As of: April 6, 2024, 3:43 p.m
By: Martin Becker
Comments
Press
Split
Want to mediate with their new club: (from left) second chairwoman Annelie Ulrich, chairwoman Paola Kornemann and third chairwoman Menuela Helmerichs with her dog Abby. The dog per se is just a dog - unfortunately the problem often lies with the owners. Paola Kornemann © Gerald förtsch
A new dog club has been founded in Unterföhring that aims to promote harmonious coexistence between animals and humans. The leadership trio explains what drives it here.
Unterföhring – In the club logo, two snouts touch, both united in the shape of a heart: This symbolizes the overarching theme of the “Dog Club Unterföhring” (www.hundeverein.org), which was newly founded at the end of January. However, there is much more to it than the love of dog owners for their animals. The Münchner Merkur met with the three board members of the new club - Paola Kornemann (53), Annelie Ulrich (31) and Manuela Helmerichs (55) - for an interview.
What is the vision of your club?
Paola Kornemann: We see ourselves as an intermediary that brings people with similar needs together. The idea is to offer dog lovers a platform on which they can exchange ideas, learn from each other and experience the joy of owning dogs together. For us, it's about networking the dog owner community, providing support in an emergency - and providing mediation. There should also be offers of help if someone is sick or on vacation. Or if food donations are necessary due to financial constraints. And a big topic is education. In short, we want to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and dogs.
In what way?
Kornemann: Responsible dog owners and their dogs are incredibly considerate of everyone - the other way around, it's not always the case.
Annelie Ulrich: We know that there are unfriendly dog owners - we run into them on a regular basis. It's about tolerance, about mutual understanding.
Manuela Helmerichs: Let’s take children, for example. The dog owner must accept that they may be afraid of a dog - they must ensure that their dog never jumps on a child or comes too close to them. Take the dog aside for a moment and everyone is relaxed. Of course, this also applies to seniors or other passers-by.
The new Unterföhringer leash regulation almost indicates that conflicts sometimes arise?
Kornemann: The points of attack have become so large that we now want to create more awareness among dog owners and more tolerance in society.
My news
Long imprisonment threatens: proceedings against Scheuer regarding the toll disaster probably shortly before the decision is read
German grocery chain is insolvent: read “Moral apostles who want to save the world”.
Many pensioners are entitled to more pension points - but these are only available upon application
Satellite images reveal: Russia's army is preparing Black Sea ports against drone surveillance
Heavy losses for Russia: Attack on Putin's airfields even more devastating than expected read
Judge Alexander Hold has prostate cancer – these are the symptoms read
Helmerichs: We try to mediate a harmonious coexistence between humans and dogs.
Ulrich: It's about mutual understanding. Among other things, we want to teach young children to read dogs correctly: Why is the dog running after my ball? Why shouldn't I run away?
How should children behave around dogs?
Ulrich: You shouldn't run towards him or lay your body over the dog - then he will feel threatened. Simply stroking is not possible either: please ask first! Ultimately it's about: How do I approach a dog without creating an unpleasant situation? Does the dog possibly feel threatened?
But aren't dog owners also in demand?
Ulrich: Of course. Unfortunately, some owners cannot read their dog's body language properly because it is delicate, quiet and subtle: Is he licking his nose, what is the position of his ears?
Helmerichs: This is exactly what we want to sensitize our club members to in the sense of preventing any conflicts.
Is there a need for improvement in dog training?
Kornemann: Anyone who gets a dog has to think a lot about what that means. Insurance, food and veterinary costs; the time factor to keep the dog healthy. Playing, sniffing, letting off steam - for my Abby that's at least three hours a day. And the vacation question: with a car, with a box. All of this needs to be carefully considered. The puppy play hour at the dog school is a basis, and a professional dog trainer can also see problems on a small scale - but an hour can easily cost 80 euros.
Ulrich: We are not experts ourselves, but we want to share our members' collective wealth of knowledge and the necessary resources. Starting with the question of what type of dog is suitable for whom. Because all dogs are individuals, everyone unpacks their own suitcase. A father recently came to us and asked if his two and a half year old daughter could go on walks because she loves dogs. We are happy about every child who is not terrified of dogs.
Legacies are a vexing topic.
Kornemann: Every crime is attributed to a dog, but there are also martens, foxes - and people. 400 to 500 dogs live in Unterföhring, and each of them has a poo twice a day. Theoretically, that would be 1,000 piles every day - you would notice or smell them if these piles weren't cleared away.
So the bags for piles are used enough?
Kornemann: The dog per se is just a dog - unfortunately the problem often lies with the owners. About one percent of dog owners in Unterföhring make life difficult for everyone else. When I offer a dog poop bag while out and about while observing a “business”, I am often told: “We don’t even live here”.
Ulrich: An incredible argument! This applies to the great outdoors as well as to toilets - everyone should leave the public space the same way they entered it.
So conservation is important to you?
Kornemann: Absolutely. Among other things, we are planning a dog Ramadama. Because we often travel in areas where there is rubbish lying around. By the way, I know an older couple whose dog died - they still go on their old dog walks and always have a cloth bag with them to pick up rubbish.
What are the club's further plans?
Helmerichs: We want to offer a kind of emergency seminar in collaboration with a veterinarian. What do I do if my dog steps on a piece of glass, has an allergic reaction, or swallows poisonous bait? We want to provide this initial prevention until you arrive at the veterinary clinic. In addition, we have planned seminars and training sessions with various dog trainers, such as anti-venom bait training, leash aggression, etc.
Kornemann: We are also planning to go on walks together; also special ones with children or as a coffee chat in a retirement home. The long-term goal would be a kind of training area where people can meet and train.
And what are your short-term goals for working together?
Ulrich: We are a young club and live from what people make of it.
Kornemann: We want to offer a get-together about every six weeks - the first on May 16th at 7 p.m. in “Il Diamante”. Plus the shared walks, the Ramadama - we want to get off to a good start in order to find what is needed.
Further news from Unterföhring and the Munich district can be found here.