Barking Up the Wrong Tree – Part 2
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About Responsible Dog Ownership
By Attila Márton
When we aim to help dogs to have a better, happier life, we have to explore what causes most of the problems that can crop up. And also where most of the problems stem from originally. The most significant animal welfare issues are animal cruelty and the existence of huge numbers of abandoned dogs. In order to determine the cause of these problems logically, we need to look at where the majority of dogs can be found.
Phase Zero
Responsible ownership is a kind of ubiquitous term and it starts at the very moment when the mere thought of increasing the number of the household by getting a dog runs through our mind. Therefore the fate of the dog is sealed even before it arrives. Many factors should be considered when choosing the breed including the size and the temperament of the dog who is going to join the family.
Does the new owner possess sufficient knowledge about the temperament of the chosen breed? We all know there are breeds which can be more demanding in terms of handling and training.
Is the living space big enough? There are certain breeds which are always on the move. They need plenty of space to be happy and healthy. Do we have enough money not only to buy but also to raise a puppy? Not just for all the necessary accessories and the daily feeding, but vet bills can mount up as well. Do we have enough time to give our dog all the attention it needs to build proper personality and behavior traits and avoid the serious difficulties caused by having a misbehaved little devil? And if we’ve considered all the above factors, are we smart and honest enough to make responsible decisions?
On the contrary, these essential requirements are often not thoroughly considered. Dogs are increasingly kept as a status symbol, or due to the ongoing trends (just think about copycatting the lifestyle of celebrities), or only for the ‘cuteness’ factor, but a dog is not just some new accessory for the home.
It is a living being with inner needs, both physical and mental. Different breeds have been developed over the centuries with the goal of achieving a certain characteristic for accomplishing a specific duty. For instance, a gun-dog probably is not the best choice for a small flat, and neither will a sledge-dog ever feel really comfortable lying on the sofa all day.
If we have considered these factors and we still think everything favors getting a dog, introducing a new dog to the home still requires planning and hard work. A dog has a personality absolutely capable of adapting to human society and a human way of life, but this does not happen automatically. It takes time and understanding to know how to handle, train, discipline and reward a dog to form its personality so that it is able to fit into family life.
We need to be prepared to devote time to being with our dog. We need to ensure it gets enough exercise to be healthy and stay healthy, and we cannot leave it alone all the time or otherwise it can cause real trouble. Dogs need attention to be healthy, and mentally stable. They are not loners and their personality is dependent on belonging to a flock.
Roots Matter
The source the dog comes from is also of great importance.
It is very important to remember that dogs are not products, but living creatures. When we buy a new shirt, if there is some problem with the fabric or the seam comes undone, we can take it back to the store or blame the manufacturer for a lack of proper care during the procedure. But regarding the breeding of animals, the ‘end result’ is always based on genetics. And genes are always incalculable. And no matter how much care the breeder takes, genetic disorders can occur.
Thanks to anti-breeding propaganda, pedigree can often be considered a swearword in some societies. The reason for this bad reputation is that it is mostly dog breeders who are most visible on the radar of the canine scene. If we fight against an issue, we can only attack those we see and know about. Meanwhile supporting the existence of controlled breeding would simply be a wise choice in the view of many animal welfare issue supporters. We can only control those things we can perceive. Moreover, just because we can’t detect or monitor ‘hobby’ breeders – as they aren’t required to keep records – that does not mean that all puppies born this way are in perfect health. It would be interesting to see statistics on how many pups are born as a consequence of home breeding. Often pups arrive simply because a dog is not neutered and having its season and an accident happens. Or someone thinks that new-born puppies are too cute to miss this experience once in a lifetime.
Dogs mate based on their instincts and do not consider what might happen with the pups. In fact, humans often act the same way. Just think about all the puppies left behind in cardboard boxes in abandoned places. Having a litter is a huge responsibility since we need to find good homes for all the puppies. And for this kind of situation to arise based purely on the cuteness factor is just selfish. We are responsible not only for our own dog, but the offspring as well.
It is impossible to monitor these ‘homemade’ litters and yet they can still cause serious animal welfare-related problems. Meanwhile the internet is full of advertisements for puppies to take home. This phenomena, both invisible and undetectable, probably causes many, many more problems than does the breeding of purebred dogs. But professional breeders are visible and easier to blame especially, for instance, in the case of overpopulation issues.
When we decide to adopt a stray dog from a shelter, it is a generous act. We decide we need a dog in our life, and choose to help the needy. We hear thousands of stories about how helpful those dogs are who are luckily rehomed. Meanwhile we still need to be conscious of and aware of some unexpected side-effects of such generosity. Rehoming an abandoned dog from time to time means we have to rehabilitate the dog as well.
Many of these dogs can have mental issues after this kind of trauma. We need to be prepared and committed in our intention, and we need to be ready to expend a great deal of patience to really help a dog like this one.
Many people ask why bother breeding dogs (either by intention or accidentally) when shelters are full of abandoned dogs who deserve a better life. Why increase the population when the supply is already higher than the demand? I can partly agree with this logic, as overpopulation is slightly affected by conscious breeding. Stray dogs exist because irresponsible pet-ownership exists, and throwing them out onto the street becomes a ‘solution’ when the dog does not fit in with the life of the owner, or the owner faces a situation where he or she can’t see any other way out.
Two Worlds Uniting
A dog is an animal. A domesticated species. This means that whilst keeping the genetic heritage, it is able to fit into human society, adapting to the necessary behavior. It is neither a wild animal nor a human being. If we consider these two approaches, they represent the two extreme points of view that are the source of many dog-related issues.
Some people, incredibly, still have the outmoded idea that dogs are just animals and that their needs can be ignored. And at the opposite end of the spectrum is the other approach: treating them just like a human being. It may seem strange but over-humanizing pets can be just as irresponsible and just as dangerous as neglecting them. The truth is that somewhere between these two attitudes is the healthiest, happiest life for a dog.
Dogs are the perfect medicine for solitude, a substitute for human relationships. Truly, they are great companions for humans. But a dog is not a human being. Not a baby, not a little girl or boy, we can call ourselves its mum or dad as an owner. But these are only words, we may freely use them, but we cannot raise a pup in the same way we would bring up a human child. Because a dog is a dog, and not a human.
Dogs are unique creatures based on what they carry in their DNA. While preserving their ancient instincts, they can learn more and adopt behavior to fit into human society. But we should never ever forget that the behavior of dogs is based on instinct. They have far greater instinct-driven behaviors than humans, and everything we teach them builds on this instinct.
As instinct contains more logic than emotion, dogs are predictable and computable. However, many dogs are simply spoiled because this simple fact is ignored. Dogs are predictable and computable in a doggy way, based on doggy logic which seems absolutely inexplicable to most of us humans. The best and the saddest example of ignoring this fact is represented by the number of dog attacks we read about in the newspaper. In those situations, something unusual happens that triggers something in the mind and we cannot control or even understand what really happened to a generally peaceful dog. This is the same with a bitch on heat, or a male dog meeting her. We cannot overcome deep-rooted instinct and the dog is more than likely to ignore everything we have taught it. We know the usual behavior of our dog. Basically. But any unexpected situation can cause an unpredictable response we are not equipped to cope with. It’s unpredictable for us humans, but absolutely relevant in the mind of our dog.
Dogs have feelings and emotions, and very likely they can think and combine things in their minds, although not in the same way as humans. Additionally, no matter how many similarities to humans we find in a dog, we won’t find human attitudes. One of the best examples is the sad-eyed dog begging for more food, making us feel guilty for letting him or her starve. And many owners just feed them and feed them again. Because the dog looks sad and we feel as responsible owners it is our duty to keep our beloved companions happy. But eating is the most basic instinct and dogs generally eat as much as they can. And we, the humans who absolutely misunderstand this situation, then make our loved one obese, causing really serious health issues.
When Things Get Tough
To be a good owner raising our pup, we need to think ‘dog’. We need to know the basic skills and attitudes of our dog, such as when and how to praise and punish, otherwise we will lose control over our beloved pooch when they turn into a naughty and unmanageable disaster on a daily basis.
If we misunderstand and spoil our dogs, we can find ourselves in real trouble. When we come home from work and find our apartment resembling a battlefield of ruined furniture and torn-up belongings, our favorite pair of shoes in pieces, or the neighbors complaining about the constant and unbearable barking or whining all day, and when we realize our dog has socialization problems when it violently attacks other dogs or humans, we can find ourselves in a situation that is impossible to handle or sort out. And when faced with this problem, we will hardly remember how cute that fluffy fur-ball used to be. Our dog has simply become a real pain in the neck.
It’s hard to tell whether behavioral problems stem from the nature of the dog or the way they have been raised. But the next step in this kind of situation is the cause of one of the most significant animal welfare issues worldwide: dogs are abandoned. Definitely the easiest way to solve the messed-up life of a household is to get rid of the element causing all the trouble. It’s much easier than struggling for an indefinite period trying to find a way to fix all the problems, some of which may turn out to be irreversible.
Long before a dog gets abandoned, it is likely to face cruelty as a result of the frustration and anger from an owner who has no idea what to do about the situation, or just simply feels the need to lash out and punish to release tension caused by the dog.
It is hard to tell what the statistics are for the motivation behind abuse of dogs, as often a dog is just a target for the ‘anger management’ of the human. Studies reveal that in cases where someone is capable of abusing animals, it is very likely that other domestic abuse happens in the household as well. In this case, the animal cruelty is not an issue related to the dog directly, but for the owner who faces very serious anger management problems, it is the easiest way for him or her to cause pain and hurt someone weaker, who cannot hit back, just to vent their fury.
A Long-Term Process
Keeping a dog demands all sorts of skills. It is just practical to find out about the breed as a whole. We need to get to know the personality of our own dog. We need to learn how it communicates and how it reacts in different situations. We need to get on the same wavelength, and consider what it carries in its genes and teach socialization with other animals and with humans.
We also need to know the biology of our dog and what we need to do to keep it healthy and happy, and moreover it is important to know what to do in case of any accident or health issues that crop up. All these areas require a massive learning process on a daily basis during the entire ownership of our dog.
The importance of education concerning dogs is beyond question. However, in terms of animal welfare it is one of the least acknowledged but most difficult areas to tackle. Those dog keepers who really intend to be good owners and to establish an appropriate situation for their four-legged family member are the people who will take the time and effort to educate themselves. They care for the simple reason that they are people with a sense of responsibility and feel the need to learn more and more in order to become more and more responsible.
But what about those who do not realize that their knowledge is inadequate or misguided? They think they know enough or think there is nothing else to discover out there, or maybe they just don’t care about increasing their knowledge so that they are able to keep a dog properly. They find the same trouble arises once more. This is a huge challenge for any organization dedicated to education about animal welfare issues.
Entering the Twilight Zone
Most of the animal welfare activities concentrate exclusively on rehoming stray dogs and the rehabilitation of abused dogs. If we really want to touch and treat the factors causing dogs to be abandoned or abused in the first place, we need to find the root of these problems. However, when we explore the animal welfare and protection arena, this is when we discover that households keeping pets are completely off the grid as the named and identified sources of problems – as long as nothing serious happens to draw too much attention from the media or official bodies.
Most of the problems are rooted in the homes of dogs. As bringing up children differs everywhere, so too does the breeding, keeping, raising and treatment for dogs differ. Most of the stray dogs come from households due to overpopulation, or people giving up on the uncontrollable, misbehaved and spoiled dog who once used to be the fluffy favorite of everyone. Where significant change is needed, we need to treat situations at the exact point of origin, otherwise the whole struggle will be a really long and painful one with a likely dead end.
To win a battle, the first thing we always need to know is: who our ‘enemy’ really is.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=87765
Posted by ralbee
on Sep 17 2015. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured.
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