Good enough dog owner?
2009-05-07 09:00
Georgina Guedes
At the Exclusive Books sale earlier this year, I saw a book which claimed to be able to help readers to distinguish between being good dog owners and great dog owners.
The fact that this is the second year that I've seen this book on sale tells me something - that good dog owners don't care enough to buy a book about it and great dog owners already know they are.
I don't know where in the spectrum of greatness of dog owners I am cast, and I didn't even leaf through the book, but it did get me thinking about how to define a truly committed dog parent.
Here is a list of ten points that I feel a person should have considered and found an answer to before they take ownership of a hound, and should continue to practice throughout the relationship.
1. Dogs are pack animals
If you bring a dog into your home and your life, it will think it's a part of the family. Dogs need attention, praise and to feel included. In the absence of a pack to roam with, your dog needs to be actively involved in your life. Don't get a dog if you're going to make it spend its life in the garden, or if you don't want to make time for its needs.
2. Measure the commitment and be prepared for it
How much do vet's bills cost? If your dog gets a flea infestation, are you prepared to spend the extra time and money on de-fleaing it and your home? Dogs need to be dewormed, vaccinated and fed. If you are getting a big dog, are you really, really willing to take it for a walk every day? Will you take it on holiday with you at the end of the year or put it in a kennel? Can you afford that after you've paid the holiday bills and Christmas bonuses?
3. Consider your lifestyle
Do you have small children who will be upset by a large and boisterous dog? Do you have white carpets that will get messed by an enthusiastic and muddy puppy? If you leave the dog in the garden when you go out, do you have somewhere it can find shelter if it rains?
4. You have to be consistent
This is the first rule of successful discipline. You can't get annoyed with a big dog for jumping on the sofa if you let it when it was a puppy. If you feed it scraps from the table, you'll have a dog that watches you hopefully whenever you eat. Work out early on what it is that you expect from your dog, and what you can't live with, and then make sure that you stick to your own rules.
5. Dogs need a lot of affection
Dogs are needy beings. They like being touched, praised and included. Dogs are your companions - don't expect them to be happy with their bowl of food and role as watchdog in the front garden.
6. Dogs need grooming
Dogs with tatty, matted coats are unhappy and hot. Brush your dog - it's a treat for him and it means that your house won't perpetually be covered in his hairs. Wash your dog regularly. Some breeds need frequent grooming at a parlour while others can be hosed down in the garden when necessary. Work out what your dog needs and make sure he gets it.
7. Socialise with people and other dogs
Consider the other people and dogs in your life and start training your dog from an early age to get along with them. Even if you don't mind your dog jumping up when you get home, chances are that it will bother someone. Rather pre-empt the problem by teaching your dog good manners early on than have to deal with alienating friends who aren't dog lovers. Likewise, take your dog to your local park so that it learns how to behave around other dogs. Watch these interactions closely and guide your dog when it runs the risk of scaring its new friends away.
8. Treats for humans are not necessarily treats for dogs
Don't feed them ice-cream and chocolate. Just because you love these things doesn't make them good for dogs. And dogs only develop a taste for them if you got them hooked in the first place. If you want to show your dogs you love them, take them for a long walk or buy them a bone.
9. Don't tease
Dogs don't have a great sense of humour. They like to play and interact, but they don't understand the complexities of a laugh at their expense. Don't take away their food just to see them get hysterical. And don't play the game where you pretend to throw the ball. All that will happen is that you'll end up with a dog that looks stupidly at you when you really do throw it.
10. Enjoy your dog
If you take into account all the points I've mentioned above, and they seem more like hard work than pleasure, then you probably don't want a dog. These kinds of activities make up the majority of your interactions with your canine pet, and you should be able to get enjoyment out of their enjoyment.
Georgina Guedes is a freelance journalist. She is currently navigating the stormy waters of making a needy dog feel important with a new baby in the house.
Send your comments to Georgina.
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