New rule can be misused: Dog lovers
New guidelines in Cubbon Park for dogs’ entry have triggered a heated debate online.
The Horticulture Department has issued a new set of new rules, one of which prohibits the entry of “ferocious and larger breed dogs”. Dog lovers say this is vague and misleading.
“Such directives could be misinterpreted and misused,” says Sandhya Madappa, president-trustee of CUPA.
Often, Alsatians and Rottweilers are “assumed to be aggressive breeds”. “As long as a dog is on a leash and the owner is in control, why should such a rule exist?” she wonders.
Dogs turn aggressive only because of the way they are treated, she says: “Even Labradors, which are otherwise assumed to be friendly, can turn aggressive if not treated well.” Sai Geetha Pratap, founder of Community Streeties India, agrees. Not all big dogs are aggressive or dangerous. “No breed can be termed ferocious. The behaviour of a dog is shaped by how an owner raises and trains it,” she says.
Even small dog breeds like Shih Tzus can be hard to groom and work with, as they can be more aggressive than bigger dogs, she adds.
‘Rules in place’
A series of events in the past have led to such directives, say some. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, founder of Cubbon Park Canines, appreciates the Horticulture Department for bringing in regulations.
“The fact that there is a dog park inside is something many like me are thankful for,” she says.
Fracas over large breeds in apartments
Last year, the BBMP had mooted a by-law banning ferocious dog breeds like Doberman, German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Hounds from apartment buildings.
The draft notification is pending with the Urban Development Department, Dr Manjunath Shinde, joint director, animal husbandry, informs Metrolife.
Aniruddha Ravindra, animal welfare officer, Charlies Animal Rescue Centre (CARE), gets at least five complaints concerning aggressive or large dogs from RWAs every month. Dog behaviourist Amrut Hiranya gets “two calls daily, from owners who don’t know how to control the aggression in their dogs”. Vikram Rai, general secretary of Bangalore Apartments’ Federation, acknowledges the fear but says bite cases are rare.
Dos and don’ts
Amrut, animal behaviourist, says 30 per cent of people give up their pups in four months because they don’t know how to manage the teething-related aggression in their
pets.
“Train yourself to train your pup in feeding, socialising, developing a toilet habit…. When the puppy is four months old, learn to walk it on a leash in public areas, control it from barking at people in lifts, and introduce it to other aspects of obedience training,” he says.
Despite the training, a freak accident can happen. “In such cases, apartment associations, residents and pet owners should talk it over or call animal welfare officers (from NGOs) to mediate,” says Sudha Narayanan, founder trustee of CARE.
BAF says residents should not intimidate pet owners to give up or abandon their pets.