Dog Racism

Racism! It's an ugly word. With uglier thoughts!

It brings together feelings of 'them and us'. It also carries with it little empathy. It's ignorance of the highest order. We all have feelings and we all bleed the same blood, regardless of colour or nationality. Racism causes misery for millions of people around the world and unless we treat other people how we would like to be teated ourselves, it will continue. This ugly word and emotion is not just aimed at humans, it is also very much alive and kicking in the dog world.

Racism towards dogs has been happening for decades and is now at boiling point in the UK. Since the seventies the German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Doberman have all been subject to this disease, but nothing as strong as the current victim, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

I was recently interviewed by a newspaper in the UK on the subject of dog aggression.  The paper in question had been running a campaign for weeks, entitled, 'Shop a Dog'!  This campaign was mostly aimed at Staffordshire Bull Terriers and they wanted it to be 'law' that this breed should have to wear muzzles in public.

They also asked readers to send in photos of what they thought were banned breed's in their area and in return the sender would win a free mug! They wanted to know my opinion about dog aggression as I rehabilitate aggressive dogs on a regular basis. I mentioned to them during the interview that they were tackling the problem from the wrong angle. It's not about the breed of dog, it's about the human behind the dog. 

The paper also stated on their website the following, (and before you read this make sure you are sitting down)! “Whether your dog is a banned type depends on what your dog actually looks like, rather than the breed”. 

Until people actually wake up and realize that it is about how the human raises the dog, nothing will change. You can go and buy or rescue a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and if you do the wrong things, as in any dog, the dog will become aggressive and may attack.  I have witnessed Chihuahua's and Yorkshire Terriers's attacking other dogs and people stand there and laugh. If, on the other hand the dog in question was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or a German Shepherd, there would be uproar. That's not right.

In the United Kingdom at present, you need more paperwork to own a TV than you do to own a dog! Due to this fact, there are young delinquent's, owning powerful breed dogs which include Staffordshire Bull Terrier's, who don't know the first thing about raising a dog properly. They use these dogs as 'weapons' and to improve their 'street credibility'. Why not start tackling the root of the problem, which is dealing with the youth and making sure people who own dog's are committed to raising a dog correctly, and no, that doesn't mean love, love and more love. Somewhere in the relationship has to be discipline and rules, just as it should be with delinquent's. 

I was walking along London's Piccadilly a few month's ago and was moved to tears as to what I witnessed. There was a homeless person sleeping in a doorway. He had been drinking heavily. A few feet away from him lay his faithful dog. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  The dog just lay their, waiting for his owner to wake. This scene I witnessed epitomizes dog's. Loyalty to the highest degree, without judgement. I had my camera with me that day. I pondered wether it would be right or wrong of me to photograph this moving scene. My initinal conclusion was that I had to. After all, a picture can tell a thousand words.  Here in London's metropolis, lay a dog. A dog that many say should be muzzled.

As the many people tried their best to avoid him, he just lay there, showing loyalty, respect, trust and love. That shouldn't be muzzled, that should be embraced.