Terrier Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 "If it is true that greyhounds kill more animals than most dogs..." Pretty big "IF". I wonder if she has any stats to back this up. ***************** "Do the good justify the actions of the bad?" YES!! Are we to condemn a whole breed because one particular greyhound owner could not control their dog? Surely even the most basic research would tell a person that their greyhound probably has high prey drive and owners should take steps to minimise the impact of this. There are some WONDERFUL inventions available, called a LEAD and a MUZZLE. These are pretty useful tools to use until your dog can be properly socialised, and are already available. I'd have thought a vet would be aware of them. This article stinks imo. TBH it has many parallels with the articles in the gutter press about rottweilers. The difference is, it's coming from somebody who is highly educated, so her view might carry some weight. Would I trust her to give my dog medical attention? Possibly. Do I trust her opinions? Not one bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lainey Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 (edited) Is there not an ethical issue now that she has voiced these opinions, that her judgement, when treating sick or injured greyhounds, may be reliant on predjudice and not on that of a professional vet with the dogs best interest at the forefront of proposed treatment? Glad she's not my vet!!! (and i havent even got a greyhound at the moment) Edited April 1, 2008 by Lainey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kats n greys Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Just posted on the blog I can't believe that I've read such a ill concieved article condemning a breed masquarading as an attempt to open the debate on racing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 (edited) Is there not an ethical issue now that she has voiced these opinions, that her judgement, when treating sick or injured greyhounds, may be reliant on predjudice and not on that of a professional vet with the dogs best interest at the forefront of proposed treatment? Glad she's not my vet!!! (and i havent even got a greyhound at the moment) I don't doubt her skills as a vet (and I do have a greyhound!!). Nor does it bring into play (imo) any concern wrt prejudice affecting the treatment of the animals in her care. What I would question is (a) her opinions and (b) the way she chooses to express them. Worth losing a magnificent breed for? Absolutely not!! (Slightly off topic, but in response to cycas I'm not entirely convinced that I'd want GHs bred solely for the pet market in a bid to keep the breed going). ADD: kats&greys - love the avatar! Edited April 1, 2008 by Terrier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Unfortunately reading her 'reply' on her blog it appears that she still believes she is right and that people are misintepreting her. I hope Beverley Cuddy prints something distancing DT from the article and sacks the stupid woman. However, as it's Beverley Cuddy and DT I rather doubt it. DT is the doggie equivalent of tabloid press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Direct quote from the article defending herself: "people must be aware that they are and can be incredibly adept at what they are bred to do". Does that not apply to other breeds, then? It's a big leap to go from questioning their suitability as pets to then just claim you meant that people should be aware of what their dogs are. Really Ms Milne, if you're going to backtrack in such an embarrassing manner, perhaps an accompanying apology and an admission of error would be a little more graceful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGAR Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Although being a Bull Breed Rescue I have taken in many GHs over the year, both racer and coursers. I have never had problems with them re high prey drive and found them to be very trainable with a bit of work. I am all for Deed Not Breed and find the article incoherent and VERY ignorant. All the more so since she is a vet (??). It also sounds like a personal vendetta. Around here is sheep country, all sorts of dogs have been worrying sheep here although I have yet to hear of a GH doing so, mostly because they are never let loose. I have trained mine with a 10m leash and never had any problems re smaller dogs, kids and/or livestock. Only my own Merlin (ex-courser) had a HUGE problem with goats having been coursed in Connemara on feral goats and their meat being the only source of food him and his canine companions had. It was easy to find out and even easier to manage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootsmazza Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Direct quote from the article defending herself: "people must be aware that they are and can be incredibly adept at what they are bred to do". Does that not apply to other breeds, then? It's a big leap to go from questioning their suitability as pets to then just claim you meant that people should be aware of what their dogs are. Really Ms Milne, if you're going to backtrack in such an embarrassing manner, perhaps an accompanying apology and an admission of error would be a little more graceful? I absolutely agree and if she had done her homework before making her ill-informed and very damaging comments she would know charities who rehome greyhounds make new owners very aware of their potential. I would also question a vet who can say rabbits and squirrels are fair game, cats maybe, dogs no. Where do you draw the line. Today my boy was at the vets and they had a rabbit in the waiting room with him,thankfully I had asked as soon as I arrived what might be coming out the consulting room before him - thinking it might be a cat - so was prepared. Unfortunately, daft new trainee receptionist told me the rabbit was 'in a basket', he was actually in an open basket with no lid so came out with ears popping up!! Mason was very excited, however I was prepared and no harm was done. I am sure the rabbit owner would have been as upset as a small dog owner should Mason have followed his instinct. So how can this vet draw such a line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootsmazza Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Direct quote from the article defending herself: "people must be aware that they are and can be incredibly adept at what they are bred to do". Does that not apply to other breeds, then? It's a big leap to go from questioning their suitability as pets to then just claim you meant that people should be aware of what their dogs are. Really Ms Milne, if you're going to backtrack in such an embarrassing manner, perhaps an accompanying apology and an admission of error would be a little more graceful? I absolutely agree and if she had done her homework before making her ill-informed and very damaging comments she would know charities who rehome greyhounds make new owners very aware of their potential. I would also question a vet who can say rabbits and squirrels are fair game, cats maybe, dogs no. Where do you draw the line. Today my boy was at the vets and they had a rabbit in the waiting room with him,thankfully I had asked as soon as I arrived what might be coming out the consulting room before him - thinking it might be a cat - so was prepared. Unfortunately, daft new trainee receptionist told me the rabbit was 'in a basket', he was actually in an open basket with no lid so came out with ears popping up!! Mason was very excited, however I was prepared and no harm was done. I am sure the rabbit owner would have been as upset as a small dog owner should Mason have followed his instinct. So how can this vet draw such a line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 (Slightly off topic, but in response to cycas I'm not entirely convinced that I'd want GHs bred solely for the pet market in a bid to keep the breed going). I was thinking of the parallel with whippets, which have just as much chase drive and are equally capable of killing small animals. OK, some whippets work, but most of them nowadays are pets: is that so terrible? If racing was abolished, I don't really see why we would have to say goodbye to the greyhound as a breed. Greyhounds are a lot older than the electric rabbit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 I was thinking of the parallel with whippets, which have just as much chase drive and are equally capable of killing small animals. OK, some whippets work, but most of them nowadays are pets: is that so terrible? If racing was abolished, I don't really see why we would have to say goodbye to the greyhound as a breed. Greyhounds are a lot older than the electric rabbit. Nothing wrong with them BEING pets (I have one, and he's great!). I just dislike the notion of breeding dogs specifically for the pet market when there are so many perfectly good pets in rescue. Breeding dogs SOLELY for the pet market almost always leads to a decline in the health of the gene pool. ie there's nothing to aim for - (pleasant companion? that's virtually all dogs) so no obvious need for the breeder to demand high standards. WRT whippets, there are still working/coursing lines to keep the breed going. I could go on, but I've already taken this off topic (although fwiw I agree with pretty much everything else you have said on this thread so far!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ailsas mum Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 If that person hadn't been on a reality t.v. show she would be a bog standard vet in a small town and no one would have heard of her. Instead here she is spouting some of the most ridiculous shite I've ever read. I have never heard of a grey attacking a dog in our local parks, other breeds yes but never a greyhound. Arran even uses his pal as a stepping stone to try and get to people. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted April 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Beverly Cuddy has updated her blog http://coldwetnose.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Thanks for posting Nettie. I must say on a first reading, Beverley Cuddy's blog does make me feel a little happier (although I can't comment either way on her assertion that Dogs Today have been proactive wrt greyhound welfare - I don't buy the magazine). Either way, based on what I've seen so far Beverley Cuddy comes out w/ far more credit in this whole sorry episode than Emma Milne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 so I presume by her artical she is a suporter of BSL thats what she is advocating, just for Grey's rather than PB "types", oh hang on, if she thinks because a breed "might" kill another dog then we better chuck in everything over 10 inches high that has teeth. I bet any Grey owners that frequent her practice will be leaving pretty sharpish, I know I would. As to her comment about the sheep killing Grey's...............for her information the worst culprit for sheep chasing/killing are ( so I've been told by a few sheep farmers) Collies, a breed I believe she owns, best just have them put down then Emma, just in case.....................what a complete prat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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