Kennel expert: Choking dog filmed in Riga is not training but cruelty

Several days ago, a video began circulating on social media showing a man on Klijānu Street in Riga, filmed in broad daylight, choking, shaking and otherwise mistreating a small dog. The footage drew wide attention partly because a woman and a small child in a stroller were also present nearby, suggesting the family had simply been out for a walk.

State Police confirmed that the man's identity has been established and that a departmental inquiry has been opened into possible cruelty toward an animal.

The owner's explanation

The dog's owner later posted his own video apologizing to the public. He explained that the dog had run away and refused to come when called, and that after finally catching it, he punished it in this way. While holding the dog during the recording, he also mentioned that the animal was already elderly. At the end of his explanation, he claimed that a dog trainer had once taught him this punishment method back when he attended dog training school with the animal. The owner later deleted this apology video from social media, and it is no longer publicly available.

A trainer's assessment

Dog trainer Laura Blumberga says such claims should be treated with caution, since it is not known whether the man ever actually attended training with a certified dog trainer or dog school. She stresses that no qualified trainer who has completed certified education would ever recommend such a method. According to Blumberga, choking and shaking a dog is not an acceptable training technique but rather constitutes cruelty toward an animal.