Said Dirk Simpson in the film “Unconditional Love”: “I don't believe in unconditional love. I mean, what is it? Cut off my ears, steal my money, and I'll love you anyway?”

Dirk has a point, a point that seems to fly high over the heads of the world's unconditionally enamored dog owners.

For example:

Teagan, a 1-year-old Rottie mix, was adopted at 10 months old, fixed and obedience trained, but is now in private classes because he greets other animals with hostile barking and is generally out of control. In fact, Teagan and her owner were kicked out of obedience class, two of them, because of Teagan's spotty behavioral record — a rap sheet that includes snatching up a Chihuahua in her mouth and inflicting such serious injuries that the small dog had to be put to sleep.

Teagan's owner filled me in by phone. During that same conversation, she mentioned that she has two small children, ages 3 and 5.

I asked her if she wasn't concerned for her children's safety, and she told me she didn't consider Teagan a dangerous dog, that she didn't think she had a serious problem. “Can't you help me?” she asked.

Truth is, I can't help anyone who doesn't understand the following: If your dog kills another dog, he's a dangerous dog and shouldn't be around small children. Ever.

I asked her why she would call me if she didn't think she had a real problem. “What is it you don't want to hear?”

We waited through one of those long loaded silences before she said aloud what we both already knew: “That I have to get rid of him.”

I've been doing this for 40 years, and it continues to blow my mind a bit more every day, the total reckless disregard for a child's safety on the part of the parent when it comes to the family dog.

The confusion often lies in the misconception that an aggressive dog must be euthanized, as if there are no other options. Not true.

Dog aggression is my specialty, and I am able to help 95 percent of those clients who are willing to deal with the problem openly and realistically. The problem may not be curable, but it can almost always be controlled. Doing nothing, on the other hand, will accomplish exactly that. Doing nothing is the equivalent of watching a wound fester, waiting for it to get worse, to become infected, more painful, more serious, and more difficult or impossible to treat.

Prevention is obviously the best cure, so look for early warning signs and make no excuses. If you notice odd behavior in your puppy — lip curling, growling, nipping, a demonstration of teeth — start looking for ways to curb the behavior and don't be too quick to dismiss the benefits of professional training. Good training is a lot less expensive than lawyer's fees and exorbitant homeowners insurance rates.

Take the following:

A client recently explained that his dog curls his lip and emits a low throaty growl every time he touches the dog's paws. “Do you think he'll bite me?” he asked.

“If you keep doing that, he will.” The dog is warning this man, and the man is making excuses, trying to think of anything that would allow him to put off the reality that his own dog might bite him.

Face it. Accept it. Then work on fixing it. You may operate under the belief that love should be unconditional. Relationships, however, should most definitely be conditional. Just as the bruised and battered spouse should not stay, the bullied and bitten dog owner should not accept this as his lot in life. Sure, go ahead, steal my money, burn down my house, scar my face, I'll still love you? I don't think so.

Consider this:

A woman called and asked about a problem: “Every time I take him on a walk, he lunges, growls and snarls at other dogs and people. He's fine otherwise. What do you think?”

“I think you own a dangerous dog. At the very least, you should muzzle him when you walk him,” I suggested, as a way to control the situation.

“But that's mean,” she said.

Wrong. Mean is allowing your dog to injure someone else, or someone else's dog. The proper use of a muzzle is a means of controlling a dangerous situation.

Therein lies the disconnect: In these cases, emotionality trumps rationality. In reality, it should be the other way around.

Love me, love my dog, regardless of our behavior? I don't think so.

Love me, love my dog, because of our continual efforts toward good behavior, responsible behavior, respectful and loving behavior? Now that's more like it.

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at http://www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.

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