Dog Training: The Dog Criminal

( Originally Published 1943 )

Nature itself does not preach nor practice peace; so also, in the catch-as-catch-can happenings of animal life, there appear the bully, the coward, the moron, and the criminal. The last-mentioned in the canine group develops from conditions more often than from heredity. Once a dog has joined others in sheepchasing and killing, usually he is incurable of this vice-he definitely is criminal. Dogs individually or under control of their masters may be obedient law-abiding canines; joined up with other dogs, particularly roamers, they quickly turn into the extremes of wild life and its killing tendencies.

Some dogs clearly are disobedient and so by mental choice. Their eyes, their manners tell that they refuse to obey. Most of them back up this studied defiance with viciousness, even toward their owners.

Much patience and persistent supervision may lessen the criminality; but we speak mostly of those dogs that are hopeless in this regard.-and so they must be considered. Their numbers are a small percentage of the total canine race but once they are come upon, they should be labeled as criminal dogs.

Such dogs must be observed closely, supervised constantly, and kept away from temptation and any opportunity to do ill such as chasing live stock, fighting other dogs, meeting up with the public and with children. They are undependable; they snarl at their owners: they lack in the chief of dog virtues, that of gratttude: and after due consideration, their owners are benefitting all concerned by putting these hopelessly criminal dogs out of the way painlessly.