The responsibility of owning high powered dogs

Driving any sort of car is a responsibility. If we want ourselves and others to have an enjoyable & safe drive, we follow certain road rules. We know that whatever vehicle we’re in, if we crash it whether by accident or carelessness we will face serious consequences.

We all drive different vehicles better suited to different things though, and this also carries different levels of responsibility. Some of us are driving reliable Toyotas. We still need to stick to our side of the road, but although they can still be fun it’s a bit harder to stuff up. We can take them most places, hit a pothole and we’re probably going to do alright. Others are driving Ferraris. The same rules apply on open roads, but we should have a little more skill to drive them. If we hit a pothole it’s probably going to be a lot more expensive, and they’re capable of higher speeds which can do more damage in the event of a crash.

Dogs are no different. While we should all be following the basic rules of dog ownership (which unfortunately isn’t always the case even with the Toyotas!), they’ve all got different needs, different levels of resilience, and different consequences if we stuff up. In general, a well bred golden retriever or cavalier king charles is going to be a lot more forgiving of mistakes compared to a malinois, a working line border collie or a game bred pit bull. But they’re also going to excel at different things, which is why we have more variation within the canine species than any other species on earth.

I’ve been watching the UK’s XL bully attacks and now promised ban just shaking my head. These attacks have been horrific - those of us who have had family members ripped from us as the result of someone else’s carelessness will know the long lasting ripple effects the victims families will be facing, and the desire for some form of justice to prevent this ever happening again. But again, a government opts for the easy bandaid solution of blaming the vehicles instead of addressing the more complicated layers behind it.

Breeders worldwide are creating Ferrari type dogs (including but not limited to bullies) to make a quick buck, but often sending them out with genetically dodgy steering wheels that need to be handled in a particular way, and brakes that don’t work, then facing no consequences for doing so besides making a whole lot of cash. Worse still, learner drivers are buying these canine sports cars for the look, without thought for a pre-purchase check, understanding the special kind of maintenance required, having any defensive driving skills in place to safety navigate challenges, or frankly putting in any real effort to keep them within their own side of the road.

✨ Yeah we can take the easy road and ban Ferrari’s, but they’re not appearing from thin air and crashing themselves. ✨

Without addressing the production line, those wanting Ferrari type dogs for the wrong reasons and the lax attitudes/lack of proactive consequences around dog ownership in general they’ll just go for a lambo next time or whatever cool dog is next, while punishing all those great owners with great dogs just out to enjoy life together in their own lane. Nothing really changes, just pushing the issue down the road to avoid having to actually put the thought & more nuanced measures in place to support safer, more responsible drivers regardless of the vehicle.

If we want any dog, we need to be ready to step up and accept the responsibility that comes with that - namely keep your dog in your own lane. But we also need to recognise that they are not all built the same, and if we want the privilege of sharing our lives with these amazing Ferrari dogs we must also be prepared to take on that extra layer of responsibility.