Mean & dangerous dogs have a place, too...

Mean and dangerous dogs are usually euthanized - but in Boise, Idaho, they're given a job.

In fact, they hold important positions at the Idaho State Correctional Institution. Dogs have being doing sentry duty there for two decades, and in that time, no inmate has escaped.

Most of the dogs are German Shepherds, Rottweilers, or Belgian Malinois - a few are Boxers or Pit Bulls. In other words, they're big enough and strong enough to do serious damage to anyone foolish enough to invade their territory.

The entire prison is surrounded by an alley formed by two chain link and razor-wire fences, and inside those fences, 36 dogs share patrol duty. Each dog works for 2 days and then is given a day of play and rest in an indoor kennel. While they are aggressive toward any strangers, and protect their territory with snarls and barred fangs, they do bond with their regular trainers and handlers.

As fewer and fewer prisons across the nation take advantage of these "low tech security devices," dog handlers in Boise fear that with increased funding, the dogs may cease to be used. Prison officials say they do not want to see that day. The dogs are not only a cost savings, but are far more reliable than any human or mechanical device.

Their finely tuned senses of hearing and smell mean they can zoom in on someone approaching their fence even in the darkest night or the thickest fog - and unlike electronic devices, they don't fail when the power goes out.

Trainers will tell you that a dog is happiest when he has work to do - and this group certainly has work to do.

Fearful owners = frightening dogs!

Yesterday a friend and I went horseback riding.

On the way back we met a man and a beautiful German Shepherd on the path, and the dog looked none too friendly. It's hard to describe his body language, but it was threatening. The man with him recognized that and reached for the dog's collar - whereupon the dog whirled around and snapped at him!

The man jumped back and made no further attempt to contain the dog, so I put my palm toward him and told him to stay back (in my sternest deepest voice) and then eased slowly past him. My friend did much the same and we got safely by.

I really wanted to go back after we put the horses away and suggest that the man and the dog should be at an obedience class - because if he's allowed to continue that behavior, he really might hurt someone. Maybe even his owner.

The dog definitely had the upper hand in that relationship, and had he decided to come after the horses, I don't think any commands from his owner would have made any difference at all.

It's a shame - he's a beautiful animal.

Yours for happy and safe canine companions,
Marte