A german shepherd which attacked a smaller animal at a Dunedin dog park last year and bit a woman on the arm in 2007 should continue to be classified as menacing, a senior Dunedin City Council animal control officer says.
The classification under the Dog Control Act, imposed almost a year ago after an incident at the Wakari dog park, requires Katie Tucholski's 5-year-old dog Kaiser to be neutered. He also has to be muzzled in public unless confined in a cage or vehicle.
Mrs Tucholski appealed the classification, saying the punishment seemed to "far outweigh the crime" and Kaiser's quality of life would be detrimentally affected by muzzling.
A Dunedin City Council panel first heard Mrs Tucholski's objection in January this year and requested an adjournment to allow Kaiser to have obedience training and further behavioural assessment. The hearing reconvened yesterday before Crs Colin Weatherall (chairman), Andrew Noone and Paul Hudson.
Mrs Tucholski's husband, Mario, was with Kaiser at the dog park on November 9 when Kaiser picked up a bichon frise in his mouth, terrifying the smaller dog and severely bruising his ribs.
He said yesterday he had taken Kaiser to intermediate dog obedience training for six weeks and had also attended advanced training sessions for some weeks until work commitments made it impossible to continue.
Kaiser had already come to the attention of dog control officers in November 2007, when he bit a woman who was walking past the Tucholski's Taieri Rd property.
Mrs Tucholski said she and her husband would be "extra vigilant" with Kaiser, would have him castrated, would always have him on a leash and muzzled when in public and would never take him to a dog park again.
Kaiser's behaviour when he was with Mr Tucholski was assessed on October 7 this year by senior animal control officer Jim Pryde and Dunedin dog trainer Rene Gloor.
The dog did not show any signs of aggression at the Tucholskis' house, but when at the Wakari dog park did not respond to Mr Tucholski's verbal commands. When let off his leash, Kaiser, who was wearing a muzzle, ran over to a Labrador and tried to dominate it.
Kaiser's behaviour was instinctive and had now reached a level where he was trying to dominate any dog, regardless of its gender or age, Mr Gloor said.
"It could possibly have resulted in a fight between the two dogs, if the dog is not submissive towards Kaiser," he said.
Mr Pryde said he believed Kaiser's menacing classification was warranted as the attack on the bichon frise had been serious, and he had observed Mr Tucholski was still unable to control Kaiser without treats when faced with a situation which might escalate into a dog fight.
He was also concerned about a comment Mr Tucholski made on October 7 that Kaiser would not back down when involved in a confrontation with another dog.
Neutering would assist in reducing Kaiser's dominant and aggressive behaviour, he said.
There was a difference of opinion yesterday about when Kaiser would have to be muzzled if the menacing classification was upheld. Mr Pryde said he understood muzzling was required whenever the dog was off the Tucholskis' property but Mr and Mrs Tucholski said they understood he could be unmuzzled on a private property owned by friends or relatives with the permission of the owners.
Cr Weatherall said it was a question for the panel to consider.
The panel's decision was reserved.
