Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterDave
Perhaps not being breed selective (I've seen allot of well trained mutts) but I think that the breed of dog has allot to do with it. Some breeds were bred to do certain things while others were not. I'd never dream of taking my old Britt to the mountains while I was hunting big game, he's not bred for it, he's bred for something completely different and that was something that he was born with.
If someone only wanted a dog as a companion then any dog would do but if the proposal is about allowing pack dogs then you'd think that the dog would have to be big enough to actually pack something. Strapping a first aid kit on a 20 pound dog is just a way to beat the system IMHO. That's why I provided the example of the Burmese Mountain dog as an example earlier. That is what they were bred for.
Indeed the rules should be clear and enforced. The question is, how do you define the rules and enforce them?
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LOL....I'm not sure there's a dog "bred" for packing in the North American mountains. All dogs can be taught to pack and all dogs can be taught not to chase animals and all dogs can be taught a multitude of things. My dog wasn't "bred" to retrieve but he does...should he not be allowed to go duck hunting with me? My dog was not "bred" to flush upland birds but he does. If you are willing to spend some time with a dog they can be taught to do a lot of things they weren't "bred" for.
And BTW, it's Bernese not Bermese...they don't come from Burma. Just cause Bernese Mountain dogs have mountain in their name really doesn't mean they were "bred" for packing in the mountains. They were "bred" as herding dogs. Some of the best pack dogs are malamutes but again, that's not what they were "bred" for. I think you might be selling your little Britt short. You might be surprised what he can do with some proper training. I've sen some pretty awesome labs and golden retrievers as pack dogs!
Other provinces, states and territories have no trouble defining and enforcing the rules...why should Alberta be so much different? Write the rules in the Wildlife Act and have COs enforce them...pretty much the same as every other regulation in the Act that's subject to abuse.