Do Dog Handlers need to Pass a Dog Driving Test?

This morning’s post is inspired by an excellent new Website that specializes in Dog Training. It’s at the following link http://www.dogpotentials.com and the Author is Christi Upson who has been training dogs for more years than Joe Vitale has books to his credit. Who is Joe Vitale you might ask?

Well Joe is an exceptional Author and Internet marketer with way too many books to his credit to list here (sorry Joe ...Just couldn’t resist!).I think it was Joe Vitale’s web site http://www.mrfire.com that first introduced me to the wonderful world of the Internet and the opportunities therein. He also has the distinction of knocking Harry Potter off the Amazon top slot recently with one of his new books (way too many too mention here ...you get the message!)

Christi’s web site is well worth a visit if you are a Can-0-phile and the articles on the various ways and means of getting your pooch to do its party pieces or behave in the Ring are entertaining and informative. The Dog that can walk backwards and then sway and play dead is an absolute howl (sorry!) Christi’s Blog is at http://dogpotentials.blogspot.com .

Back to the task at hand in training not Dog Handlers but Car Handlers otherwise known as Provisional License Holders or Learner Drivers. Here in Ireland we have one of the worst Pedestrian Accident Statistics in Europe both Deaths and serious injuries. Children make up a good proportion of these figures every year. Why is this so?

Well apart from the fact that Children and Dogs are not born with an adequate level of road sense and need to be trained to cope with the rigours of road use, the indisputable fact that The Law does not seem to pursue Pedestrians and Cyclists or Dog owners that are a danger to other road users, makes a bad situation worse. It is quite common to see cyclists riding down the wrong side of the road and weaving in and out of traffic not to say the favourite trick of running red lights constantly.

Pedestrians completely ignore the Traffic Light instructions in most instances and indeed in my Daily efforts at training young Drivers for the Driving Test, I am having to point out the necessity of getting off the mark very promptly when you are lead car at the Traffic lights because if you don’t then you will be almost certainly be forced to come to a stop as six pedestrians on one side and four on the other launch themselves kamikaze style across the road in front of you. Obviously this is not a pleasant experience for a learner Driver or an experienced one for that matter.

Dog owners also make life difficult for the Driver by not having their charges on a lead frequently when walking on the pavement or sidewalk. Dogs are fine when they are in the park to be let loose to play but should be controlled at all other times. Dogs that are allowed to roam on their own create a huge hazard for the inexperienced Driver who will more than likely swerve when confronted with a dog in the road which can lead to serious accidents. One dog crossing the road is very often followed by another, rather like children playing outside their house when one decides to head home across the street.

When driving in a built up area my philosophy for dealing with children and dogs is the same...watch out for the ones you cannot see...Children and dogs seldom travel alone.You might be able to see two children on the pavement but there frequently can be several more out of sight just about to dash across in front of you as one of their friends get called in by Mum or Dad.

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