Politics of Dog, Training, Aggression and Public Policy

International visiting Canine Behavourist hosted by Learning About Dogs, and School of the Naked Dog

The politics of Dog are are mainstream again with animal experts calling for improved education of dog owners following several young folk being seriously injured. It is easy to forget that 600,000 dogs never bit anyone today.

Calls by Invercargill Dog Control to euthanise dogs identified as dangerous (following the callous puppy euthanisation by the ICC pound because they were 'pitbull type') was closely followed by the Wellsford shooting of 33 dogs when two members of the public took the law into their own hands. The SPCA is, quite rightly asking the courts to decide if this deserves criminal sanction, but behind this and other media coverage 'if it bleeds it leads' is certainly impetus to Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) fostered public indignation and moral panic. BSL has not been a successful policy anywhere it has been tried. Like microchipping, it looks like something is being done, while achieving little. BSL and the public and political hankering for 'tougher sentences' for animal cruelty will feed into into the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Rodney Hide's 'review of the dog laws'.

Hide's announcement to do a review was made at the NZ Companion Animal Conference in Auckland last year. While some delegates were asking then for 'tougher sanctions' one question fielded by School of the Naked Dog trainer and policy advocate Blair Anderson noted that for an evidence based review we need to get (and fund) some solid research, and to bring 'real expertise' to inform and enhance the policy analytic standards. It was pointed out to the Minister that millions of dollars are taxed as 'registration fees' but no apportionment is give to establishing consistency of the policy base, research in to what works, quantification of the 'scale of the problem' or too bringing informed expertise to bear in the community.

Usefully the upcoming talk 'on canine aggression' by visiting Veterinarian and Internationally acclaimed Canine Behaviourist Dr. Ian Dunbar will help bring some of that required discussion to the public and political ear, and hopefully to NZ media always so eager to report. Dr Dunbar's research in hierarchical social behaviour and aggression in domestic dogs broke new ground in challenging dominance theory in the domestic dog and in pioneering off leash dog training.

Credentials

Dr Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS, CPDT is a veterinarian, animal behaviourist, dog trainer, and writer. He received his veterinary degree and a Special Honours degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University), and a doctorate in animal behaviour from the Psychology Department at the University of California in Berkeley, where he spent ten years researching the development of hierarchical social behaviour and aggression in domestic dogs. For seven years Dr. Dunbar ran a behaviour clinic specifically for biting dogs. Dr. Dunbar is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the California Veterinary Medical Association, the Sierra Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (which he founded).

Expert and entertaining speaker

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Dunbar has given over 750 one-day seminars and workshops for dog trainers and veterinarians in an effort to popularise off-leash puppy training classes (which he pioneered), temperament modification, and owner-friendly and dog-friendly dog training. Dr. Dunbar's books, videos, and AKC Gazette "Behaviour" column (which he created), have won numerous awards. Dr. Dunbar is currently Director of the Centre for Applied Animal Behaviour in Berkeley, California, where he lives with his wife Kelly, plus Claude, Ugly, Mayhem and Dune.

This is your chance to hear Ian Dunbar in Christchurch and in Auckland either for you, your family, your organisation, or your staff professional development. (see http://dogstar.doglinks.co.nz )

Auckland Programme:
12, 13 & 14 February 2010 Lincoln Green Hotel, Henderson, Auckland

Friday 12 Feb.: Dominance (?!?), Fighting, Biting, Compliance & Punishment
“Dominance” is most certainly the most misunderstood topic in dog behaviour and training. A misunderstanding of wolf behaviour has been applied to dogs ... Read More

Saturday 13 Feb.: Constraints on Learning
Lack of compliance, or more specifically, low response-reliability, is due in part by selective attention and canine sensory constraints Read More

Sunday 14 Feb.:Raising the Bar in Dog Training
Competition dog training comprises specialized dogs, experienced handlers and a finite curriculum with examination questions known well beforehand. Pet dog training Read More

AND, Dinner with Ian and Kelly Dunbar hosted by Learning About Dogs

Christchurch programme:
20 & 21 February 2010 / The Cotswold Hotel, Christchurch

Saturday 20 Feb: Behaviour & Temperament Problems
Quantitative Assessment: Establishing which problems are common and which are not; Preventing highly predictable, yet doggy-normal, developmental problems; Critically assessing the seriousness of each... Read More

Sunday21 Feb: Pet Dog Training
Pro and cons of the most commonly used reward-based dog training techniques (including, lure/reward training, all-or-none reward training, shaping, auto shaping and physical prompting) for producing... Read More

And, Dinner with Ian and Kelly Dunbar hosted by School of the Naked Dog

ENDS

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