QueenScoopalot
11-20-2004, 03:12 PM
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3100202a10,00.html
Breastfed dog may turn savage, say experts
18 November 2004
By KAREN HODGE
A Hawke's Bay woman who is breastfeeding a puppy so it will protect her baby could end up with a savage dog on her hands, animal behaviour experts fear.
Hastings mother Kura Tumanako revealed this week that she breastfed her Staffordshire bull terrier puppy twice a day in the belief that it would grow up to protect her three-month-old baby.
Ms Tumanako said she started breastfeeding the puppy when her baby stopped taking her milk, and she did not want the milk to go to waste.
But dog behaviour experts are alarmed over the unusual case and say the puppy could end up an aggressive dog with behavioural problems.
Napier dog trainer John Lane said there could be long-term behavioural defects in the animal and he feared the woman could end up with a savage dog if it was trained as a protector.
"You have a potential danger here," he said. "We should not be training dogs for protection – the only people that should be doing that are the police. I really can't see any advantage in doing it."
Mr Lane, who has extensively studied dog behaviour, said the average dog would protect its family in a serious situation anyway. Dogs should be trained to alert owners to people coming on to the property only by barking.
Massey University animal psychologist Vicki Erceg said a dog should be treated as a dog, not as a human being.
"It is hard to tell what this (breastfeeding) would do – a dog is not a mini human," Ms Erceg said.
"We are trying so hard not to have aggressive dogs. It's not appropriate to have a dog purely for protection."
Auckland Unitec animal behaviour and welfare lecturer Nancy Clarke said a puppy's socialisation stage was crucial for its continuing development.
"By breastfeeding, the dog will develop a very strong bond to the mother rather than the baby and potentially look at the baby as a subordinate member of the family," Ms Clarke said.
"You could be looking at a dog potentially seeing itself as a higher-ranking member of the pack than the baby – the dog could become protective of the mother."
Original story was posted by PJ'S Mom
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64223
Breastfed dog may turn savage, say experts
18 November 2004
By KAREN HODGE
A Hawke's Bay woman who is breastfeeding a puppy so it will protect her baby could end up with a savage dog on her hands, animal behaviour experts fear.
Hastings mother Kura Tumanako revealed this week that she breastfed her Staffordshire bull terrier puppy twice a day in the belief that it would grow up to protect her three-month-old baby.
Ms Tumanako said she started breastfeeding the puppy when her baby stopped taking her milk, and she did not want the milk to go to waste.
But dog behaviour experts are alarmed over the unusual case and say the puppy could end up an aggressive dog with behavioural problems.
Napier dog trainer John Lane said there could be long-term behavioural defects in the animal and he feared the woman could end up with a savage dog if it was trained as a protector.
"You have a potential danger here," he said. "We should not be training dogs for protection – the only people that should be doing that are the police. I really can't see any advantage in doing it."
Mr Lane, who has extensively studied dog behaviour, said the average dog would protect its family in a serious situation anyway. Dogs should be trained to alert owners to people coming on to the property only by barking.
Massey University animal psychologist Vicki Erceg said a dog should be treated as a dog, not as a human being.
"It is hard to tell what this (breastfeeding) would do – a dog is not a mini human," Ms Erceg said.
"We are trying so hard not to have aggressive dogs. It's not appropriate to have a dog purely for protection."
Auckland Unitec animal behaviour and welfare lecturer Nancy Clarke said a puppy's socialisation stage was crucial for its continuing development.
"By breastfeeding, the dog will develop a very strong bond to the mother rather than the baby and potentially look at the baby as a subordinate member of the family," Ms Clarke said.
"You could be looking at a dog potentially seeing itself as a higher-ranking member of the pack than the baby – the dog could become protective of the mother."
Original story was posted by PJ'S Mom
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64223