As another tragic child fatality occurs in the UK, I am calling on the Irish Government to ACT NOW before we see similar tragedies in Ireland. In Ireland we have been extremely lucky. We have been lucky for so long that it has become an assumption that dog bite fatalities won't happen here. But the thing about luck is... it runs out. We need to do something NOW. In the UK fatalities are now becoming a regular occurrence. When comparing the dog and human population of the UK compared to Ireland, my calculations show that if we were to have the same ratio of dog fatalities than our UK counterparts, we should have a fatality due to dog attack every 4.8 years. That's scary. So what can we do? Here's what I propose. 1) Establishment of a National Dog Bite Prevention Association (NDBPA). 2) Mandatory annual awareness week where NDBPA members visit schools, host seminars for dog owners, and educate parents in bite prevention. 3) Theory test must be passed to have a dog licence / own a dog. Licence only valid for 10 years. 4) Ban on dog ownership (inc. being in possession of a dog) for 10 years after being convicted of a violent criminal offence. 5) Serious regulation of the dog training industry with a ban on the use of aversives. 6) Thorough investigation of do bites by NDBPA members, with the data recorded to be used as information for the development of further dog bite prevention measures. 7) Serious clamp down on puppy farms and irresponsible breeders 8) Regulation on the use of dogs for security measures, and the training and treatment of said dogs. 9) Serious penalties for those who are responsible for a dog that is knowingly aggressive and they have not acted upon minimising the risk of this dog. 10) A straight forward procedure for reporting dog bites and / or dogs deemed to be aggressive, which can allow anonymity. This must then be followed up on seriously, with fair outcome for dog, owner, and human safety. 11) Mandatory pet insurance for all dogs. 12) Clamp down of stray dogs and ensure compliance to existing and new legislation. Serious fines for breaches of legislation could feed back in to additional cost for enforcement. 1) Establishment of a National Dog Bite Prevention Association (NDBPA).  Currently the enforcement of the Control of Dogs Act lies with the dog wardens. While wardens do their best with extremely limited resources, they have NO formal training, there is NO protocol for investigating reports of aggressive dogs, and no training or qualifications in understanding dog behaviour. I strongly believe that the establishment of a National Dog Bite Prevention Association would be a pioneering approach to reducing dog bites, and many other countries would follow suit. The NDBPA would be responsible for many of the below of bite prevention measures, and would undergo rigorous training and continual development, along with regular assessment to ensure that we have competent, qualified, knowledgeable and experienced persons in place to work on bite prevention. 2) Mandatory annual awareness week where NDBPA members visit schools, host seminars for dog owners, and educate parents in bite prevention.  Every single website, article, review panel and expert strongly recommends education as a dog bite preventative measure. What does this mean? Education can teach children how to assess dogs body language to determine if the dog needs space (a study from Lincoln University found that many young children perceive a dog growl as a smile). Education can teach children what to do if a dog does become aggressive. Often children run and shout when afraid of the dog which inevitably leads to the dog chasing, there are many great techniques used to teach children how to respond appropriately, and safely. Education can teach dog owners how to ensure that their dogs grow up to become happy, friendly dogs that do not bite. Education can teach dog owners how to respond when they notice that their dog has a behaviour problem that could potentially lead to a bite. Education can teach postmen, delivery men, and the general public how to behave around dogs to remain safe. A National Dog Bite Prevention Week can highlight what research tells us about dog bites, and dog behaviour. The campaign could highlight several pieces of advice to begin changing untrue myths about dogs, and begin to turn the tide so that the Irish public are 'in the know' about dog behaviour and care. 3) Theory test must be passed to have a dog licence / own a dog. Licence only valid for 10 years. This one is controversial because it's assumed that people won't like it. Tough. People don't like taking eye tests when applying for a driving licence, people don't like taking leaving certificate exams, people don't like having to be over a certain height to ride a roller coaster. If theory tests were introduced we would see several things happening... a) The cost of getting the book or DVD, along with the cost of taking the test will deter potential dog owners who aren't willing to put money in to their dog ownership (or possibly cannot afford a dog). Dogs are expensive, vet checks, insurance, good food and so on costs money. That's the truth of it. It costs money to own a dog. It's not a 'right' to own a dog in the same way as it is not a 'right' to own a car. You need to be able to afford it, and you need to know what you are doing. b) The material in the dog licence theory test books and DVD's will focus on the many important topics that dog owners need to know. From socialising a puppy, to responsible dog ownership, from understanding dog body language to understanding the dangerous side effects to using painful training tools. All of this information needs to be understood before owning a dog. c) Owning a dog without a licence will lead to fines. Fines will then lead to income that can be re-invested in bite prevention. 4) Ban on dog ownership (inc. being in possession of a dog) for 10 years after being convicted of a violent criminal offence.  There are some very interesting studies correlating the ownership of dangerous dogs (dogs that have caused harm) with owners that are 3 times more likely to have been convicted on a charge of domestic violence, 14.1 times more likely to be convicted of crimes involving alcohol, 2.6 times more likely to have been convicted of domestic violence and so on. A dog can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands, big or small. Again, owning a dog is not a right, it is a responsibility. The manner in which a dog is handled and trained can have a massive impact on how that dog then behaves. While it is important not to stereotype all convicted criminals, the studies show the link between criminals and dangerous dogs, and this must be taken seriously. 5) Serious regulation of the dog training industry with a ban on the use of aversives. So many dog bites occur because, at the core of the motivation, the dog felt that it's survival was threatened. Study after study shows that the use of positive punishment, inflicting pain, fear or discomfort on to a dog (or any animal) will increase the probability of aggressive behaviour. However, many dog trainers use punishment based tools day in, day out, to attempt to treat a behaviour problem. I have worked with many dogs after they have worked with a punishment based trainer, and hands down, it has made the behaviour worse. Unfortunately dog training is not regulated. There are many dog trainers out there without any formal qualifications, and their ability to train is based on the fact that they have experience. However, experience doing things incorrectly does not mean the trainer is competent. I strongly believe that the ability to train dogs correctly, safely and effectively requires a thorough understanding of the brain, the nervous system, the endocrine system, learning theory and correct understanding of different signalling and body language. Regulating the dog training industry, and putting guidelines including a complete ban on aversive training methods would go a long way in helping dog owners gain access to the correct training advice, and begin to see a substantial reduction in fear or pain based training methods, which in turn will result in more confident, secure dogs which will be less likely to bite. 6) Thorough investigation of do bites by NDBPA members, with the data recorded to be used as information for the development of further dog bite prevention measures. Every single dog bite incident is an opportunity to learn to minimise the likelihood of the bite happening again. Data that could be collected from victim, witness, and dog owner statements along with evidence from the incident, can all help us to understand dog bites so much better, and through this understanding we can continue to introduce more effective bite prevention measures. Unfortunately, in many dog bite incidents in Ireland either nothing changes or the dog is put to sleep and that is considered to be the 'end of the matter'. A trained NDBPA team could investigate the incident, determine the outcome for the dog after assessment (of course in many cases the recommendations of the NDBPA will be to euthanise the dog, but only after it has been assessed, and only if the investigation determines that the dog poses a serious risk to society). This fair assessment will lead to more reporting of dog bite incidents, as it will be understood that a serious, fair investigation will take place. 7) Serious clamp down on puppy farms and irresponsible breeders Dogs born in commercial dog breeding establishments are significantly more likely to show aggressive behaviours than dogs born through responsible breeding measures. Ignoring all the other aspects of puppy farms, this alone should be enough reason for society to clamp down on commercial dog breeding establishments. 8) Regulation on the use of dogs for security measures, and the training and treatment of said dogs. In a world that has sophisticated CCTV systems, alarm systems, security firms and so on, the use of dogs for security is possibly unnecessary. If trained correctly and humanely, dogs can display protective behaviours on cue. However, I have found that, in Ireland, a security dog is simply a nervous dog that behaves offensively aggressively when faced with a threat. This means that these dogs are afraid, and are quite likely to bite if approached. This is not OK. These dogs are stressed, live in fear, and are a serious risk to unsuspecting members of the public. the use of dogs for security measures needs to be at least reviewed, and ideally legislation put in place. 9) Serious penalties for those who are responsible for a dog that is knowingly aggressive and they have not acted upon minimising the risk of this dog. To say there is no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners, is instantly dismissing the fact that many, many factors contribute to a dogs behaviour. Many dogs that bite have very loving, caring, responsible owners. However, should a dog owner be aware that their dog poses a threat, and should they not take appropriate measures in a timely manner, then these owners are acting irresponsibly and should face serious repercussion. The establishment of a NDBPA means that there will be members who can investigate and assess reports of aggressive dogs, and provide guidelines that the owner must follow. Breach of said guidelines could result in punishment. The investigation should be at the dog owners cost unless the dog is determined to be well behaved and the report unwarranted. 10) A straight forward procedure for reporting dog bites and / or dogs deemed to be aggressive, which can allow anonymity. This must then be followed up on seriously, with fair outcome for dog, owner, and human safety. Many aggressive behaviours and / or bites go unreported. Often this is for the same reasons - they do not want to cause aggravation between themselves and a neighbour, they don't want the dog to be put to sleep, or they assume 'nothing will happen'. If the reporter was assured that a NDPBA investigator would visit the dog's home by chance, if the investigation was fair, and if the outcome was practical (mandatory training and review in 3 months / mandatory muzzling / dog must be kept on private property etc.) then it is likely that the general public would have much more confidence in reporting such dogs. 11) Mandatory pet insurance for all dogs. If mandatory pet insurance was introduced, insurance companies could be responsible for covering the cost of fines where the owner can not. Mandatory insurance would also cover the cost of behaviour modification training, and the cost of medical expenses incurred. Pet insurance could also cover the costs of NDBPA investigations. Pet insurance would mean that animals in pain could be treated sooner, and to a higher standard as many bites involve dogs that are suffering from some painful condition. 12) Clamp down of stray dogs and ensure compliance to existing and new legislation. Serious fines for breaches of legislation could feed back in to additional cost for enforcement. I have found that in many dog bite incidents the dogs are on public property without their owner. These dogs are then untraceable, and the owners are unaware of their dogs behaviour. Clamping down on stray dogs, and fining the owners, should see a reduction in stray dogs, and also a reduction in irresponsible dog owners as the 'hassle' of owning a dog becomes greater. These are just some suggestions.
More can be made. Looking at other countries can provide inspiration for other possible ideas. The bottom line is, we need to do something. And soon.
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Statement from Nanci Creedon Dog Behaviour Expert |
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