| Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: Green Bay, WI
Posts: 440
| Re: attention owners of bsl affected dogs!
I'm doing this overall, since this seems to be a response to B-Line's thread. This basically applies to any "Pit like" dogs (Which DOES include Boxers and Bull Terriers because people are morons...), GSDs, Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc
1. Be sure to scout your area BEFORE you purchase a breed that may be subject to future BSL. Be aware not only of the current laws of your area, but the laws of areas SURROUNDING where you live! By knowing the laws in your immediate area, you can keep yourself and your dog safe, but by knowing the laws in other areas, you can be prepared for possible BSL legislation so you can fight....it also prevents you from bringing your banned dog somewhere it is not allowed.
2. Find a reputable breeder/shelter/rescue to purchase/adopt from. They will be able to give you the heads up on possible places you can go for grooming, boarding, training, and, in some cases (rescue/shelter) places to live.
3. Be prepared to become responsible for your ENTIRE BREED. It doesn't matter if you "just have one". You are going to end up bearing the weight of prejudice for every single one ANYBODY has ever met. You are responsible for them all. It is YOUR job to educate and enlighten, and you must do so diplomatically, not matter how ignorant someone is showing themselves to be (I've had my dog be called a Nazi...).
4. While we aren't all competitive with our dogs, just by being on this forum we are clearly more active and involved with dogs than 98% of the populous. Use these forums to your advantage. Places like this are for what? EDUCATION! There is ALWAYS someone here who needs to/can learn something new about a breed. There are hundreds of members and dozens of lurkers! Even if they never SAY anything, something we say here can make it to them, and they can pass that on to somebody else! Education is like laughter...always contagious and largely welcomed (even if someone won't admit it).
5. Understand that there are minds of some that just won't change. Even if somebody says something hurtful about you or your dog, be angry about it when they leave, then look down at said dog, smile, and know that that person is being deprived of something wonderful.
6. When someone asks you about your breed and its history, don't be offended, and don't disclose only the good things about them. Be honest about the bad traits and some hardships you must deal with. This is especially important if someone is interested in your breed, especially ones like Pits and Guardian breeds. Dog aggression runs in pits, and Guardian breeds can become dangerous without proper socialization due to their natural wariness of strangers.
7. Always, always, ALWAYS have a contingency plan. Try your very best to have some place for your dog to go...temporarily or forever...in the event that BSL hits your area. If it comes down to moving, euthing the dog, or rehoming, and moving really isn't a viable option (it's not for most people), take the rehome over the euth...and then do your damndest to fight the ridiculous law!
8. Remember what I said in #3? Well, it doesn't just apply in YOUR state (or country). Be prepared to send letters to other states to help them in their fight! Idiocy is like a forest fire....it spreads rapidly and destroys everything in its path. Even if you don't think it will do any good because you live in California and the BSL is in New York...send letters anyway! If some twit in NY is receiving hundreds of letters from NY, CO, WI, CA, ND, etc...they have to listen, because MORE than the constituents of New York are voicing their opinion! You can ignore the voices of the small few in one state...but you can't ignore all of them from several!
9. Understand that some boarding/grooming kennels will not accept your dog simply because they are prejudiced, and others will not accept them because insurance does not allow it. Both things suck, but it comes with the territory. It is unfair, but I will not say "that's just how it is". Do your best to try and turn things around. In the mean time, try and find a private dog walker for when you aren't home if doggy day care is not an option. Grooming really shouldn't be an issue. At the very least, you should be able to bathe your own dog (barring medical issues/physical handicaps).
If you cannot find a groomer, find a young (but strong xD) neighborhood child who would be willing to help you groom and is "into" dogs (with parental permission of course). If you are afraid to do nails yourself, the veterinarian is a good alternative to a groomer. Dremels (motorized nail files) make many many people feel more comfortable with doing nails themselves. Sometimes giving a groomer permission to muzzle your dog (through bathing and all) will make them comfortable enough that they will groom your dog. Sucky, but true. If the groomer is more comfortable, the dog is more comfortable, and won't feed off the nerves of the person working on them.
If you cannot find somewhere to board your dog, ask a friend or neighbor to look in on your dog for you. I prefer this myself as that way my dogs are in a more familiar place and less prone to stress and nervousness. DO be sure to keep your dog contained (especially the more territorial breeds such as GSDs) while you are away so the caretaker can enter the house and move about freely without worrying about the dog going "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Be sure that both dog and human are comfortable with each other before you leave, and that the caretaker can safely remove the dog from its confinement without issue.
10. Housing can be difficult. If you rent be absolutely SURE to consult with the landlord first about the type of dog you wish to get! Make an entire presentation if you have to, and even agree to go to FORMAL obedience training if requested! If the landlord says "Yes" to your breed of choice, GET IT IN WRITING! Bring a witness with you and have it signed and dated. MAKE COPIES! This is a matter of precaution, because if you get your breed of choice and then one day it just happens to piss off the landlord and they say "GET IT OUT!" you have SOMETHING to back you up so you can keep your pet.
Do your very best to make sure your dog is an upstanding citizen...try and get it CGC/TDI certified (Canine Good Citizen and a Therapy Dog certification). It shows others that your dog is safe around people and that you've socialized it well.
Always do your best to keep up on the housing rules in your area (and nearby areas), so that in the event that you have to move, you can find suitable housing for yourself and your pet.
11. Be aware of the traits of your breed and DO NOT set it up in a position to fail. IMO this means no dog parks/group play for Pits, Akitas, Shibas, and yes, GSDs. I think it's absolutely FINE for you to supervise your dog with ONE other dog on its own...but any more and you're asking for trouble....and the dogs will end up paying for it.
Do not be lulled into a false sense of security. Just because your dog has never attacked another dog doesn't mean it never will. Just because your dog has never put its teeth on human flesh doesn't mean it never well. Dogs have teeth, dogs have individual personalities, and dogs have instincts. You never know when one of the more primal instincts (ie: survival) will kick in, and it is YOUR job to be hypervigilant so they never have to be in the position where they feel the need to retaliate. |
attention owners of bsl affected dogs! 
