Friday 19 November 2010

The Observer Book of Dogfights

American Cocker Spaniel - daft
When I was a girl I liked dogs. I even seriously planned to be a vet. Weird. One of my favourite reads was The Observer Book of Dogs. In there you saw big dogs, little dogs, terriers, spaniels, hounds, all sorts of weird and wonderful dogs.

My mum's friend bred American cocker spaniels. Bloody weird looking dogs.

Where are all those types of dogs in the streets these days? I hardly see anything but the pit bull type.

This evening I was attempting to get some work done when I heard a commotion outside the window. I looked out. One pit bull type dog had its jaws fastened around the throat of another pit bull type dog and the two owners were attempting to pull their dogs apart. This went on for several minutes.

The owner of the dog being attacked was shouting: "Why do you let a dog like that off the lead? Look at my dog; he's on a lead and he's got a muzzle. Why do you let a dog like that off the lead?"

He saw me hanging out of the window and asked me to get a pan of water to throw over the offending dog.

To be fair, the owner of the offending dog was apologetic. "Kick your dog!" the offended dog owner said. The offending dog owner half-heartedly booted his own dog in the ribs.

By the time I got outside with my pan of water (much of it slopped around the kitchen and down my leg as I blundered out into the cold in my slippers) the two dogs had been dragged apart. The offended owner, cursing, and the offending owner, apologising, moved off. The offending owner explained that it hadn't happened before; the offended owner said: "Your dog's chewed half my dog's face off. What if that was a kid?"

I don't think the pit bull featured in the Observer Book of Dogs when I was interested in dogs, but I imagine there are several pit bull types listed in there now. Under temperament, it probably refers to their friendliness to humans but "high prey drive", meaning, basically, if you're smaller or slower than one of these fuckers, don't turn your back on it.

Our society has changed. More and more people (mostly blokes) want to swank around with a nasty (or at least nasty looking) dog tugging them along on the end of a lead. It bothers me a lot.

Pit bull - dangerous

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

They always say there is no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners.

As a tree near me would testify - all the bark has been chewed off, no doubt while the dog was being instructed by that dog's owner.

So the tree will die.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps that is why it is called 'bark'.

Woof, woof!

Citizen Barnet said...

Thank you for reminding us that the old ones are seldom the best.

Moaneybat said...

"if you're smaller or slower than one of these *fuckers,* don't turn your back on it."

Did not know young lady also speaks French.

"(mostly blokes) want to *swank* (surely a typo?) around with a nasty"

Citizen Barnet said...

I don't usually stoop to using that sort of language (not French - that's a very nice language!), but when you are dealing with these sorts of animals (owners and dogs) I don't see any need to be coy.

Moaneybat said...

It made me chuckle - please don't be coy, there are times when the odd expletive does fit.

Cheers!