Many of us grew up with neighbourhood dogs running at large ruling their territory. In the North End of my own town, Chief the Bulldog put fear into the heart of many a kid returning home from school at lunch time. Seems like Chief also had eating on his mind.

Many a lad trying to impress his friends was humbled by Chief's agility and determination to hang on while they did a rendition of St. Vitus Dance that would have made some gangsta rap stars look tame by comparison.

Truly, Chief was a neighbourhood bully. And yes, we were all a target of Chief's glare and rumble. Some of us knew it was a game and devised our own strategies for staying in one piece without CSI on the scene.

Chief wasn't alone in his somewhat Machavellian desire to rule the world. There was also Lad, a 120+ lb. St. Bernard, who was sweet as all get out unless you were coming home with groceries or unless you were stupid enough (author admits stupidity) to decide to test your dog training techniques by removing a bone from his massive clenched jaws. Amusing anecdotes unless you were the recipient of Chief or Lad's wrath and/or exuberance.

Fortunately for both Chief and Lad, they were also well-loved and their owners were able to out talk the SPCA. Responsible owners would have put up a fence and taught their dogs basic manners - ie the neighborhood children are not chew toys. But both Lad and Chief were typical dogs of their days and their owners were typical owners.

Today much has changed for the better and the Chiefs and Lads of the world are owned by intelligent individuals and families who put their dogs interests on par with their own. Taking the time to research their lifestyles, breeds that will fit into their time, financial outlay, and their family structure is becoming the norm.

However, along with the positive changes that have been made in our lives and the lives of our canine friends, we owe it to them and future generation of dog lovers to be aware of the growing trend towards Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) that targets an entire Breed rather than an individual dog and its irresponsible and/or uneducated owner. Dogs like Chief would never stand a chance to mend his ways through proper education and some very minor changes to their life circumstances.

Law-makers are also finding themselves having to legislate who can own what breed, in what type of accomodation, and where we are able to exercise our dogs safely within our chosen communities. Some law are draconian and are based upon fear mongering and lack of knowledge while others are inclusive, compassionate and enlightened.

Your dog, your family and your community needs for YOU to be in the driver's seat. Be responsible. Do your research before you consider dog ownership. And once you are a very fortunate caretaker - raise your dog with care, kindness and understanding. Foremost, realize that owning a dog is a privilege not a right and that you are the steward of your Breed and hold the future of all dog owners at your end of the leash.

Please see the link below for information on areas of some of the legal aspects of sharing your lives with our treasured companions.

Valerie Brideau
Webmaster