Post by Paul on Dec 18, 2004 11:20:25 GMT 9.5
HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW?
Please consider the following very carefully, it could save you from making a mistake and a dog from being abandoned.
When you purchase a dog, you are not just buying a cute little puppy; you are committing yourself to a life-long responsibility. If you are not prepared to take on that life-time commitment, leave the Doggy sitting in the window.
Before you purchase, you must consider what you are going to do with the dog when your family go on holidays. Will it stop with a relative or a friend or will it be placed in boarding kennels. It is not fair to leave an animal at home alone and get a neighbour to feed it, and to abandon an animal is an unmitigated sin. Those people who abandon animals should be barred from keeping pets for the rest of their lives. So please, think carefully before you take on the responsibility of a pet, especially a dog.
Most young families have a Mutt for their first dog and a damned fine choice they are, providing, the size and temperament of the Mutt is in keeping with what the family can handle. Big energetic dogs need space and lots of exercise. If you cannot provide either, avoid the larger breeds, no matter how glamorous they may appear.
As a very basic rule, it is better to introduce a new dog to the family, after you have had your children. The dog will grow with them and become part of the pack. If you do it the other way round, be very careful. Watch the dog like a hawk until you are confident that no harm will befall your off-spring.
No matter how placid your dog may be, when you bring a new baby home the dog may consider it a threat to its security. If you do not handle the situation correctly, it could be a sorry day for both the child and the dog. Introduce your new arrival to the family dog at the first opportunity, allow him/her to sniff, lick and do all the other disgusting things that dogs like to do and above all, give an equal amount or more fuss to the dog so that it doesn't feel left out.
There is also one other very important part of a dog's training that should never be ignored and be instigated from the first day that a dog arrives in your home. The dog should know that if you give it food, then you also have the right to take that food away. Early practice and occasional re-enforcement of that rule will ensure that no child is ever bitten if it goes near the dog when it is feeding.
There never was a "Bad Dog" only bad masters or owners.
The partnership between man and his Canine friend goes back for many generations and will continue for many, many more, it is unique in the animal kingdom. How two such dissimilar animals could become such good friends amazes me, yet the co-operative partnership was formed at the dawn of man's time. Man has been successively good, bad, indifferent, abusive, cruel, kind, monstrous, apathetic, gentle, friendly, affectionate and much, much more with an animal whose only desire is simple, to serve mankind.
Dogs are indelibly imprinted with their human friends' wants and needs; they do far more for us than we would ever do for them. They ask little if any reward, other than to be part of the "Pack". In a human pack, they will take the most subservient position and, never ask, "why?
When choosing a new dog, select a breed that will suit your fitness level. It will do you no good to have a German Shepherd if you get puffed out just walking down to the corner shop. Chances are that a Fox Terrier would be too active for you as well. Better that you select a lazy breed of dog, one that can match your pace of life.
You should also consider what you want the dog for and bear in mind that once you have a dog, it becomes a life long responsibility. Few people can resist the cute puppy in a pet shop but they forget that within a short period of time the cute puppy has disappeared and they have a fully mature animal on their hands.
My two dogs provide me with companionship, entertainment, oodles of love and security for the home. Shih Tzu’s provide security? Strange as it may seem yes. Persons approaching my house are treated to a very aggressive display from the lounge room window, and if they pass the line of sight toward the rear gate, the dogs are out there guarding the gate before the visitor reaches it. As small as my dogs are, people with ill intentions would certainly think twice before entering my property.
Another thing you should consider is the dog's care and health. If you have a limited budget, forget expensive breeds like Shih Tzu’s which are easily prone to pick up ailments. Remember the Vet has to make a living and they charge accordingly. Professional grooming is not cheap and dogs such as mine have to have weekly upkeep. If you do not have time to groom and bath your dog, keep these additional costs in mind.
No matter what the breed, at sometime in its life your dog will get sick and need veterinary care, and this can cause those people on limited budgets a great deal of worry. My advice to those people is to talk to your local Vet, honestly explain your financial situation and I am sure you will come to an agreement to fix up the account over an extended period of time. Your first priority should always be to get your mate fixed up and with the Vet's collusion, pay for the treatment at the rate you can afford. Do remember to pay though. If you don't, it could make the Vet think twice about helping someone else who is having financial difficulties.
Do register your dog with the local council; mine are registered not because I like paying the council money, but because I love my dogs. The council issues the dogs with a disk that is unique to each and every animal, the disk number immediately identifies the Council District and continuing numbers provide the dogs details, e.g., Dogs Name, Owners Name, Address, Telephone Number, Breed of Dog and Colour. The dog registration is worth every cent of the $20 charge, ensuring that my dogs would be returned if they ever got lost.
©Paul Springthorpe Media Production Services. Extracted from; ‘It’s A Dog’s Life’ 1990. All rights reserved.
Please consider the following very carefully, it could save you from making a mistake and a dog from being abandoned.
When you purchase a dog, you are not just buying a cute little puppy; you are committing yourself to a life-long responsibility. If you are not prepared to take on that life-time commitment, leave the Doggy sitting in the window.
Before you purchase, you must consider what you are going to do with the dog when your family go on holidays. Will it stop with a relative or a friend or will it be placed in boarding kennels. It is not fair to leave an animal at home alone and get a neighbour to feed it, and to abandon an animal is an unmitigated sin. Those people who abandon animals should be barred from keeping pets for the rest of their lives. So please, think carefully before you take on the responsibility of a pet, especially a dog.
Most young families have a Mutt for their first dog and a damned fine choice they are, providing, the size and temperament of the Mutt is in keeping with what the family can handle. Big energetic dogs need space and lots of exercise. If you cannot provide either, avoid the larger breeds, no matter how glamorous they may appear.
As a very basic rule, it is better to introduce a new dog to the family, after you have had your children. The dog will grow with them and become part of the pack. If you do it the other way round, be very careful. Watch the dog like a hawk until you are confident that no harm will befall your off-spring.
No matter how placid your dog may be, when you bring a new baby home the dog may consider it a threat to its security. If you do not handle the situation correctly, it could be a sorry day for both the child and the dog. Introduce your new arrival to the family dog at the first opportunity, allow him/her to sniff, lick and do all the other disgusting things that dogs like to do and above all, give an equal amount or more fuss to the dog so that it doesn't feel left out.
There is also one other very important part of a dog's training that should never be ignored and be instigated from the first day that a dog arrives in your home. The dog should know that if you give it food, then you also have the right to take that food away. Early practice and occasional re-enforcement of that rule will ensure that no child is ever bitten if it goes near the dog when it is feeding.
There never was a "Bad Dog" only bad masters or owners.
The partnership between man and his Canine friend goes back for many generations and will continue for many, many more, it is unique in the animal kingdom. How two such dissimilar animals could become such good friends amazes me, yet the co-operative partnership was formed at the dawn of man's time. Man has been successively good, bad, indifferent, abusive, cruel, kind, monstrous, apathetic, gentle, friendly, affectionate and much, much more with an animal whose only desire is simple, to serve mankind.
Dogs are indelibly imprinted with their human friends' wants and needs; they do far more for us than we would ever do for them. They ask little if any reward, other than to be part of the "Pack". In a human pack, they will take the most subservient position and, never ask, "why?
When choosing a new dog, select a breed that will suit your fitness level. It will do you no good to have a German Shepherd if you get puffed out just walking down to the corner shop. Chances are that a Fox Terrier would be too active for you as well. Better that you select a lazy breed of dog, one that can match your pace of life.
You should also consider what you want the dog for and bear in mind that once you have a dog, it becomes a life long responsibility. Few people can resist the cute puppy in a pet shop but they forget that within a short period of time the cute puppy has disappeared and they have a fully mature animal on their hands.
My two dogs provide me with companionship, entertainment, oodles of love and security for the home. Shih Tzu’s provide security? Strange as it may seem yes. Persons approaching my house are treated to a very aggressive display from the lounge room window, and if they pass the line of sight toward the rear gate, the dogs are out there guarding the gate before the visitor reaches it. As small as my dogs are, people with ill intentions would certainly think twice before entering my property.
Another thing you should consider is the dog's care and health. If you have a limited budget, forget expensive breeds like Shih Tzu’s which are easily prone to pick up ailments. Remember the Vet has to make a living and they charge accordingly. Professional grooming is not cheap and dogs such as mine have to have weekly upkeep. If you do not have time to groom and bath your dog, keep these additional costs in mind.
No matter what the breed, at sometime in its life your dog will get sick and need veterinary care, and this can cause those people on limited budgets a great deal of worry. My advice to those people is to talk to your local Vet, honestly explain your financial situation and I am sure you will come to an agreement to fix up the account over an extended period of time. Your first priority should always be to get your mate fixed up and with the Vet's collusion, pay for the treatment at the rate you can afford. Do remember to pay though. If you don't, it could make the Vet think twice about helping someone else who is having financial difficulties.
Do register your dog with the local council; mine are registered not because I like paying the council money, but because I love my dogs. The council issues the dogs with a disk that is unique to each and every animal, the disk number immediately identifies the Council District and continuing numbers provide the dogs details, e.g., Dogs Name, Owners Name, Address, Telephone Number, Breed of Dog and Colour. The dog registration is worth every cent of the $20 charge, ensuring that my dogs would be returned if they ever got lost.
©Paul Springthorpe Media Production Services. Extracted from; ‘It’s A Dog’s Life’ 1990. All rights reserved.
