Millions of dogs are ’simply out of control’

Amanda Barrie, actress Walter Koenig, actor, Sam Neill, actor, Mary Crosby, actress, Morten Harket, singer

Kimberly Williams, actress, Andrew Lincoln, actor, Tinchy Stryder, rapper, WHILE absolutely condemning the person who put up the warning signs for dog owners at Longwood, as one who finds the behaviour of dogs and their owners to fall very short of reasonable, I do understand why he or she has been driven to do it.

According to the Pet Food Manufacturer’s Organisation there are currently 9,000,000 dogs in our country, the vast majority of which are household pets.

I have looked extensively online to find the number of these animals which have undergone any formal training.

I only managed to find one example and it estimated less than 30%. This means there are at least 6,300,000 dogs which are effectively out of control.

My own experience of owners shouting at their pets to absolutely no avail would tend to support this statistic.

Indeed, only once in years of walking this green and, sadly, increasingly unpleasant land, have I seen a dog respond immediately to its owner’s command and it was a joy to behold.

So, while I accept the person responsible for the signs has erred seriously, dog owners must look at themselves to find the reason why. September about more “places to go.”

As a cancer sufferer I have a special card produced by Macmillan Cancer Care, which I can use in shops etc to get discreet attention.

This has always worked well until this week when I was in Huddersfield and I had to go to six “outlets” before I could find one with accessible toilets.

Apparently if you want to go in the centre of Huddersfield you have to either don climbing gear or mining gear as the shop toilets are either in the top or basement of the premises.

Even the staff told me that they have to go before they have to go!

Keep hanging on.