Wow
what a thread...
Firstly, i didnt reply to Zoe's thread due to not having my laptop (i have it now) and its blooming annoying to post while using my mobile! So, although i was reading the thread i didnt post... i also thought it was best to stay out of it. Now, i know some of the posts were... well, blunt, and maybe could have been written in an more sympathetic way, those posters are still entitled to their opinion... i think it is often a fine line on dogsey, between being honest and expressing your opinion... and coming across critical and upsetting people. Its something i have learnt on Dogsey, that no matter what, people will always have opinions they want to express and they will do that in whatever way they deem to be appropriate (which isnt the same for everyone). I have learnt to toughen my skin on here, and that if i post certain things i will face stick from certain people. The thing i personally found the worst thing about that thread, was that poor dear Bessie seemed to be completely forgotten about by most people... At the end of the day, SHE was the victim in all of this... and she died in a horrific way. I wasnt going to mention Zoe's thread, but Rune made a point on mentioning it in the OP so i think that makes it relevant.
Re. dogs killing other animals - I think this is just instinct for a lot of dogs and IMO, is completely different to killing another dog. Jake has killed a rabbit, and if i am totally honest, i was horrified. When he was a pup, he didnt have the slightest interest in rabbits (we have loads of them in the park next to my house) and then gradually as he got older, i started to notice it and it just got stronger and stronger. He hasnt killed one since, and after it happened i really thought about it and understood it is just his instinct... it was the first time i had ever seen a dog kill a rabbit (in the flesh). Jake hasnt caught another since, and he does still chase them. I have more control over him though, and will sometimes call him away (he isnt 100% reliable though)... I would prefer he didnt want to chase them, but it is his instinct... and tbh, I think its good to watch dogs do what they were bred to do (and do it instinctively)... even if Jake himself wasnt bred for something specific
although, i dont want him to catch anything! He will chase rabbits, squirrels and birds.
He has never chased a cat, but he has never had the chance to. He does see them when he is onlead, and shows interest but he never really reacts to them... he actually acts the same as if he were to see a dog. The cats never come in the garden now (they did before I got Jake, and used to come in the house in the summer!) but there is a big ginger one who likes to walk up and down the fence on my neighbours side, but Jake just sits and watches him... I honestly dont know what he would do if one came in the garden... his reactions are very different to if he sees a rabbit etc, but then seeing his chase/prey instinct i would be surprised if he wasnt bothered by the cats. If a cat did enter our garden though, and Jake caught and killed the cat, then I wouldnt blame Jake. I would feel horrible for both cat and owner, but its my garden... so neither mine or Jakes fault.
Re. killing another dog. I dont know what i would do. I know what i think i would do, but whether or not i would actually being in the situation, I'm not sure. If a dog of mine killed another dog for no apparent reason (with health reasons eliminated) and had shown no previous signs of DA and i still had other dogs in the house, then i think i would PTS. I wouldnt trust the dog, and i think it would be in the best interest of the other dogs still in the house... its just too big a risk. If the dog would then be an only dog, then i would see it differently and would probably keep the dog... i would hate what the dog did, but i would hope my love for the dog would help me trust them again, and regain our relationship... i think that takes time though, coz i think it is natural to have bad feelings towards the dog while the grief is still raw... afterall, they would have killed a dog i loved...
If i had multiple dogs, and one of which was dog aggressive, then if they killed another of my dogs then i wouldnt PTS. It would be 100% my fault coz i was aware of the situation, and what the dog was capable of. I would obviously keep them seperated btw, but things happen.
I also think it depends who instigated the attack, and the severity (apart from the fact is was fatal). A dog could, like has been mentioned, catch the wrong place and the result is a dead dog... or, it could be more brutal with the other dog being ripped to shreads or throat ripped out etc... which sound like they have gone in for the kill...
I dont think it is a black and white answer, and so many circumstances would depend on what my reaction would be to it. I know people have talked about humanising dogs (antro-whatever
) and i think people do with their reasoning for why a dog did what it did, but like dogs are dogs, we are people, and people react in the way that is right for us. I would maybe understand why a dog in its viewpoint did what it did, but that doesnt mean it is easy for us humans to accept... Im not sure if that has made much sense, but i know what i mean
Anyway, that is JMO.
Mish - In answer to your question, yes i would want that dog PTS.
Dawn - i love those pics you posted! Especially the second pic, it is gorgeous!