we intrupt your daily kitten fun

for a post on dogs..

my co-worker brings his boston to work, and he's outside barking at people, and it reminded me of something that happened with family recently.

The Christmas before last, our cousins decided to get a dog. They emailed me and asked me about dogs (I guess being in the rescue field, they assumed I'd be a dog person too) they said they wanted a chow puppy.

I tried. I emailed them and said don't get a puppy.. puppies are a LOT of work, get a rescue, get a rescue that has had time with people so you'll KNOW the personality, invest the time in the dog before you pick one out so you know what your getting.. and if you get a puppy, get to know the owners, get to know the puppy, invest your time in the dog before you get the dog (see a pattern here?)

Well did they listen to one single word I said? no. They wanted a chow puppy under the tree for Christmas (don't get me started) and that is what they did.

I told them and told them they needed to get that dog into obedience classes. I think they went to some, but these people both work full time (she works odd swing shift hours to boot) and have a young son. So this dog is pretty much untrained, as are the owners (the owners need the training to relate to the dog just as much if not more than the dog needs it to relate to the people) and is unsocial, over protective and aggressive (a chow? aggressive? really??) and the people who come into his life, come into his home and know nothing about dogs.

As a result, the dog has bit a few people. Most recently my DH's sister. pretty badly on the hand.

Now, is this the dogs fault, yes, but only about 1% his fault. He's a dog, he's being a dog, and doing dog things. 95% the owners fault, and about 4% the bite-ie (aka the person who was bit) The owners of the dog should have had the dog in training, and should be able to control the dog and make him feel comfortable in his home so he doesn't feel he has to protect it. The bite-ie should have known not to give an aggressive and agitated dog her palm down hand.. *shrug*

annoying thing is, most of my DH's family that has dogs all say the same thing, "If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have this dog"

Wasn't like I didn't tell them.

Wasn't like someone didn't tell them.

But these types of owners - who get dogs because they are cute, or because they want something from the dog (like security) - but don't want to invest any time or energy or effort in training the dog, really irritate me. (and frankly the people who sell these type of people dogs irritate me even more! cause they do know better, and they don't care, they just want the all mighty $$)

cause you end up with "bad dogs" - although what you really have are bad owners.. Even though I really like my cousins..