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Problematic Dangerous Dog Bill Introduced in Minnesota

Minnesota House File 3245, sponsored by Representative Dennis Ozment, seeks to lift the state's current prohibition on breed-specific legislation. If passed and signed into law, the changes imposed by this bill would have a profound impact on all dog owners in Minnesota. It is imperative that all dog owners and breeders in Minnesota contact the members of the House Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee to express their opposition to the bill as currently written.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of dogs. We support laws that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as "dangerous" based on stated, measurable actions; impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners; and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous. The AKC strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be "dangerous" based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs.

As currently worded, HF 3245 conflicts with AKC's reasonable, non-discriminatory dangerous dog position. Specifically, it would:

  • Establish a task force to study and recommend a uniform, statewide, mandatory system of dog owner and dog obedience education training according to commonly accepted standards and best practices for each breed or mixed breed of dog.

 

  • Allow all statutory or home rule charter cities, or counties, to recommend to the task force specific breeds of dogs to be designated as dangerous or potentially dangerous based solely on the specific breed of dog.
For a copy of the bill, click here.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Contact the members of the Minnesota House Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee who will consider this bill. Let them know that, if passed as currently written, HF 3245 will result in unfair and discriminatory dangerous dog policy in Minnesota.

Representative Joe Mullery, Chairman
(651) 296-4262
rep.joe.mullery@house.mn

Representative Jeremy Kalin, Vice Chairman
(651) 296-5377
rep.jeremy.kalin@house.mn
 

http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3437

Training Tips

 

Click here to read Trainer Denise Nord's article on Boston Terrier behavior

 
Training Tips

 

 Feist Animal Hospital's resident Boston Terrier Expert, John Flaagan DVM, shares his knowledge here.

Basic Information
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The Boston Terrier is one of the few truly American breeds.  The Boston Terrier was developed in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 19th Century by the crossing of a Bulldog and an English Terrier.  Thus the name Boston Terrier.  Size ranges from approximately 10-25 pounds, although some may weigh up to 30 pounds.  Physical characteristics include the bulldog-type short nose, naturally erect ears, a compact, muscular body, and a short, smooth coat.  Markings vary, but all Bostons have white markings with a black, seal, or brindle body --  as if the dog is wearing a tuxedo.  They are compactly built and well balanced and convey an expression of determination, strength, and activity.

The Boston Terrier makes a wonderful pet and companion.  They are basically an indoor dog.  They do not like extreme heat or cold.  The Boston Terrier is genuinely “a people dog” preferring his owner’s companionship to that of other members of the animal kingdom.  He is a watch dog, companion and protector, an ideal family dog.  He is adaptable to the smallest home because of his size, disposition and short coat.  He loves to romp and play with children and adults alike.

Because of their short noses and dark, short coat, Bostons are extremely vulnerable to heat prostration.  Although chronic health problems are unusual, because of their short noses, Bostons may be prone to heart or respiratory difficulties; and they may be more vulnerable to injuries to their prominent eyes.  Other problems seen occasionally in the breed include long soft palates, stenotic nares, luxating patellas (slipped stifles), hemivertibrae, and cataracts.  In addition, care must be exercised by veterinarians in the use of anesthesia; faster-acting isofluorane is recommended for this breed for surgical procedures.  Maintained in good health, Bostons usually live 12 to 15 years, with some living as long as 18 years.

Purchase your Boston Terrier from a reputable breeder who is willing to answer all your questions and show you at least one parent (on the premises) of your puppy.  The breeder should also help you and your puppy get acquainted by teaching you about a healthy diet, house breaking, and medical care.  As a purchaser you should receive a written contract signed by the breeder, guaranteeing health.  Your selection should be a puppy that appears healthy, active, alert, and very curious.  It would be good to have your veterinarian examine your selection.

 
Helpful Links
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Here are some interesting links pertaining to issues with Boston Terriers:

BAER - for hearing     www.offa.org/deafbaer.html
CERF - for eyes        www.vmdb.org/cerf.html
OFFA - for patella's/knees     http://www.offa.org/
How To Find a Breeder
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Excerpts From American Kennel Club (AKC) Website

A responsible breeder is the best source for a well-bred, healthy dog.  The breeder will carefully select the parents of each litter to emphasize desirable attributes and minimize faults in their progeny.  Some people breed dogs only to produce puppies to sell.  (These individuals have no regard for the advancement of that breed; they are motivated solely by profit.)  Responsible breeders will never breed a litter without considering the advancement of the breed.  Each litter should improve the quality of breeding stock, resulting in healthy puppies with improved breed soundness – this is, physical and mental health – that are an advancement toward the ideal breed.

Another good reason to buy a puppy from a breeder is that it gives you the opportunity to interact with the puppy’s siblings and dam, also possibly the sire.  You can, therefore, form a general impression of what the future holds for the puppy you take home.

Buying from a breeder means that you are part of an extended family.  Most breeders expect a call if the dog has a crisis at any stage in its life, so they can help you understand and cope with the problem.  This can be especially comforting for the first time dog owners who can’t even imagine what kinds of questions they’ll have in the future.

Visit as many breeders as possible for your breed.  Examine the premises to make sure they are clean and that the dogs appear to be well cared for.  Puppies should be clean, well fed, lively and friendly, without any signs of illness such as runny nose or eyes, skin sores, or dirty ears or fleas.

Every breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) has a National or Parent Club that was formed for that breed.  The parent club is responsible for the preservation, protection and welfare of that particular breed.  They are also responsible for the Breed Standard of that breed.  The breed standard is a written description, or word picture describing the perfect dog of that breed; how it should look, the manner in which it moves, and temperament.  They are owned by the Parent Club.  Responsible breeders are always trying to breed dogs closest to this standard with no inherited defects.  The AKC believes that the Parent Clubs are the best contacts for anyone looking for information on a particular breed or purchasing a puppy of that breed.  They can direct you to breeders of the individual breed in your state or region.  They also have an abundance of excellent information and important facts that all owners of that breed should be aware of. 

You may also consider visiting an All-Breed Dog Show.  This will give you an opportunity to view firsthand virtually every breed recognized by the American Kennel Club.  In addition to seeing a variety of dogs, you will have a chance to talk with dedicated breeders, people concerned with the welfare and advancement of their chosen breed.  You can learn a lot from these knowledgeable and dedicated folks, who can also lead you to breeders of the particular breed in the area.

 

Breeder Comparisons
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TRAITS OF RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS

 

TRAITS OF BACKYARD BREEDERS

“Into” Dogs (shows, training, clubs, etc.)

Not “into” dogs (has “pets” around the house)

Belongs to dog clubs & organizations

Is not involved in the “dog world”

Proves quality of dogs & suitability for breeding by competing for titles & certificates in conformation, obedience, agility, field trialing, Schutzhund, herding, tracking, earthdog trials, etc.

Quality of dogs is almost always substandard, however, he does not test his dogs in shows or trials (Dogs are just pets or “breeding machines”)

Pups’ pedigrees are filled with dogs who have obtained show titles/working certificates; never breeds dogs without “papers”

Pedigrees mostly a list of pets bred by backyard breeders; pups may not even have “papers”; may be mongrels (Cockapoos, etc.)

Supports rescue groups; knows his actions inevitably play some part in pet overpopulation & euthanasia (one of every four dogs in shelters is purebred).  Even with all his efforts to stem overpopulation, he knows “cracks” will lead to canine deaths

Honestly believes that because he places/sells all his pups, he does not contribute in any way to the needless slaughter of millions of dogs per year in shelters (Does not see his role in his pups making pups & them making more pups & so on)

Knowledgeable in every facet of breed, including that of health issues/defects; researches genetics when choosing mates

Not particularly educated about breed, often not aware of his own breed’s genetic defects; does not consider mate’s genetics

Knowledgeable about house breaking, training, socializing, breeding, health; constantly reads dog-related materials

Has own ideas which may not coincide with professionals’ opinions; won’t bother to read any of the hundreds of dog books available

Can & will help & educate puppy buyers regarding above issues

Says “Goodbye” & “Good luck”

Willing to give you his references

Has no references

Knows his puppies’ ancestry

Knows nothing about the other dogs on puppies’ pedigrees

Follows up on puppies’ well-being; collects health information affecting his dogs

Does not concern himself with the puppies’ well-being or how puppies” health affects his breeding “plan”

Breeds to improve his own dogs, his bloodlines & the breed

Breeds just to breed or make money or see his “great dog” procreate

Rarely breeds as he does not use dog breeding as a business & strives for quality, not quantity

Breeds regularly if for money or if puppy mill; if for ego, breeds once in awhile, or “just once” before neutering or spaying

Rarely repeats a breeding

Often repeats breedings, mainly those that are cheap & convenient

Breeds only dogs which meet breed standard

Dogs used for breeding rarely meet breed standard

Breeds only dogs with stable temperaments

Breeds shy/aggressive dogs with poor temperaments

Breeds only dogs over 2 years old & a limited number of times

Breeds dogs at almost any age, & any number of times

Mate choice could be anywhere in the country (almost never breeds his own males to his own females)

Mate choice is that which is convenient, cheap, local (very often owns both sire & dam)

Does all genetic testing & will provide proof; does not breed animals with genetic defects or which are carriers of defects

Does no genetic testing; ignorantly breeds defective animals or those which are carriers, thus, perpetuating disease in breed.

Puppies are sold from waiting list created before breeding even takes place

Puppies are sold after birth in the local newspaper, first-come, first-served

Pet-quality pups generally cost $500-600+ (show quality costs more)

All pups are pet-quality & are relatively cheap, usually $200-$400 (NOTE:  these pups are sometimes sold to pet stores and therefore you may spend much more)

Puppies are sold with health guarantees

Puppies are sold with no guarantee

Puppies are sold with contracts

No contracts; does not care what you do with puppies

Requires pups back if new homes don’t work out

Says “Find them good homes”

Does not own more dogs than he has room, time or money for; dogs are groomed, exercised, healthy, happy

Puppy mills are overloaded, “warehoused” dogs are not groomed or exercised, don’t look healthy or happy

Will show you pups’ parents if available, or if not, will have pictures

Might have to “lock up” pups’ aggressive or shy parents (dogs that should never have been bred)

Raises puppies indoors

Raises puppies outdoors

Stays home to care for puppies

Dam & pups are alone for long hours

Feeds only premium dog food

Feeds cheap, grocery store dog food (containing 4D meat/chemicals)

Visitors remove shoes & wash hands to prevent spread of parvovirus

Has no understanding & takes no precautions to prevent puppy-killer disease

Keeps pups with mom & litter a minimum of 49 days to ensure sibling socialization & important lesions from pups’ mother

Doesn’t know leaving litter earlier can cause lifelong temperament problems or staying too long can hurt bonding with humans

Socializes pups by systematically handling them & exposing them to various noises, children & other animals before sending them to new homes

Does not understand or want to be troubled with any kind of training; just tries to keep puppies quiet & contained until sold

Tests pups to match their temperaments & drives with buyers’ personalities & lifestyles

Knows nothing about puppy-testing or matching puppies with buyers; allows buyers to pick the “cutest” one

Can honestly evaluate pups’ quality

Says all pups are high quality

Never sells to “impulse” buyers

Is not concerned about buyers being prepared for pups

Never sells two pups at the same time to a novice

Would consider this killing two birds with one stone

Interviews prospective buyers, checks home & references, refuses to sell to substandard homes

Sells first-come, first-served to whomever has the cash; does not find out which homes are substandard

Wants to meet whole family; won’t sell if children are abusive

Does not consider anything past obtaining the funds

Sells to buyers with disposable income (AKC reports it costs $1327 per year to properly care for a dog)

Is not concerned whether or not buyers can afford to properly care for pups

Waits for buyers who offer lifelong homes (Knows that only 30 percent of all dogs stay in one home throughout their lives)

Does not reject high-risk buyers; (renters, young people, those with poor track records, low income, other pets, dogs kept outdoors)

Understands dogs are “pack” animals; sells pets only to buyers wanting to make pup an indoor dog & part of the family

Doesn’t care if pups live as outdoor dogs or chained dogs, being unhappy or anxious being isolated & separated from “packs”

Sells only to buyers who make pup’s safety a priority

Does not consider pups’ best interests

Encourages or requires buyers to spay/neuter pet-quality pups

Encourages buyers to breed, regardless of quality

Encourages buyers to train pups; refers to good trainer

Shows no concern for pups after sale; knows no trainers

Makes sure buyers understand pup’s considerable need for time, attention, exercise & training

Does not provide even his own dogs with enough time, attention, exercise or training

Dogs on property are friendly, socialized, trained

Dogs on property may be aggressive or shy, & untrained

*FROM:  Lawrence County Humane Society Abuse and Adoption Center

++shaded or lighter areas are very important to note and compare
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Minnesota Boston Terrier Club