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When Running Away is not
an Option
With flight being the first choice of every sane creature when faced with possible danger, we can easily see how much we have in common with the birds that fly away when I go to fill the feeder, a horse that gallops away from a loud noise or vehicle, a cat that dashes for cover when a strange dog comes into view and a herd of antelope that scatter when they hear a rustle in the grass.

Fox Terrier on BeachEach of these animals is also armed with defensive weaponry, when all of their subtle signals fail to be correctly read and adhered to by those that just keep coming at them. A bird can use its beak or claws, especially birds like the flightless Kiwi. A horse can spin and give you a heck of a kick with a back leg, worse still it can rear and strike out with a front leg, as well as using its teeth. Likewise the antelope can do the same and more, and the male can use his antlers to inflict further damage. As for a cat, just ask anyone who has attempted to administer medication to one, only to find the pill behind the sofa, the cat up the curtains and the loving owner on their way to the emergency unit to deal with the lacerations.

Then there is the poor dog that can't kick, can't scratch and can't gore, it only has its mouth to provide any means of self-preservation. Once it has been driven to use this tool it is immediately labelled dangerous and is threatened with being, or actually, killed.

Once we learn just how simple it is to give a dog absolutely no reason to ever use its mouth against us, then we can hold our heads high and liberate our dogs to do what they love to do most, which is to use its mouth to show it affection for us, how wonderful.

Jan Fennell
31st August 2011