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What the Dog Owner Should Know I have a few mottos: "Ultimately we make our dogs what they are: good or bad." "You only get out of a dog what you are willing to put into it." "There is no perfect dog or perfect way to train a dog." Sit back and reflect on these a bit. Now, I want you to think about a few things regarding your dog. Answer yes or no: 1. I keep my dog outside when no responsible adult is home to watch him. 2. I allow my dog to roam loose. 3. I keep my dog tied up. 4. I keep my dog behind a fence lower than six feet. 5. My dog is spayed/neutered. 6. I started training my dog when I first got him. 7. Because my dog is small, I do not worry about training. 8. I have no kids (grand kids, nieces/nephews, etc.) so my dog does not have to learn to get along with them. 9. I chose my dog carefully to suit my lifestyle and chose something within my range of experience. 10. I chose my dog because it looked cool!
If you answered any different, you could be setting your dog up to be a problem. Let's take a look at each statement in closer detail: 1. I keep my dog inside when no responsible adult is home to watch him. If you or a responsible adult is not home to monitor your dog's behavior as well as what happens to him when he is outside, you are setting him up for trouble. First, if kids start to tease him or even abuse him, you have no way of stopping the actions and rescuing your dog. The dog will start to associate kids with bad and should he get near a child, may decide to fight back with his mouth before the perceived threat comes too close. Dogs left outside unattended are at greater risk of theft, poisoning, developing nuisance behaviors like chronic barking, etc. Part of making sure dogs are safe with kids is never putting them in situations where they can learn kids are bad. Also, your dog could escape and get seriously injured or injure someone and you would never know it. 2. I allow my dog to roam loose. Dogs roaming loose (outside of designated dog runs like dog parks) are a danger to themselves and to others. Even if your area has no leash law, a responsible owner keeps his dog safely confined to a yard and leashed when walking. Roaming dogs are more likely to develop undesired behaviors, get hit by cars, shot at or otherwise injured by people, and are more likely to bite. Roaming dogs start to view the whole area as their territory and if they are protective, may not like others being on their turf. Though roaming dogs log far less bites overall than the dogs in the home, roaming dogs still pose a health and safety threats. If unspayed or neutered, they contribute greatly to pet over population. 3. I keep my dog tied up. Tying dogs is a bad idea. First it can be very dangerous. Dogs who run and suddenly get snapped back by a leash can end up with neck and back injuries. If they get legs tangled, they can break a bone or at least twist something while struggling. If the tether breaks, it could get snagged and the dog choke. If the tether gets wrapped around a tree, they may not be able to reach food, water or shelter. This can be deadly. Dogs can end up with increased aggression as they feel a constant pull and physical holding back when they want to get somewhere. In some communities, there are movements to make typing dogs in yards illegal. 4. I keep my dog behind a fence lower than six feet. Hopefully your local zoning board or if you live in a community with covenants will allow you to have fences higher than six feet. Why? Well, many dogs, even smaller ones, could go over a four foot fence if they wanted to. Four foot fences can be reached over. I know of more than one dog who has been stolen when owners were not home and someone was seen reaching OVER a four foor fence. I prefer stockade fencing as little hands can reach through chain link and dog can also learn to climb it. But if stockade fencing is not an option nor are six foot fences, you have to be diligent and also think up creative landscaping techniques to make it more difficult for hands to reach through a fence or dogs to get over it. Shrubbery inside the fence or privacy slats for chain link can both help. Or, look into erecting a large dog run that it six feet high. 5. My dog is spayed/neutered. There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering. Also, there may be some behavioral benefits IF the surgery is done before the dog enters puberty (six months old). It is thought that spaying and neutering may help temper some hormonally related issues. It is not a cure-all for undesired behaviors, but can be a step in working with them when combined with good training and behavioral work. Statistically, unneutered males have logged more bites than neutered ones, unspayed and spayed females. (Note: spayed females have a higher bite rate than unspayed females.) Now, there are other factors such as the training and care of the dog, but spaying and neutering has benefits over all. 6. I started training my dog when I first got him. Early training and socializing are vital. The longer you wait to begin work, the more you are stetting yourself up for frustration and even trouble. It is not really the breed or cross that is the issue, it is the type of training and socializing the dog has received combined with management that helps make a safer dog. Waiting until a puppy is grown or giving a new dog months to settle, can be more than enough time for undesired behaviors to set in. Mosts dogs and pups should start some form of training the moment they enter the house. 7. Because my dog is small, I do not worry about training. Small dogs can cause quite a bit of injury. I personally have seen some nasty bites that have required a lot of medical work - and the bites were from small dogs. In 2001, according to the Washington Animal Foundation and CNN News, three deaths were attributed to small dogs - at least one was a Pomeranian. The deaths were children. Small dogs needs as much training and socializing as larger dogs. 8. I have no kids (grand kids, nieces/nephews, etc.) so my dog does not have to learn to get along with them. You need to socialize your dog to anything it may encounter at any time in its life. Unless you live as a hermit and have all your supplies shipped to your home, your dog could encounter a child at any point: kids out for walks, at the veterinarian's office, selling cookies door-to-door, etc. Not having children in your home on a regular basis is no excuse for not socializing a dog to them. 9. I chose my dog carefully to suit my lifestyle and chose something within my range of experience. Choosing the right dog for you is very important. Many people get into trouble when the get a dog that needs a more experienced owner or has drives that the owner cannot (or will not) work with. For example, Border Collies require a very experienced owner, loads of exercise and are often more than the average owner is able to manage. Getting a dog that you are not ready for or properly able to manage is setting the scene for potential trouble! Research the best dog (if any) for your life as well as if you are ready to give the dog what it needs to be a happy and safer companion? 10. I chose my dog because it looked cool! This gets so many people in trouble. They get a dog because it looks cool (basically an accessory like a jacket or hat) or because they see it on television or in the movies or even on the news. Then they end up with a dog that is more than they are willing to manage or work with and the dog ends up being poorly trained and socialized. The next thing the owner knows is there has been trouble. You get a dog first for a companion and not because it makes you look good! Click here to continue learning other ways you can make your dog safer! Click here to learn about safer games for kids to play with dogs! Click here to go to the Parents' & Guardians' section.
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