As dog attacks make headlines the public response often centres on punishment, tighter controls or restrictions like banning leash-free spaces, says Noosa dog trainer Jo Burton who believes these measures miss the root of the problem which isn’t dangerous dogs, it’s the unnatural lives we’re asking dogs to live and a lack of education.
“Dogs are not attacking out of nowhere,” she said.
“They are responding to stress, confusion, lack of enrichment and above all a lack of autonomy. Today’s dogs are either micromanaged to the minute or left alone for hours without structure or stimulation. Dog parks, often hailed as a solution, are too often chaotic, unstructured spaces that do little to meet a dog’s physical or mental needs.”
At Noosa Head’s off leash dog area at Doggie Beach, an encounter between a large and small dog last month left two-year-old poodle/shih tzu cross Vinnie with shock, puncture wounds and bruising to his chest and abdomen and a $2000 vet bill for his owners.
Owner Paul said his teenage daughter was walking Vinnie on a leash when the unrestrained German Shepard approached and bit him.
Paul said the owner of the large dog told his daughter, “don’t worry, that’s what dogs do” and did nothing to call back his dog. The distressed teen and her friend lifted Vinnie up, forcing the large dog to release him.
Vinnie was taken to the vet and the teenager was traumatised by the event.
“If you’ve got a dog that’s aggressive why wouldn’t you put it on a lead,” Paul said.
Local resident Debbie who regularly visits the off leash beaches with her two large dogs and who witnessed the event, said the owner had told her before the attack that his dog had a problem with small dogs, but took no responsibility for it.
Debbie said Vinnie had been happily playing with her two dogs before the German Shepherd approached and bit him for no apparent reason.
She said she had never witnessed such an attack in her frequent use of the off leash beaches but agreed more education was needed to teach people about dog behaviour and body language and what to do in the event of a dog attack.
“Education would make a difference,” she said.
Speaking to Noosa Today at Doggie Beach last week Jo identified “revved up” dogs and humans unintentionally acting to heighten emotions.
A poodle walking without a leash beside its owner was barking indiscriminately, which Jo identified as a sign it was very uncomfortable in the environment and should be taken away.
A man arrived with a very large dog on a leash. As the man wrapped the leash a couple of times around his hand Jo said this would have been a signal to the dog to be on guard for possible danger, thus increases its anxiety and potential aggression.
Jo believes preventing dog attacks starts long before a bite.
“It begins with understanding who dogs are, not just pets but animals with rich, emotional lives and deep evolutionary drives. When we meet those needs, through freedom, choice and species appropriate activities, aggression becomes rare. It’s not about making dogs more human, it’s about finally allowing dogs to be dogs,” she said.
In her training work Jo uses an ACE Free Work approach which helps dogs satisfy their senses and gives them a sense of calm.
Jo believes modern dogs are caught in a crisis of captivity and misunderstanding.
“Domestication and artificial selection have shaped them to meet human desires, not their own biological needs,” she said.
“We’ve bred dogs for appearance, docility, guarding or novelty while ignoring the very traits that make each green unique and fulfilled.
“Working breeds are rarely given work. Herding dogs aren’t herding. Hunters can’t chase. The result is a buildup of unmet needs and frustration.
“A Border Collie without a job is a ticking time bomb of anxiety. A guarding breed confined without a sense of purpose can become reactive. And when larger dogs are exposed to small, noisy dogs in overstimulating environments a predatory shift can occur. This isn’t misbehaviour it’s instinctual.”
Noosa Council advises that every dog owner must be responsible for their pet and ensure it does not pose a risk, or cause a nuisance, to other people or animals. According to Council dogs must be leashed in public areas, except for the Shire’s designated off-leash areas, where owners must still supervise them.
For more information on Jo Burton and ACE Free Work visit pawandordernoosa.com.au
