Dogs need responsible owners…

I was minded again today while talking with some dog owners of the need for owners to take responsibility for their dogs seriously.

Two, very similar, cases were brought to my attention.

The first was a family with a number of dogs, a small pack, basically. These dogs had been gathered by the family in question to protect the household. They, of course, live in a quiet village where protection is not really needed.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many families I come into contact with, these people did not understand, or perhaps, care about their responsibility to their dogs. The dogs had not, apparently, received any training and were barely in control behind the gates of their home. They did not seem to get much walking or exercise away from their home. So, that is case one.

The second follows along the same lines. This time a family living behind gates again. The husband had bought a powerful dog, again for protection. This dog was young and patrolled his patch, rushing aggressively to its gate in an attempt to get to any passing stranger, be it human of another dog. The people I was talking too were fearful of their and their dog’s safety. Again, this dog did not seem to be taken out for exercise and, clearly had not received much or any training. It sounded to me to be a serious problem in the making.

Both of these cases appear to demonstrate owners who fail to understand their responsibilities regarding their dogs. Indeed, the dogs in these two cases may at some stage represent a danger to humans and dogs alike.

All dogs need basic things, without exception:

  1. Shelter
  2. Safety
  3. Food
  4. Training
  5. Exercise
  6. Socialisation
  7. Responsible owners

Any dog owner or potential dog owner must provide the above as a minimum. If you are unable to provide these basics for your dog, you should, simply, not bring a dog into your home.