Dogs are known since ages to be a man’s best friend and companion. Having a dog around the house would seem to be a lot of fun but it is not. Making this decision impulsively, can lead to frustration, disappointment, and eventually, may result in the surrender of the dog to a shelter or rescue. Ultimately in the end the dog who is loyal and thinks of his owner as his family has to end up without one for no fault of his.
The decision to get a dog is not something to be taken lightly. An adorable puppy can tug at our heartstrings but, in the end, will require a significant investment of your time and money for a significant number of years. Socializing and training a new puppy is time consuming and, occasionally, frustrating. It can increase the amount of stress on the family, and the dog, working to provide the constant supervision, socialization, and training that is necessary to successfully integrate a dog into a family environment. This is especially true if the primary caregivers are working outside of the home and/or have young children, an elderly parent, or other persons and/or pets to care for. This does not mean that it cannot be done. But, prospective dog owners often underestimate the investment of time, energy, and money, required.
In India, the tragic fact is that, millions of the dogs are abandoned annually. And, most often, it is the owners, not the dogs, who are responsible. Impulsive or poorly thought out decisions; the selection of a difficult or headstrong breed because it is 'popular' or you like how it looks; or, for that matter, any dog selected for looks rather than temperament, 'match' to your lifestyle, and your ability to provide proper care and environment; the lack of consideration of the lifestyle changes you may experience over the next 12 to 14 years; as well as the lack of proper socialization, training, physical activity, and attention -- these are all major contributors to the need for so many shelters and rescues.
The responsibilities of dog ownership are quite a few. However if you are interested in getting a dog for the RIGHT reasons, be sure of selecting a breed best suited to your lifestyle by visiting your local shelter or rescue facility. Better still, adopt a stray dog. There are so many dogs on the streets that would make excellent pets. All they need is love and companionship. If you really love a dog then you would not insist on a breed. A dog is a dog after all, isn’t it?
Ask yourself this:1) Are you, and all those who live with you, committed to spend 12+ years providing health care, food, grooming, training and attention to a dog? Do the people who live with you also want a dog?
2) Do you have the time and/or resources available . . . To take your dog for walks and to the vet? To bath, brush, clip, and, otherwise, groom your dog as often as necessary? Will you want to play and, perhaps, work on training daily, with your dog? Are you willing to take your dog to puppy socialization, kindergarten, and basic obedience classes?
3) Are there lifestyle-altering events that could occur in your foreseeable future? - A baby, caring for an elderly family member, a divorce, job uncertainty, etc. And, how would you deal with these changes as they impacted your ability to care for a dog?
4) Is your personality conducive to dog ownership? Do you often feel 'stressed out'? Do you like to have total control over your environment or 'space'? Are you a 'neat freak'? Are you flexible? Patient? Answer honesty - nobody but you will know AND, more importantly, nobody but you will have to live with the results of your trying to 'fit' your personality to a dog.
5) Are you physically able to care for a dog? Are you economically able to provide care for a dog?
6) Is your environment prepared for a dog and/or are you willing to make the investment of time and money necessary to insure that it does? Is there a yard or park-like area for your dog to walk and relieve him- or her- self? If your dog will be outside for any period of time, will you provide a secure and comfortable shelter for your dog? Although you may have a secure and comfortable location for your dog while it is outdoors, dog should not be left outdoors, unattended, for extended periods of time. They can be taunted, released, stolen, or worse. Tethering can cause serious physical harm or death in the event of an entanglement or other such accident. Further, prolonged tethering can cause undesirable behavioral and personality traits to surface. Additionally, garages may contain chemicals, tools and other items that can be dangerous and/or harmful to your dog.
7) Will your dog be alone for long periods of time, daily? Can you arrange for the dog to be let out for a romp, given water, medication, and playtime, as necessary, during the day? Or, will you become angered and frustrated by behavioral issues that may arise due to the fact that your dog is alone for long periods of time? (i.e., relieves him or herself indoors; chews up a blanket, your shoes, your favorite chair cushion; barks incessantly, causing your neighbors to become angry or, perhaps, even call animal control on you; etc. Do not plan to leave your dog outdoors or in a garage all day while you are away! If this is in your plans, I suggest you revisit the question "Why do I/We want a dog?"
8) Are you willing to spay/neuter your dog, as soon as possible, to reduce the chance of an accidental breeding?
9) Do you travel frequently? Will it be difficult for you to find quality care for your dog when you are away? Can you afford such care?
10) Do you really LOVE dogs? If you are truly motivated by your love of dogs, or a particular dog, you most likely don't need this page. You've done your homework and are ready for a lifelong commitment. You will train and play with your dog, provide appropriate veterinary care and nutrition, you will bath and groom him or her, happily, and the occasional behavioral problem won't throw you for a loop.
And, remember to incorporate the same thoughtful consideration on whether or not to get a dog, and which breed or mix, when your friend, coworker or relative offers you one of Fluffy's puppies. Dogs are never really 'free' or 'cheap' and, in reality, require significant financial, physical, time, and environmental resources. At a minimum, none of these, or other such reasons, are sound selection factors for getting a dog and selecting a particular breed or mix. And, remember, if it is difficult for you to find information on a particular breed, or a breeder of the breed, it follows that you will most likely also have difficulty finding local support services that are familiar with the training, health care, and maintenance needs of that breed.
Therefore, just as in marriage or parenthood, you must be willing to be somewhat flexible and sincerely committed to responding, responsibly, to deviations from your expectations.
The decision to get a dog is not something to be taken lightly. An adorable puppy can tug at our heartstrings but, in the end, will require a significant investment of your time and money for a significant number of years. Socializing and training a new puppy is time consuming and, occasionally, frustrating. It can increase the amount of stress on the family, and the dog, working to provide the constant supervision, socialization, and training that is necessary to successfully integrate a dog into a family environment. This is especially true if the primary caregivers are working outside of the home and/or have young children, an elderly parent, or other persons and/or pets to care for. This does not mean that it cannot be done. But, prospective dog owners often underestimate the investment of time, energy, and money, required.
In India, the tragic fact is that, millions of the dogs are abandoned annually. And, most often, it is the owners, not the dogs, who are responsible. Impulsive or poorly thought out decisions; the selection of a difficult or headstrong breed because it is 'popular' or you like how it looks; or, for that matter, any dog selected for looks rather than temperament, 'match' to your lifestyle, and your ability to provide proper care and environment; the lack of consideration of the lifestyle changes you may experience over the next 12 to 14 years; as well as the lack of proper socialization, training, physical activity, and attention -- these are all major contributors to the need for so many shelters and rescues. The responsibilities of dog ownership are quite a few. However if you are interested in getting a dog for the RIGHT reasons, be sure of selecting a breed best suited to your lifestyle by visiting your local shelter or rescue facility. Better still, adopt a stray dog. There are so many dogs on the streets that would make excellent pets. All they need is love and companionship. If you really love a dog then you would not insist on a breed. A dog is a dog after all, isn’t it?
Ask yourself this:1) Are you, and all those who live with you, committed to spend 12+ years providing health care, food, grooming, training and attention to a dog? Do the people who live with you also want a dog?
2) Do you have the time and/or resources available . . . To take your dog for walks and to the vet? To bath, brush, clip, and, otherwise, groom your dog as often as necessary? Will you want to play and, perhaps, work on training daily, with your dog? Are you willing to take your dog to puppy socialization, kindergarten, and basic obedience classes?
3) Are there lifestyle-altering events that could occur in your foreseeable future? - A baby, caring for an elderly family member, a divorce, job uncertainty, etc. And, how would you deal with these changes as they impacted your ability to care for a dog?
4) Is your personality conducive to dog ownership? Do you often feel 'stressed out'? Do you like to have total control over your environment or 'space'? Are you a 'neat freak'? Are you flexible? Patient? Answer honesty - nobody but you will know AND, more importantly, nobody but you will have to live with the results of your trying to 'fit' your personality to a dog.
5) Are you physically able to care for a dog? Are you economically able to provide care for a dog?
6) Is your environment prepared for a dog and/or are you willing to make the investment of time and money necessary to insure that it does? Is there a yard or park-like area for your dog to walk and relieve him- or her- self? If your dog will be outside for any period of time, will you provide a secure and comfortable shelter for your dog? Although you may have a secure and comfortable location for your dog while it is outdoors, dog should not be left outdoors, unattended, for extended periods of time. They can be taunted, released, stolen, or worse. Tethering can cause serious physical harm or death in the event of an entanglement or other such accident. Further, prolonged tethering can cause undesirable behavioral and personality traits to surface. Additionally, garages may contain chemicals, tools and other items that can be dangerous and/or harmful to your dog.
7) Will your dog be alone for long periods of time, daily? Can you arrange for the dog to be let out for a romp, given water, medication, and playtime, as necessary, during the day? Or, will you become angered and frustrated by behavioral issues that may arise due to the fact that your dog is alone for long periods of time? (i.e., relieves him or herself indoors; chews up a blanket, your shoes, your favorite chair cushion; barks incessantly, causing your neighbors to become angry or, perhaps, even call animal control on you; etc. Do not plan to leave your dog outdoors or in a garage all day while you are away! If this is in your plans, I suggest you revisit the question "Why do I/We want a dog?"
8) Are you willing to spay/neuter your dog, as soon as possible, to reduce the chance of an accidental breeding?
9) Do you travel frequently? Will it be difficult for you to find quality care for your dog when you are away? Can you afford such care?
10) Do you really LOVE dogs? If you are truly motivated by your love of dogs, or a particular dog, you most likely don't need this page. You've done your homework and are ready for a lifelong commitment. You will train and play with your dog, provide appropriate veterinary care and nutrition, you will bath and groom him or her, happily, and the occasional behavioral problem won't throw you for a loop.
And, remember to incorporate the same thoughtful consideration on whether or not to get a dog, and which breed or mix, when your friend, coworker or relative offers you one of Fluffy's puppies. Dogs are never really 'free' or 'cheap' and, in reality, require significant financial, physical, time, and environmental resources. At a minimum, none of these, or other such reasons, are sound selection factors for getting a dog and selecting a particular breed or mix. And, remember, if it is difficult for you to find information on a particular breed, or a breeder of the breed, it follows that you will most likely also have difficulty finding local support services that are familiar with the training, health care, and maintenance needs of that breed.
Therefore, just as in marriage or parenthood, you must be willing to be somewhat flexible and sincerely committed to responding, responsibly, to deviations from your expectations.
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5 comments:
Very valuable post... I really want this post to be read by all the people across the globe. As you said, in India most dogs are abondoned by no fault of his... how true it is...
We, Indians lack in the level of awareness and why not...
Our subject of moral science taught in the schools hardly have any kind of animal centric lessons... the coming generations should have some kind of enlightenment, hopefully 20 years from now, we are able to create a better place for animals in the whole of India
Very well said. As written in a book I am reading on dogs and their care, "A Dog is a Child in Canine clothing". So it is our responsibility to protect and nurture them as we would our own children. Also, I have heard the famous Dog Whisperer, Caesar Milan say, "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners!" So let all of us be aware of what are responsibilities are towards these four-legged angels.
i think this post is really needed in this day. there are lots of people who adopt/ buy pets and then realise the commitment they have to give. most of them just want pets for show, and cant take the responsibility. this will be an eye opener b4 adopting one.
I know it is difficult to admit this but the first time I got a dog, I was in for more than one shock. A compulsive style-queen, I rued the loss of my precious space to a tiny puppy. Scrabble destroyed one door while he was teething. i was constantly worried that he would hurt himself. If he misbehaved, i sat and cried for hours, wondering what I was doing wrong.
Life has never been the same again. No lounging around the house, or watching TV quietly. Wherever we are, we just HAVE to be back for his feeding and walks.
It has taken us time to adjust. What helps is the fact that i grew up with dogs and I sort of knew what I was getting myself into. And yes, I might scream, rant and rave, I love my baby!
oh that is sooo true!!
planning fr a dog is like planninto have a baby..its a committment that can be kept only if ur sure n happy!! im gonna link ur blog "Please don't abandon me, I love you." (incase required) to spread the word around...with ur permission ofcourse.
Thanks again fr such an amazing effort
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