2023-10-04 18:50:12
An animal keeper accustoms young dogs at the German police training institute to being used as police dogs. The perpetrator is caught here. (archive image)
imago/Rupert Oberhäuser
On Monday, a woman was bitten to death by a dog while jogging in the morning in Austria. Now it turns out that the American Staffordshire Terrier was trained to be a fighting machine.
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On Monday, American Staffordshire Terrier Elmo killed a jogger in Upper Austria. The dog was specifically trained to behave aggressively in protection dog training. Now the Upper Austrian dog ownership law is to be revised.
After Monday’s fatal dog attack on a jogger in Upper Austria, the discussion regarding keeping fighting dogs has reignited. The fact that killer dog Elmo was apparently specifically trained to behave aggressively through so-called protection dog training adds fuel to the fire.
In screenshots from the owner’s Facebook page, which has now been deleted, Elmo can be seen during protection dog training. The pictures were published by the Austrian newspaper «Today».
Training to become a “protection dog” is controversial. Protective sports, the sport variant of training, are primarily regarding training dogs to be obedient companions for extreme situations. They don’t learn to bite people, but are supposed to “capture” the protective sleeve. The animals are trained primarily through motivation and play without significant pressure, but their prey behavior is still addressed.
Training to become a service dog, for example as a police dog, is not regarding playing with the sleeve as prey like in protective sports, but actually regarding being able to catch a perpetrator in an emergency and, in an emergency, attack. In Austria as well as in Germany and Switzerland, this type of training is either generally reserved for the authorities or requires approval, for example in the guard and security industry.
Dog expert: One wrong movement is enough to trigger it
In the Today article, dog expert Michael Lehner classifies: If you practice protective sports correctly, it is not threatening. On the other hand, if you create pressure, you will get “a result that no one wants.” In certain situations, one wrong movement is enough to remind the dog of the training and make it sharp.
That is why Lehner advocates the nationwide introduction of the widely required dog driving license in Austria. In three Austrian federal states, a permit or a dog license test is required to keep potentially dangerous breeds such as American Staffordshire Terriers. Upper Austria is not one of them: all dog owners there have to complete a course.
The state minister responsible for animal protection, Michael Lindner, has now announced that the Upper Austrian dog ownership law will be evaluated. “We can’t just go back to business as usual, we have to critically examine the law and enforcement with experts,” said Lindner.
The rules for keeping fighting dogs in Switzerland
In many Swiss cantons, keeping American Staffordshire Terriers requires a permit. Other cantons, such as Zurich, completely ban the keeping and breeding of dogs from breed type list II, which also include American Pitbull Terriers, Bullteriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bull Terriers, Pitbull Terriers, Bandogs and Basicdogs.
The classification of dog breeds is controversial. In an overview study in 2019, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna came to the conclusion that the breed-specific dangerousness of dogs can neither be scientifically proven nor proven by reliable bite statistics.
Elmo was probably on a leash but without a muzzle
The fatal incident occurred on a dirt road in Naarn, a small rural community near Linz. The dog owner went for a walk there with her American Staffordshire Terrier Elmo. As the jogger ran past, she was attacked by the animal. The victim suffered numerous bite wounds. The emergency doctor might only determine that the woman was dead.
The owner tried in vain to drag her dog away. She was injured herself. Initial investigations revealed that the dog was on a leash but was not wearing a muzzle. In Upper Austria, the muzzle requirement only applies to individual dogs that have been classified by the authorities as conspicuous because they have threatened people or animals.
The 37-year-old owner, who was taken to hospital with injuries, has not yet been able to be interviewed, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. The authorities are investigating suspicion of negligent homicide. Elmo has already been euthanized.
Residents deeply shocked
The state’s Prime Minister Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) pointed out that proposals for a stricter dog ownership law had always triggered emotional debates that were accompanied by inconsistent expert opinions. It is clear to him: “People need more protection from dog attacks, that has to be above all else.”
Meanwhile, the 4,000-inhabitant community of Naarn in Upper Austria has had the 37-year-old Elmo owner’s four remaining dogs and seven puppies taken to expert staff in other federal states. Residents expressed their deep shock at the jogger’s death.
The measure should relieve the residents of the worries that arose following Monday’s attack, says Martin Gaisberger, mayor of Naarn. “We now need rest, rest, rest.”
With material from the dpa news agency
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