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Smacking dog can backfire

Dogs booted from park's boardwalks Jan. 21 story

While I can certainly sympathize with the jogger who was bitten at John Chesnut Sr. Park, I would like to take issue with his advice to the owner "to discipline his dog, to smack him on the nose and tell him not to bite people."

While the "Just say no" approach might sound good to some people, the reality is that physical punishment can actually backfire by making the dog even more aggressive, and in fact it does not teach the dog what it should do instead of lunging at joggers.

Many leash-aggressive dogs have been successfully rehabilitated by being taught a behavior that is simply incompatible with lunging - such as looking at their handler when a jogger approaches, performing an emergency U-turn or doing a quick sit or down stay.

All of these techniques can be taught using positive, reward-based techniques without any use of physical force or punishment.

I agree that having well-trained dogs in our public parks and on our walking trails is the key to peaceful co-existence for dog lovers and other park visitors. But I strongly recommend that dog owners seek out a qualified, humane dog training specialist who does not rely on punishment to train dogs.

Certified pet dog trainers who utilize positive, reward-based training techniques can be found by visiting the Web site for the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers at www.ccpdt.org.

Janet Skinner, Palm Harbor

Boardwalk is not meant for jogging 

Safety on boardwalks outweighs dog use Jan. 24 editorial

Once again, the editor spouts off without all of the facts.

My wife and I have walked the boardwalks in John Chesnut Sr. Park in East Lake for 23 years. The only problem we had was with the joggers running on the narrow walkways or boardwalks.

They come from behind without slowing or warning or sounding off. Twice my wife couldn't get out of the way fast enough and was bumped by the jogger, throwing her into the railing, leaving a large bruise on her thigh and arm. The jogger never slowed or said "Sorry."

The boardwalks are meant for walking, enjoying the views and wildlife, not jogging.

As for the dog bite, any time someone runs up behind a dog, it startles the animal, and no matter how well it is trained, it might strike out at the runner. I have met many dogs and their owners on the boardwalks and have found all dogs trained and friendly.

Joggers need to run on the wide trails running for miles outside the park.

Ken Tate, Oldsmar

Bridge move good for downtown

Two recent letters to the editor have lambasted the Clearwater City Council for dooming downtown and its suffering merchants by changing the route to the Clearwater Memorial Causeway.

Apparently, both of these individuals do not remember the amount of traffic that would flow through downtown during spring break and the summer when the weather was nice. For most whose destination was the beach, downtown was merely an obstacle in getting there. No one, even pedestrians, like gridlock.

The fact of the matter is with the beach route moved a few blocks to the south, those whose destination is downtown will be able to reach it sooner and enjoy staying longer without the fear of being run over by someone in a rush to get to the beach.

When the long-awaited renovations are complete this fall, Cleveland Street will become a magnet for merchants and once again a great destination for all of Clearwater. I say thanks to our City Council for its insight in making this happen.

David Allbritton, Clearwater

[Last modified January 28, 2007, 07:53:05]