Responsible Dog Ownership

In a world where dogs are increasingly seen as “evil” and “vicious”, Responsible Dog Ownership is the only thing that will keep Man’s Best Friend where he should be, at our sides.

Responsible Dog Ownership means being the best owner/caregiver to your dog that you can be. Much more than “Food, water and shelter”, Responsible Dog Ownership is the obligation dog owners have to incorporate their dogs into the community, being a good neighbour, and providing for their needs, however varied those needs may be.

Responsible Dog Ownership Means:

• Realizing that a pet is for LIFE and dedicating yourself to the life of your dog
• Putting the effort into proper care of your puppy (proper veterinary care, vaccinations, de-worming, proper feeding)
• Learning all you can about proper feeding, making healthy choices
• Investing in proper health care throughout your dog’s life
• Training your dog with positive reinforcement and appropriate discipline to be a good canine citizen
• Training your dog not to be a nuisance, and helping him to achieve that goal
• Teaching your children to respect animals and not to abuse them through play (this is also Responsible Parenting)
• Obeying the laws set for your protection and the protection of others, even when your dog “doesn’t need a leash”
• Not breeding your dog “because he is so cute”
• Coming to terms with the fact that not everybody likes dogs, and asking yourself, what can you do to ensure that your dog is likeable, even to them? Practicing the answer.
• Doing your part to help the pet overpopulation problem and keeping your intact dog at home and away from other intact animals, or neutering him or her to prevent future health issues
• Teaching other humans how to interact with your dog
• Providing your dog with a family and a home, not just food and shelter. Dogs are very social, and isolation from the family will result in an unhappy and, ultimately, unhealthy dog
• Holding yourself, as the dog owner, liable for whatever damage your dog does, and taking steps to rectify it.