Language a barrier for dogs

Andrew Mathieson
NON-ENGLISH speaking international students are abandoning pet dogs with poor social skills in Geelong before returning overseas, an animal welfare report has revealed.
Geelong Animal Welfare Society president Dr Ian Walter revealed the trend in an annual report on the society’s activities last week.
Dr Walter said the pets often couldn’t understand English-spoken commands, making rehousing extremely difficult.
He said the worrying trend had already put an added cost to the society’s already strained budget.
But he said it was more alarming that an extra 30 or 40 dogs were being euthanased a year because they could not be placed in new homes.
The society cannot pass on for rehousing an animal with an “unsuitable” temperament under the law.
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Mr Walter said.
“They just can’t understand English, so it’s very difficult.
“They just look at you blankly and think ‘what are you talking about?’.”
Dr Walter said the first 11 to 13 weeks of a dog’s life was a critical period to learn social skills.
But he refused to consider enforcing a language criteria on visiting students adopting dogs.
“We can’t take the dogs back (from students),” Mr Walter said.
“We can’t legislate against (socialising dogs) – we can only encourage it.”
A number of psychologically disturbed dogs have also returned after being mistreated, Dr Walter revealed.
As a result, animal welfare society staff were having trouble handling the aggressive animals.
Mr Walter said owners had failed to train or stimulate the animals which were fearful of staff.
“You can’t prosecute for being ignorant, careless or uncaring – that is the problem,” he said.
Both problems are adding to the amount of animals held at the society at Moolap and being euthanased, he said.
“You can’t, in clear consciousness, give someone a dog which you are not reasonably convinced of is fine,” Mr Walter said.
Meanwhile the society has negotiated a new lease with Geelong’s council.
The 30-year lease ended in May, amid fears the society would be forced to pay a commercial rent.
But Dr Walters said the kennels subsidised the running cost of the pound.