Do you like this story?
New Year’s resolution: Making the world better for animals
By Pet Connection Staff
December 30, 2009
It’s another New Year, and another chance to do something good for the world’s animals. From Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:
Are pets on your list of New Year’s resolutions? They should be, along with plans for making the world a little bit better not only for your own animals, but also for others in need. With this in mind, we’re again sharing some of the best ideas of our readers.
Although problems can seem overwhelming, especially when it comes to animal cruelty or homeless pets, the fact is that every little bit helps. After all, if every one of us animal lovers did one small thing a couple of times a year, the total effort would be grand indeed.
Check out Dr. Becker’s and Gina’s suggestions for making the world a better place for animals here.
From Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Shannon Becker, some straight talk on the truth about canine aggression:
An owner’s influence rather than a dog’s breeding largely determines whether or not a pet will be aggressive. A study published in the Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances found that external, modifiable and owner-dependent factors influence a dog’s aggression to a greater degree than a dog’s breed, contradicting widespread beliefs that dogs such as pit bulls or Rottweilers are hard-wired for aggression. The researchers found that factors leading to aggression include first-time ownership; failure to provide obedience training; spoiling or pampering the dog; buying a dog as a present, a guard dog or on an impulse; spaying female dogs; leaving the dog with a constant supply of food; or spending little time with the dog in general or on its walks. More than a third of dominance aggression in dogs stems from a lack of obedience training or for doing only the minimum amount of training. The study also found that male dogs are more likely to be aggressive; however, dog-related factors are minimal compared to the factors that owners can control.
Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or download the PDF file here to see it just as we submit it to our client newspapers!
Share & Enjoy
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
Google Buzz
|
Digg
|
|
Technorati
|
StumbleUpon
|
Delicious
|
Email
|
Home
Curious about aggro study. Is there a link? What type(s) of aggression was studied?
Comment by Nancy Freedman-Smith CPDT — December 30, 2009 @ 6:38 am
Here’s the source, which includes the citation of the journal in which the study appeared:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/re.....114315.htm
Now, here’s the thing … It’s what we have been saying ALL ALONG. Spaying-neutering are not as benign or uncomplicated as we animal-lovers have all grown up believing as gospel truth. And the studies, just starting, as revealing this more and more.
Spaying and neutering are done primarily for reasons of benefit to HUMANS — and that’s FINE, as long as we recognize that. Yes, they prevent unwanted, unplanned pregnancies but they are not the only way to do so. And yes, they do have some benefits to an individual animal, but mostly they’re done as a benefit to all animals, a population-management tool.
As honest (as opposed to agenda-driven) peer-reviewed (as opposed to anecdotal) research is done more and more, I have no doubt that we will have to re-evaluate the things we “knew” about these procedures.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 30, 2009 @ 7:01 am
I wish the link to the original work was available. It appears to be broken.
I find it interesting that they have been able to make a correlation to aggression in spayed bitches. I wonder what the ages of the spays were and the time lapse between the surgery and the onset of the aggression.
Strictly anecdotal on my part, but I have always thought there were a higher percentage of aggression in bitches spayed after sexual maturity than those spayed after in my line of work.
Most of the cases I’ve had in aggression
involving bitches have been those spayed prior to their first season.
Interesting stuff.
Comment by Linda Kaim — December 30, 2009 @ 9:12 am
http://www.medwellonline.net/f.....36-342.pdf
The link to the original work, provided by a FaceBook pal.
Comment by Linda Kaim — December 30, 2009 @ 9:27 am
This New Year I have vowed for more fun walks for my dogs, several times a day. Last night I was happily ensconced in the bed covers and looked at one of my dogs - he hadn’t been on a walk today. I didn’t want to go out - it was cold and foggy and damp even a little rain. But I did it anyway. We had a good one-half an hour outing. He ran and jumped with joy to be outside too! He finally settled to a decent clip on the way home. 2010 is my year for more and longer walks besides the training exercises.
I was surprised at the “free feeding” as being problematic. I don’t free feed but didn’t know it contributed to aggression.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — December 30, 2009 @ 11:34 am
This is ONE study. More work needs to be done :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 30, 2009 @ 11:35 am
Free-feeding is one of the first things I stop when a family is having difficulties with a dog, whether aggression or just unruliness. I can’t think of any trainers who advocate it, whatever their particular flavor of training. It can be particularly problematic in homes with young kids, as the proximal cause, if not the ultimate cause, of resource-guarding face bites.
That said, in this study, which is printing out in the next room right now, it may represent a correlation rather than a cause.
A fair number of free-fed dogs may be neglected yard-hounds. If you only have to fill the hopper with Ol’ Roy once a week, why interact with the dog every day?
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 30, 2009 @ 11:42 am