The Death Of A Rotterdam Resident by Two Dogs Last Weekend Raises The Question: What Can Be Done About Dog Aggression? Experts Tell nu.nl that there is much that can be done. They Advocate for Stricter Regulations and own Initiative of Owners: “Learn to” Read “Your Dog.”
On Saturday Evening, A 66-Year-Old Rotterdam Resident Died After An Attack by Two Dogs, Presumable Pups of the American Bully’s XL Breed. The Dogs Allegedly Fought with Each Other, After which the man allegedly tried to separate them. One belonged to the man himself and the other to his granddahter.
The Dog Protection Agency Estimates That An Average of One Death Occurs Each Year Due to an Incident with a Dog. The Number of Dog Attacks On People Never Be Zero, But Experts See Enough Solutions. Banning Certain High-Risk Dog Breeds is not Among Them.
Between 1993 and 2008, there was a Breeding and Keeping Ban for a Certain Type of Pit Bull via The Aggressive Animals Regulation (RAD). The Regulation was abolished because the number of biting incidents did not decrease and breeders crossed the dogs with other wide to circumvent the rad.
Experts see that many problems Arise from a Lack of Knowledge Among Owners. “People Sometimes Miss Signals from Their Dog because Don’t know them or because they are distracted,” Else Verbeek, Associate Professor of Animal Welfare, Tells Nu.nl.
Beware or ‘Accidental Litters’
The Approach Starts With Breeding. If you have a mother or father dog that has bitten some, you better exclude it from breeding, verbeek says. The Pups Inherit Part of the Parent Animal Behavior. Or it is Taught by the Mother, Explains Dog Behavior Therapist Saskia Ober. “You want good, social parent animals.”
All Dogs Can Bite, But With Large, Strong Dogs This Leads to Injuries More Quickly. ESpeciate if the dogs have traditional leg selected for their defense and fighting qualities. For these high-risk Breeds, A Potential Parent Animal Can Undergo A Test For, Among Other Things, Social Characteristics, Says Daphe Groenendijk, Director of the Dog Protection Agency. “We are in talks with the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, food security and nature (LVVN) about Whether that is Possible.”
Breeding Farms That Are Affiliated with Breed Associations Are Often Already Strict In Selecting Parent Animals, But also Potential Buyers. Groenendijk: “There are also Breeding Farms that are commercially focused. It’s about mass. They don’t take the duty of care so seriously.”
Groenendijk also warns about so-called ‘accidental litters’. These Involve Dog Owners Who Take A Litter of Puppies Themselves. These people are not trained and there is of no pedigree. Guiding a mother dog takes a lot of time and knowledge. There is also Little Control about Dogs Rescued from Abroad. With this type of group, the Chance of Incidents is Greater, Experts See.
‘More than a Puppy Course’
The First Three to Six Months Are Very Formative, Says Verbeek. Pups need to socialize you, that is, expose them a lot to the environment: other people, children, other dogs, both inside and outside. This way they get used to more and Become less anxious. Verbeek: “It’s more than a puppy course. There you only Learn commands like” Sit “and” Stay. “
If dogs don’t feel comfortable somewhere, they cleanly indicate this. Owners Can Prevent Escalations If they Recognize The Earlier Signals. Verbeek: “For this you have the ‘escalation ladder’. The first step is, for example, that they yawn while they are not tired.”
After that, Dogs Will Growl and Give ‘The Stare’, Verbeek Says. “Sometimes you hear from people: yes, that bite came out of nowhere. Then they missed all the signals before that.” Dog Owners Must Learn to Read Thesis Signals.
Verbeek also knows cases where owners “train away” signals. Then signals such as growling are suppressed or punished. “Then the Dog Will Skip That Step and Bite Sooner.”
National Reporting Point Needed
Stricter Regulations are also part of the Possible Solution, Says Groenendijk. The Dog Protection Agency Has Long Advocated For A Mandatory Course Before You Can Take A Dog. Do you have enough money for the fat? WHY BREEDS ARE BEST SUITED TO YOU AND YOUR LIVING SITATION? Groenendijk: “The Conclusion May Be that Another Dog is Better Suited to You Than You Actual Want.”
The Dog Protection Agency also Wants a National Reporting Point for Incidents. “Then we get a better picture of which dogs end up in Certain situations. Then you can make much better policy. Now we are guessing.”
The National Dog File (LHD) has Existed Since 2022. That is intended for information Exchange between Municipalities, in order to intervene in a timely manner and prevention (rehearsal of) incidents, reports a spokesperson for LVVN. Currently 67 of the 342 Municipalities Participate in the File.
Groenendijk Thinks That Number Is Still Low After Three Years, While the Advantage is Certainly There. “It gives a lot of insight to the municipalities that participate. It now DEPENDS on Whether a Municipality is willing to do so, while it should actually be mandatory. LVVN Wants a National Reporting Point by the End of This year, Groenendijk A. outgoing cabinet. “