That’s Life – Canine courtesies

Welcome to my first column at contemplating life, the universe and everything in between. I am relentlessly curious and truly believe in the phrase “people, places and things are interesting, study them all”. Living by this mantra I have over my working career been in the RNZAF, a professional motorcycle racer, mechanic, journalist, author, business owner, designer, university lecturer, head of school and director of innovation, and have travelled extensively and lived abroad for many years. Warkworth has been home for over 17 years now and it’s been a blast … except when it involves dodging furry missiles disguised as “friendly” dogs.

Before anyone starts breathing heavily, I own a dog. I love dogs. I am, however, not keen on owners who think their out-of-control, leash-less hounds are just “expressing themselves” when they charge at innocent bystanders like a heat-seeking missile with bad manners.

While this in itself is pretty disconcerting for an adult, imagine how a small child feels. Terrified I would imagine. The galling thing for me is when out walking our dog and a furry missile is heading at us at pace, the owner is invariably yelling the universal response, “It’s okay! He’s friendly!”

Oh, is he? Is he really? Because from where I’m standing clutching my leash and trying to get my dog behind me while all the time bracing for impact, I’m not exactly inclined to take your word for it. Sure, your out-of-control four-legged fruitcake might be harmless, but if it doesn’t have any recall ability, keep it on a leash.

I have seen more than my fair share of dog fights and panicked dog owners at the Warkworth Showgrounds to know it’s not an isolated thing. Owning a dog is a responsibility, not an excuse to let chaos reign. If your four-legged hooligan has zero recall skills and thinks “come here” means “ignore me completely and keep charging at people and other dogs” then newsflash – you need a leash. It’s not just for others’ safety; it’s for your dog’s safety, too.

Imagine what would happen if I randomly ran at you flat-out yelling with teeth bared, jumped all over you, tried to bite you, or lick your face? I reckon I’d be on way to a padded room quick smart. So, if your dog has a tendency to charge at people and other dogs, put yourself in their shoes and try and feel what it would be like if it was happening to you – you know, try a bit of empathy.

One last thought that might make some folks sit up and think. Scientists say that a dog’s personality is strongly linked to human personality (https://www.petmd.com/dog/pet-lover/how-much-dogs-personality-comes-their-owner), and a BBC report said researchers in Austria believe dogs can mirror the anxiety and negativity of owners … I’ll let you connect the dots. Just saying.