NO DOG SHOULD BE BANNED IN BOGOTÁ. BAD OWNERS MUST BE

Camilo Páez

William Pardo

DOGS have been partners of humans for almost 12000 years. In the beginning they were used for different tasks, supporting the human development. Over the years the dogs became "the man's best friend", because they have played different roles. Humans, raising different kind of breeds with specific uses, taking advantage of the characteristics inherited in each breed, have genetically modified their behavior. Some breeds were raised for surveillance, hunting, shepherding, but now many people own some kinds of not appropriate breeds to the space where they live and their life style; so, they do not train them appropriately and are ignorant about their dog's inheritance and behavior, making those animals dangerous and aggressive. We are strongly convinced that no dog is genetically bad or made to kill. The owners made them aggressive.

Many people think that some breeds of dogs are dangerous and even murderous. They argue their opinion with the last cases showed on TV, Internet and newspaper. If you look the archives in “El Tiempo” for the last few weeks, a lot of cases are about the risk that these breeds represent; kids, adults and elder people, in those cases the dogs are the “criminals” and the people are the “victims”. This news increases people’s fear feel for Pitbulls, Dobermans, Akitas and other breeds. The media is a very important influence for this kind of thought; showing many attacks in an exaggerate way, moreover, they show the worst case scenario and perform bloody scenes; for instance, the aggressor dog´s jaw smeared of blood; meanwhile, you can hear “Jaws” soundtrack as background music of the reportage!  Obviously people feel frightened. This type of news coverage never shows the picture, neither the dog's habitat nor how the owners treat the dog, nor which kind of training they provides to the animal. The wrong notion remains in the audience and they cannot see the wood for the trees, and they just stand in the first impression, the mass media impression.   Maybe if they know, for example, that the pit bull was called "the nanny dog" (People left the children with the pitbulls like a nanny) or with the accurate direction a Rottweiler could be a guide dog or an experienced member in a rescue team.

People have to know which kind of breed is appropriated for every life style, maybe this terrible episodes never happened if they should know how to train the dogs, understanding the nature of every breed. Many of the breeds trait that have been raised by humans for their own help, modified genetically, making different behaviors.  For example, pit bull was used to tame livestock on farms; later, in the 20th century, was a synonym of loyalty, and for his good character and friendly behavior people called him "the nanny dog". Things changed in the eighties when drug dealers and gangsters began to use pit bulls as a part of their rough appearance, changing their habits and trainings, making an aggressive dog and a stereotype. Who is to blame for this animal attitude? For us not the dog, owners are the irresponsible.

People think that the dogs are dangerous and just fight and bite innocent people. They never imagine that the dogs receive appropriate training; they could be a help for many tasks and activities. Those breeds of dogs could be a support for people that have problems and could be a good company for solitary and elderly people. For example, there is an exceptional case (not the only one) to support our point. The 11^th of September in 2001 in the terrorist attack at WTC, a guidance Labrador Retriver saves the life of his owner Omar Eduardo Rivera, a blind born engineer who used to work in the 71th floor. Meanwhile, in the middle of the chaos produced by the crash of the airplane against the tower; instantly the dog found his owner and help him went downstairs spending approximately an hour, saving Omar’s life. So, are dogs a problem for the society? Or may could be useful for those who need it?

To show another example or loyalty that those breeds of dogs represents, we have the most classical loyalty case is Hachiko, an Akita owned by Hidesamuro Ueno. Since Ueno bought to Tokyo Hachiko in 1924, every day when he left for his teaching job, Hachiko would stand by the door and watch him go. Then at 4 p.m. the Akita would arrive at Shibuya Station to meet his owner. A year later Ueno died at work, but Hachiko continued the routine and returned to the train station at 4 p.m. every single day, searching for his owner. The dog lived in the train station, and the stationmaster sometimes took care of the dog. Hachiko died ten years later waiting for his owner to come. For the people of Shibuya (Tokio) the dog became a symbol of loyalty and patience. They made a bronze sculpture that represents that the dogs are. It is good to remember, that the Akita is considered one of the most dangerous breeds.

So… what do you think about it? Do we still want to think in that way? It is not just because the article said. It is an important social problem that all parts of society have to solve. Ethology, the science that studies animal behavior, tells us about how the dog is under the owner influence, so dogs have feelings and instincts that the owner has to control. So, our invitation: ¡You don’t have to believe more in that media morbidity! They show those kinds of images and videos just for business; usually, they do not care about the real situation. You must believe in your pet training, teach good habits and the most important, enjoy their company, ¡they are your friends!