Doberman gets bad press.

[K9 Obedience]

As always after the news headlines reporting yet another child attacked by a dog. (see dogs in the news) I am faced with angry glares and verbal abuse when out walking with Shadow, my Dobe. It doesn't seem to matter that the dog in this latest tragic case was a Pit Bull, Joe Public turns against all large breed dogs. This time it has been really upsetting and I was shouted at to put my dog on the lead and, "Why don't you put a bullet through the head of that brute" If I ever see parents with children coming towards me I always ask Shadow to sit. This is not because Shadow would harm anybody but purely because he is a large dog with a long tail and could easily knock over a small child. Dobe's are notoriously clumsy and Shadow is even more so as he suffers with Wobblers.

In light of the death of this latest five year old girl, I do sympathise with the publics reactions but by grabbing their children and making such unnecessary fuss, they are giving their children the wrong message. I make a point of asking the children to come and stroke Shadow and I put Shadow through his tricks. It never fails to make children laugh when they see Shadow performing. He will creep along the ground then stand up tall. He will of course give paw but being Shadow he can go one better and does a smart, "salute" I am not  boosting my own ego by saying "look what a good trainer I am" rather I want to show that big dogs are not to be feared.

It was particually exsasperating on Saturday as while I was getting the angry glares and facing cowering children with Shadow behaving wonderfully, another dog walker with a Jack Russel was letting his dog create havoc by barking, chasing and nipping anything and anybody that in the vicinity. Sickening that because of the minority of sick people that own dogs and do not have them trained and under control, the majority of responsible dog owners must suffer.

I would say to anyone with a Doberman OR ANY OTHER LARGE BREED DOG, do make a point of training your dog to be a model citizen, well mannered, friendly and able to set a good example in public. If you don't, I can see the time fast approaching when the majority of large breed dogs, especially the guarding breeds, will  be on the Dangerous Dogs Act......

Dog Lover.