February is Responsible Pet Owners' Month. And I've got some advice, heh, heh.1) Flexi-leads. Throw them away. They're not good for anything, ever. Think of trip wires - that's what these really are. If you've ever been on a bike and have come across one of these babies, you're a goner. Face, meet pavement. And why is it that people who use them seem to have no regard for anyone else around them? Or, even worse, they let their CHILDREN control them?!
2) Train your dog. Nothing fancy, just basic obedience. More animals end up in shelters because of bad behavior that can be curbed with simple training; yours doesn't have to be one of them. Added bonus: You won't believe how much happier both of you will be when your dog understands that you're his leader. Dogs love having a leader to help them make decisions!
3) Anthropomorphizing is not a good thing. Yes, dogs are intelligent, but they're not human. Here's a great example: A lot of people - okay, men - don't like to neuter their dogs. They think Fido will miss his testicles after the Big Operation. Believe me, Fido doesn't care. After a day or so, he won't even notice. And implanting Neuticles is just assuaging you, not Fido. (Boy, has this company capitalized on you anthropomorphizing humans!) Let your dog be a dog!
4) Spay/neuter your pet. It's safe, relatively easy, and good for their health. If you can't afford it, try Friends of Animals for spay/neuter certificates. There ARE options to help if you're financially strapped!
5) Please, please, please don't tether your dog. Dogs are social animals and love to be with their humans and in many cases other animals. I mean, why did you get her in the first place? To tie her to a tree in the back yard? Tethering makes me sad. If you do have to tether for short periods of time, make sure you provide lots of clean, fresh water. And don't make tethering a habit.
6) Get your dog an identification tag and a microchip! These are soooooo important! All of my dogs have a tag with their name and my contact info on them and they're microchipped. Many shelters offer low-cost microchipping on a regular basis, at a fee much lower than a vet's office.
7) Exercise your pet and feed them a proper diet. An exercised pet won't be bored and therefore inclined to destroy things in your house. And the hope is that a good diet will be reflected in a good, long life. Which leads me to...
8) Visit your veterinarian! A lot has been said about the pros and cons of regularly vaccinating dogs. I, personally, vaccinate my dogs, except for Buster, who cannot be vaccinated for anything other than rabies (he's got osteosarcoma and his oncologist feels that the risk to vaccinate is greater than the risk not to vaccinate). Either way, a wellness visit to your vet can reveal other health issues that you might not have detected.
Okay, I'll get off of my soap box. Take care of your pets, that's all I ask.
