeds are genetically more likely to become dangerous dogs if they are not properly trained, here is the list of the top 15, deemed by this study to be the most dangerous dogs, in alphabetical order, after the top 3.

Dachshund, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier, (4) Akita Inu; (5) Bull Mastiff; (6) Chow Chow; (7) Dalmatian; (8) German Shepherd; (9) Giant Schnauzer; (10) Llahsa Apso; (11) Miniature Pinscher; (12) Old English Sheepdog; (13) Papillion; (14) Pit Bull; (15) Rottweiler.

Remember, just as all dogs can be great dogs when you humans give them what they need to be happy and fulfilled, all dogs, no matter what the size, also can become very dangerous dogs and it’s the responsibility of the human who adopts the dog to make certain they take whatever steps may be necessary to keep everyone safe.

Written by K-9SuperHeroes.com Dog Whispering

© DogAboutTown.ca – 2010 – All rights reserved.

Ask a Vet Question: What should I do when my Shih Tzu or short-nosed dog starts that frightening wheezing noise? Why does it happen? Should people get worried when this happens and is there a definitive method for helping the dog when this occurs?

Thanks to Dr. Geoff Gaunt of Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital for providing us with the following expert answer to this small animal question that has many dog owners wondering what to do.

“This experience can be very frightening when first encountered and can cause a  lot of anxiety for the dog and the owner, however, this is almost never life-threatening.  When it happens, it may be useful to gently massage the throat and neck and offer the dog a small amount of water to drink to stimulate swallowing.  This may help shorten or even end an episode.  You should have your dog examined by your veterinarian to evaluate the causes and possible therapy for this syndrome.

Your veterinarian will likely want to determine if the event was sneezing, reverse sneezing or gagging.  All of these actions are normal protective reflexes to remove irritants from the sensitive tissues in the throat.  These sensitive tissues can include the various airway structures as well as the mouth and esophagus.  Regardless of whether it is sneezing, reverse sneezing or gagging, the usual causes include anything that can cause irritation in the throat.  Common causes include dental disease, excessive dryness and dust, any foreign material (like grass seeds), allergies and parasites.  There are several other less common causes that your veterinarian may identify.

For most dogs it is helpful to remember that these actions can be normal protective reflexes.  If the symptoms are more severe than this, or do not lessen with gentle massage, then a visit to your veterinarian is crucial.  Incidentally, this syndrome can be seen in any breed of dog and in cats, too.  Any age of dog can be involved, although the causes may be very different in older compared to younger animals.” – Dr. Geoff Gaunt, Elk Lake Vet Hospital

Although this reverse sneezing seems to occur more often in short-nosed breeds, such as Shih Tzu’s, as Dr. Gaunt advises, if your dog is experiencing these sorts of episodes on a regular basis, make sure you take your best friend to visit a quality, full service, trusted hospital or clinic that specializes in the care of our precious, small companion animals, such as Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital.

© DogAboutTown.ca – 2010 – All rights reserved.

Red Dragon Bistro became one of the first official Business Members of DogAboutTown.ca and they have a wonderful outdoor patio, complete with watering bowl for thirsty dogs who visit. Help them win a “greening” contest by sending your vote TODAY!

Dear Family, Friends and Acquaintances ;

Vote Red Dragon Bistro

Please Help Red Dragon Bistro win a contest to better itself with Carrot Mob. Carrot Mob is looking to help a local cafe make itself more green by ganging up on a cafe and getting that cafe to commit  a % of the income to help green the cafe. Please Help us be that cafe, just vote at http://smallfeetinc.wordpress.com/ and help us become the greenest cafe in town.  Polls Close on the 19th, so vote Quickly!

Vote Red Dragon Bistro

Thanks!

Gord Randall
Red Dragon Bistro
1480 Government St”

Sandi Stevens, the owner of Sasper Pet Care, is one of the newest members of the DogAboutTown.ca Business Community who is happy to offer 10% savings on any of her services to all DogAboutTown.ca members.

She specializes in boarding your best friend at her home, and also offers in client’s home pet visits and pet sitting in the Victoria, North and Central Saanich and Sidney areas.

Sandi’s two Springer Spaniels, Sasha and Jasper, who sadly passed away in 2007 were her inspiration for beginning a journey of providing loving pet care to others, and as a wonderful tribute to her beloved Spaniels, Sasper Pet Care was born.

Now Sandi passes on her loving care and devotion as a “nanny” to other peoples’ beloved pets and although she prefers to board at her own home, she also provides home visits and occasional pet and house sitting services.

As well, you’ll find that Sandi’s rates are very reasonable, and flexible too, being anywhere from $18 to $35 daily, depending on particular circumstances, the type of service required and the length of stay.

It’s obvious when speaking with Sandi that she truly loves her role as “nanny” to her 4-legged charges, which come in all sizes and shapes, and that she will truly love your pets while you’re away.

Are YOU enjoying DogAboutTown.ca member savings?

DogAboutTown.ca – © 2009 – All rights reserved.

Boris riding a Jim Pattison Harley

When you’re in the market for a really great pre-owned vehicle, you really need to go see Mike at Jim Pattison cars unlimited!

Not only will you receive fantastic service, but they are very generous to DogAboutTown.ca members who show their cards because they will give a $500. savings or if you are buying a vehicle that’s already marked down, they will give you a $200. gas card! Tell Mike that Boris sent you….Vroom, Vroom!

[DogAboutTown.ca - © 2009 - All rights reserved.]