badly controlled huskies.

I live near the Danish - German border, so I have come to realise that the law in Germany requires dog owners to go to dog-training classes in order to be allowed to keep a dog.

I am considering lobbying for a similar law here, perhaps some of you ladies should start doing so in the UK?

The admittedly few Germans I have discussed it with say it does prevent people taking on dogs they are not prepared to look after and train properly. Certainly the dogs I meet on that side of the border are all very well trained and never allowed to approach strangers unless the person makes it very clear they like dogs.

I meet so many dog owners who have rescued dogs from a Eastern Europe. Unfortunately I think they are perpetuating the problem. There are agencies over here supplying the dogs. Most are street dogs , so not socialized. There are so many dogs in this country needing homes. I don’t get it!

In Australia they have some good regulations regarding dog owners. The local council run dog registration, all dogs have to be registered full price is about £35 but there are reduction for training certificate, neutering certificate, etc., you get a plastic disc which must be attached to the collar, dogs without get impounded. If a dog gets out the dog catcher will take it to the kennel and to get your dog back you pay a fee for dog catcher and kennel plus a fine several hundred dollars. You can only have 2 dogs and have to apply to the council if you want a 3, they decide if the will issue you an additional registration. If there is a dog that has been reported for aggressive behaviour the council put a sign on your house warning dangerous dog. Dog breeders have to live on a rural block usually about 2 acres and be registered as breeders.

All of these regulations are good, but you are most heavily restricted on where you can take dogs, you can’t go into national parks, pubs or hotels as they are called, public transport, holiday accommodation places and if you do find them prices very high or they are real dives.
My dogs can accompany me to loads more places now we are in the U.K. and they have been on a bus and a boat, pub lunches etc are just a few of the experiences we couldn’t have done together when we lived in Australia.

Unfortunately, you get good and bad owners where ever you live.

I didn’t know that grandtante. Seems like a good idea to me.

Having said that I’ve been shocked at the unruly and unmanageable dogs I see at dog training classes. Yes, some do improve (after the owners have been trained) but often they don’t turn up again after the first couple of classes.

Generally (but not always ) it’s owners who’ve bought breeds that are just too big for them to handle. Or rescue dogs. They DO take a lot of retraining and socialisation, but generally their owners stick with it.

I can't understand the pull to have a pet who needs training, has to obey commands, needs exercising on a lead, washing, brushing, worming, feeding, picking up their poop, insuring, in fact, a slave to it's owner. What is in it for the pet? No real freedom except in the case of working dogs. Most 'pets' don't get the exercise they need for their size and as for people who work and keep dogs in cages. Wow!! Would you keep a human caged?

Cold weather dogs are always happier in snow and these are dogs long bred for a particular purpose. I know that some people take them on and do go sledding with them but I do feel sorry for any who don't experience snow.
We had a St. Bernard in Canada and she would get really excited about 2 days before the snow came. It didn't matter how cool it was, it was the snow that excited her. She would go under the crawl space in the basement when it was hot so that she could sleep on cold concrete.
You could try to talk to your local dog warden if the council still has one and see if they have any advice. The poor dogs are frustrated but that is not much help if they worry you.
I was brought up in a very doggy house. My father was a police dog handler, we had boarding kennels for a few dogs and he gave dog training classes that I helped at so really immersed in dogs. Separating dog fights doesn't bother me - but dogs lunging or snapping at your ankles is not ok and it is sensible to react negatively to it. It is rude not to control dogs that do that.

Very interesting replies. I wish they had obligatory training classes here Grandtante.
I'll try to find out if there's a dog warden here. And maybe start some pressure, if I have the energy!
I'm just so sad for these beautiful animals with their stupid owners.

Another idea - a return to obligatory dog licences?

A black Labrador lunged at me the other day. The owner apologised and then put on its muzzle - a bit late methinks. All dogs (not just Huskies) seem to have the potential to be aggressive, so beware...!

Fennel microchipping is the new dog licence. It’s compulsory. And before anyone says who enforces it....the same could be said for the dog licence.

Gabrielle you’ve made a couple of sweeping generalisations there. And I have a crate (not a cage). I leave it open when I go out and I generally find one of the dogs in it when I return. They see it as their ‘den’ . The only time I lock it is when I have a new foster dog I need to leave alone for a while.

Yes, sadly you are correct that some pets are crated/left for far too long when owners have to work. I’d say about 75% of dogs we rehome it’s because their owners find they don’t have the time for them.

I have just had a thorough house check to enable me to take on 3 rescue cats.
I firmly believe everyone taking on an animal should be checked as should their homes. Bring back dog licenses & make them the sort that can be attached to a collar so they are visible.
One of our new cats was previously owned by someone who should never have another animal. He is now being spoiled rotten!

This may be useful to you Fennel:

www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

Fennel. Good luck with the dog warden as if yours is like my local one you will be wasting your time. I reported to the DW two adult Shar Pei that frequently escaped from their owners garden and wandered the streets. The response was' catch them' give us a call and we will pick them up. I doubt you will get a response once it is known they are on a lead and with their owner.

I'm a bit reluctant to take any action locally anyway because our estate is 'mixed' - there are a few dodgy characters. I wouldn't want to cross them.

Another good link, Northern Lass.

HildaW I am totally with you. It is so distressing when a breed becomes a fashion and people start acquiring the dogs without the first idea of that dog's needs.
Fennel
It is possible to but a dog-deterrent which is harmless. I suggested one for my daughter years ago when she was training and was running in London where there were often street dogs many of which were the then fashionable Staffordshire bulldog type. It emits a high pitched sound too high for human hearing. A dog dislikes the sound. It is used to train dogs not to bark in many instances. It is not harmful. However it does not always work. But it may distract the dog enough to make it turn away. It cannot hurt the dog. There are many on Amazon, they all look the same but seem different in that some get very poor reviews and others seem ok. The one I tried seemed a bit flimsy but ok. The nearest I can find is: TILZ PET LED Ultrasonic dog repeller and trainer 3 in 1 anti-barking handheld dog training device Sale:£8.99 prime.
I experimented very briefly with my small mixed breed dogs and they did stop barking and looked at me. But they usually stop barking when I command them to anyway so I do not want to confuse them and did not try it again.
It may be worth trying something like this. I agree with responders who advise you ask the Dog-Warden or appropriate authority in your area for advice.
It is very distressing to see animals used as fashion accessories and more than upsetting to see dogs being raised incorrectly and in the wrong environment. If the dog becomes frustrated and aggressive, it is never the fault of the animal, but the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the dog is given the right conditions for a healthy and happy life.

sorry - it is possible to buy a dog deterrent

sarahellenwhitney Crumbs! I'm really shocked! Can you report the Dog Wardens? Who is paying them? Yes, it's us, well the good old Council Tax Payer. So they tell you to go out and do their job for them! Disgusting!!

Craftycat How I agree!! Moreover, there should be an exam to ensure the owner understands the needs of the animal.
It should apply to some farmers too- usually small-holders not actual farmers. I was horrified by a man who thought it was funny that he was going to shoot his "teenage" stag because it was fighting the breeding stag in his herd of deer which he bred for the table. The ignorant, thick-skinned, unfeeling and disgusting man did not even know the basics of keeping a herd of deer in a confined field. Of course, as soon as the young male became reasonably big, the two males had to fight till one gave way and the other could prove he was the boss of the herd. But when he gives way, the subservient one runs away. In a field with a big fence, and this was a small field at that, he cannot run away. So the principal deer was still attacking him and he had to fight. It was cruelty of the highest order and this ignorant hateful man thought it was funny. I cannot get over it. People upset me so much sometimes. How could such an ignorant and cruel man be allowed to have under his total control a whole herd of these beautiful, intelligent and sensitive creatures?

I'll have a look for that luzdoh thanks.
As I said in the OP I'm not afraid of dogs, we've had dogs ourselves. But some owners don't know what they've taken on. And I know with any dog there's a potential for attack.

Fennel I know what you mean, I'm not afraid of dogs except there are too many uncontrolled and dangerous ones about! I will unashamedly say I am afraid of them! I do not take my very small dogs out in public. Fortunately my garden is big and they have a lot of fun there. But I got too fed up with the dangerous dogs off leads who bounded up to my tiny dogs and began to pulverise them, often while their owner just laughed, or mostly when there was no owner to be seen. I would pick up my dog and then the big dog would attack both me and my little dog, even when I was on my disability scooter.
So I don't take them out. Too dangerous because the human beings can't, won't and don't control their big dogs.
GabriellaG It's simple what I get from my dogs - unconditional love! I know they like me to feed them... but honestly, they are so loyal, loving, funny, adorable, individual, clever, devoted, and just such wonderful company. I love them so much!

Your last paragraph resonates with me ludzoh so much pleasure from my dogs. I do appreciate that others do not have the the same feelings toward animals.

ludzoh your last sentence also resonates with me. They ask so little and give so much. Unconditionally.

I have 3 dogs 1 x English rescue 1 x had from puppy and 1 x eastern European dog. What you have to realise is that having these dogs does not add to the problem. Over here (on the whole) dogs in rescue centres are fed, walked and cared for. In Romania a dog in a shelter will be starved, or beaten by staff until it dies or killed by other dogs it shares a cage with. By getting my boy I saved him. They tend to be street dogs living in packs so they are socialised with other dogs but not with humans.

Wish there was a ‘like’ button nanny2507