I'VE owned a dog since I was a child. They were mostly mutts. Although we loved them, they slept in the garden and they ate table scraps.
They had the run of the garden but never went out on any walks nor car rides. They were friendly to friends who came to visit and barked at every postman they saw as well as at strangers who approached the house.
Now, I’ve two chocolate Labradors who sleep in my bedroom (most of the time) and they enjoy car rides too. They regularly go on walks to Botanic Gardens or Bukit Batok and they swim at Sentosa. So they’ve been socialised and are friendly with both people and dogs.
Latte is now nearing 10 years old while Uno is a year younger. Before they turned 10 months, both had completed obedience classes. So they sit, heel and stay on command.
However, Uno, the boy, is more temperamental. At home, he’s just a cutie pie who'll cuddle with me on the soft couch while I watch TV. He’s a ladies' man with women swooning over him once they meet him.
Outside, however, he's a different character. When he was younger, he had a retinal problem which was treated. But I think it left him short-sighted (I don’t know how to check this although I’m sure the veterinary opthamologist would be able to do this). So when he can't see clearly and doesn't know who's in front of him, he rears up on his hind legs and bark. Quite scary!
So because of this behaviour, I don't take him out for my walks at the Botanics. He goes out to the dog runs where he's more likely to meet dogs than people. I've also engaged a dog behavioural specialist who has taught me how to handle his behaviour.
One method is through an e-collar. When I want his attention, I buzz him. He’s been taught that the electrical buzz he feels on his neck, means he has to heed my command. Animal lovers may think this is cruel, but it’s a way of managing his attention and it has worked fairly well. He's now more manageable outside.
It also means that I’ve to spend 15 to 20 minutes every other day, repeating the obedience commands of sit, heel and stay so that he'll remember them.
So in all this discussion of responsible pet ownership, I’ve realised a few things about having a dog.
Firstly, dogs don’t have to go out. I had a mutt called Cheeky which I adopted from SPCA who lived for 20 years. She spent most of the time in the backyard where the birds and the neighbours behind the house kept her company. Throughour her entire, she probably went out for walks no more than 20 times. She was very happy, very well-behaved, friendly to all my friends (including strangers which can be a problem).
People are scared of so-called "attacking dogs" but pet owners can handle them wel. I've also had a rottweiler who was supposed to be put down by the dog breeder but who was saved by the vet. I adopted Sonja who’s the sweetest rottie and so very lovable. She died before she reached eight years old due to cancer. When she went out she would mind her business and was more interested in sniffing around plants or trees.
I’ve also seen other rotties and German shepherds in the parks. One big German shepherd I meet often during my walks, for example, has two handlers. The two women have a special leash that ends in two handles so that two people can hold on to the dog. I’ve never seen it snarl nor bark. The handlers control the dog well, he doesn’t pull, walks steadily and he doesn’t give anyone a second look.
It’s not my dog I’m afraid of but other people and dogs. Often when I walk Latte, I’m gravely insulted when owners of pooches like silky terriers and shih tzus pick them up and move aside when they come across Latte and myself. It’s as if Latte will attack!
Indeed, it's often the pooches – whom people frequently think are friendly and safe – which are baring teeth at us when we walk past them.
I’ve also come across unleashed dogs who run ahead of their owners. The dogs are always upon us before the owners come up behind them. They shriek and hurry to pick up their pooches. I hate to think if the dog runs into a child. If the dog is surprised, his innate reaction will be to bite. Who's in the wrong here?
Lastly, obedience classes are not to teach the dog to sit, heel and stay. It is to train the owners to control their dogs. If the owners don’t take the trouble to learn and to put the lessons into practice, then it is of no use even if the law mandates that every dog owner must go for such courses.
I love my four-legged "children". I make the effort to manage them so that they are on their best behaviour at home and outside even if this means they don’t go for walks and I invest heavily in their training.
The dogs can’t talk. Once you’ve bought or adopted them, they are yours for better or worse. They depend on you for food, water, shelter and love. The least dog owners can do is to protect them from harm.