10 rules for healthy dog guardianship

[KurtNYC]

(not sure why the other thread got locked since I didn't see it before the lock, but after reviewing the "Dog Listener" here is my list)

1. If you aren't prepared to clean up after, train, groom and get vet care for your dog(s) then you should wait until you are. Likewise, if your schedule would have you crating the dog 9 hours a day during the week then perhaps you could look for someone who is home during the day and who would enjoy your dog during those hours. If you are in an apartment remember that the #2 reason that dogs wind up in shelters is landlords or other issues with renting (eg. your dog barks all day when you are not home). If you have never had a dog before or are unsure of your abilities and the commitment involved, you might dog sit for a friend. Bottomline, avoid bonding with a dog that you ultimately just can't keep -- it's tough on BOTH of you.

2. Don't get a rescue just because you "feel sorry for" them. If a dog has issues that you are not prepared to deal with (aggression, high energy, herding instinct, chronic barking) then you aren't doing the dog any favors by adopting it. An often mis-quoted rule says "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners" -- what some miss there is that some dogs are, at least temporarily, "bad dogs" (because of abuse or misguided training) and it will take some good training to bring them back into balance. Know your limits.

3. Have a look at what is in that dry dog food (www.dogfoodanalysis.com). A high quality dog food may cost only 10% more than the cheap ones (partly because you feed less quantity) and is well worth it. Some foods with great reputations don't deserve them.

4. Before you spend a fortune treating allergy symptoms, try to find out what the source of the allergen is and eliminate it from the diet or environment. Many foods contain grains that dogs may be allergic to.

5. Have your pet spayed or neutered. Good for their health, behavior and the right thing to do.

6. Your dog is NOT defiant, lazy, deaf, or willful. You should look at the failure of your dog to do what you want it to do, as your failure to effectively communicate. For example your dog is not peeing on that same spot on the rug again out of defiance and it is not going into another room to pee because it is "sneaky." A dog likely doing these things is confused and scared to pee in front of you. If your housebreaking methods aren't working don't be shy about reaching out to someone who can help.

7. NEVER rub your dog's nose in it! It is not just cruel but absolutely pointless and counter productive (see #6).

8. Your dog communicates to you in variety of ways. Learning more about dog body language and common behaviors can go a long way in helping you understand what your dog is telling you and will enhance the bond between you. It can also avoid seeing 'laziness' or 'defiance' where there is none.

9. Do not approach your dog while angry. If it pooped or tore something up and you are upset, take a minute or two to calm down and get perspective. Remember that if you don't 'catch them in the act' that you can't correct the behavior. If you are loud and physically threatening (or worse) then communication with your dog gets shut down. Never threaten your dog or think that it is stupid because it doesn't heed your threats. Being loud etc. only tells the dog that you are erratic. It simply wants to get away from you at that moment and is not thinking about why you are angry.

10. Instead of telling the dog "No" -- tell it what you want it to do. Show it what it CAN chew on, the RIGHT way to greet people, etc. "No" isn't a command -- it is the absence of one. Much more effective to tell the dog 'chew this, not that."

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. + to the 1

:kick:

[nashville_brook]

2. i love what you say about 'no' not being a command. so true!

[RockaFowler]

3. Great rules for any pet owner

I treat my dogs like they were our kids - which they are :)

[OnyxCollie]

4. Why not avoid kibble altogether?

Here's what my dogs ate yesterday:

For breakfast- Frozen, raw turkey necks

For dinner- Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, broccoli, raw hamburger, and a Pet Tab (vitamins).

They're healthy, their stools look good, and they LOVE it.

ETA: We used to feed Innova kibble but stopped months ago. It was pricey stuff, and the dogs' stools were messy.

[KurtNYC]

12. mine could not eat Innova but were fine on Evo

which is made by the same company. We eventually settled on Taste of the Wild which I had avoided first bc of the weird graphics. (I tasted all of them too because you CAN taste what is in it, the grain, etc. The best tasting was "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul" poultry version). TOTW has a slightly burnt taste on the finish and no hint of corn.

I think kibble limits the time and money that goes into feeding. I cook turkey, chicken, potatoes, carrots and spinach for mine but kibble is a big part of the overall mix. They tolerate variety pretty well.

[OnyxCollie]

13. Kibble is fast food for dogs.

Quick and easy, but less than ideal.

[lapislzi]

17. And cats!

Cats are obligate carnivores. They need very little carbohydrate in their diet, and can actually function on very low blood glucose levels.

Kibble is bulked up with corn and rice, which cats don't need, but makes the kibble cheap and tasty.

I am convinced that my cat's addiction to cheap kibble, and my ignorance about it, helped bring on his diabetes. Now I feed a homemade diet of chicken, turkey, beef, and offal. (NOT raw...although cat guts can handle the bacterial load, the shedding of bacteria can present a health risk for humans) Cats are healthier now, and their coats feel wonderful.

[a la izquierda]

25. My dogs eat Wellness and Blue Buffalo

and a host of veggies. My Chihuahua is extraordinarily picky about all food, so Wellness is the food we've finally found he likes.

[InvisibleTouch]

19. Exactly.

A natural raw diet is in fact *cheaper* than the premium pet foods, if you look around a bit for meat sources. It's more expensive than the corn-based junk brands, but the money you save on food will end up at the vet's office in due time - with all the accompanying stress and agony for dog and owner. There are some great online mailing lists for raw-food suppliers and those looking for local sources.

For my dogs I've gotten mostly away from the cooking altogether, though they do sometimes still get brown rice, oatmeal, or potatoes. But I find it easiest to do the "prey model" diet that consists of 80% muscle meat (including heart), 10% bone, and 10% liver and other organ meat.

It takes a little more pre-planning (being sure to take food out of the freezer so it's ready in time for meals, searching out the best prices, etc.), but I would never go back to kibble.

And don't even get me started on the difference in yard clean-up between kibble and real food. ;)

[Walk away]

5. Can I add #11? If you follow the above rules and take the time....

to train you dog with a positive course of training, you can enjoy a happy and fulfilling relationship with your best friend for the next fifteen years or more! It is so worth it to put in the time and effort to shape behavior and learn to communicate with your pet NOW. Then you can sit back and have fun. That's the whole point!

[lapislzi]

6. Great rules for all companions of pets. May I add #12?

If you don't have the financial means to deal with regular medical care and/or a possible medical emergency (see my posts on the $15,000 cat), reconsider adopting an animal. At the very least, your pet will require regular inoculations, preventative flea/tick medicine, and spaying/neutering. Some pets require much more, and sometimes pets become "special needs" through no fault of yours of theirs. Diabetes or other chronic conditions can be costly. Be sure you are prepared for this possibility, even if it's unlikely. Or, the alternative will be tragic for both you and the animal.

[ZombieHorde]

8. I just asked about this while you posted! nt

[OnyxCollie]

14. Consider pet health insurance.

After spending $2,000 on one surgery, are dogs are now insured.

[lapislzi]

15. Good point.

Wonder whether Sugar Cat would be considered a "pre-existing condition?"

Gorgeous dog, btw!

[pipi_k]

26. Yep...we got VPI last year

after one of them got a UTI and then a month later got a bad injury on the pads of one of her front feet.

[OnyxCollie]

27. That's what we have. nt.

[ZombieHorde]

7. Should poor people have pets if they can't afford vet visits? nt

[lapislzi]

11. Cats are generally low-maintenance

But, shit happens. I have a friend who adores cats and persists in adopting kittens, even though she cannot afford to spay/neuter (litters several times a year) or purchase Frontline. One of the kittens actually died in her arms because of fleabites. It was horrible to hear about, probably much worse for her and the cat. Spaying/neutering and parasite prophylaxis are the very least you can do, and you should do them.

Dogs require even more care. They're not cute cuddle-toys. They are a 15-year commitment.

[pipi_k]

9. #1...dog/human bonding...

After our three old girls passed away we decided we couldn't live dogless so we found two female German Shepherds being sold by a breeder whose mom was going to use them for breeding but she had passed away. The dogs are sisters. They were 10 months old when we got them in April of 2009.

Some people warned us that because they were females and littermates and had been together for 10 months that they would probably not bond with us.

I knew better.

We are retired. We interact with them together and separately. We had them in separate doggy obedience classes.

Today, they are nearly 3 years old, and no less bonded to us than our other girls were even though we got two of them as pups, and they were not sisters. One of the three we got when she was nearly five years old. She found a place in the "pack" and loved us without reservation like the other two did.

Our two shepherds can be scary with strangers, but with us they are total sweethearts and very affectionate. And they know their place within the "pack".

We live in the woods but don't let them run free. They do have free in and out access to a fenced area, and it makes me happy to see how happy they are.

:loveya:

[KurtNYC]

16. that was great to read

especially bc I have 2 littermates right now and people, including trainers, told me not to raise them together. In my experience they have not been different than any other combination of 2 dogs. Trainer, landlord, etc all tried to tell me they were going to be unmanageable, would "bond with each other only" and that they could/would hurt each other. One trainer said "they will sprout devil horns." None of that happened. Very social dogs too.

[pipi_k]

23. Devil horns....hahahahaa

OK, my girls have devil horns, but they're still youngsters.

They get into stuff. Although not as much as when they first came here and didn't know the difference...even at 10 months...between their toys and our shoes or books or furniture.

I used a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and each time they went at something they weren't supposed to I sprayed the item and then gave them one of their own toys to play with. They eventually learned what's OK and what isn't. Well...except for shoes. They still love shoes. ;)


One of their big fun things was to go after the toilet paper in the main bathroom. I had to rig the door so it wouldn't open up into the toilet compartment or else they'd have TP all over the house. About two months ago I decided to test them. Haven't been rigging the door...TP is there for them to see. They haven't touched it. Same thing with the hand towels in the bathroom. I had to drape them over the shower. Now they leave the towels alone.

Treat them kindly and they'll reward us with all the love they have. :)

[retread]

21. We got our male when he was 8 years old, 6 months ago. He is at my feet as I type this. It

took a couple of months of gentle, patient work, leavened with a lot of humor. He is now house trained(I hate the word broken!), is a wonderful loose leash walker and has showed me what people mean when they say "velcro dog."

I use only positive methods and carry a clicker in one pocket and treats in another as we never know when a learning moment will arise.

My experience is older dogs will bond just as tightly as any puppy and will love you fiercely; plus you avoid the "puppy stage."

By the way, he is a whippet.

[pipi_k]

24. Yep, older dogs have so much to give also...

One thing I missed about getting our girls at 10 months was not seeing them as little babies.

But OTOH, like you said, there isn't the puppy stage to have to deal with.


Whippets are so pretty! They always seem to have such soulful eyes. :)

[DianeK]

10. K&R

[AngryAmish]

18. #11 - stop having your dog shit on my front lawn

Jesus, I'm sick of that.

[distantearlywarning]

20. Don't have a dog, but have two shockingly well-socialized cats

They generally obey simple commands like dogs, which surprises visitors to our house. We have perfect furniture and carpets (and they have all the claws they were born with). They are both very gentle and calm, even in stressful situations like the vet. And we've had them four years this month, and have had to break out the squirt bottle all of exactly twice, both times under the age of 9 months.

Pretty much our one and only secret is your #10 on the list - we provide simple alternatives to negative cat behaviors, not just a "NO". If they want to scratch, we say "no" and then redirect them to something more appropriate than the couch that they ARE allowed to claw on. If they are getting into something that isn't good for them, we say "no" and then give them a paper bag to play with. When they were kittens and bit or scratched us during play, we said "no", waited for them to calm down, and then demonstrated that they got more attention from us when they were less aggressive.

Just like dogs, cats totally get "No", but they need to be shown what the possible alternatives are if you want them to behave appropriately on a regular basis or when you're not around.

[Dappleganger]

22. Actually, one of our doxies IS willful and stubborn.

As soon as she hears me call her name when we are outside to do business, she goes into slo-mo and does a belly crawl back to the door. She has never, ever been hit or yelled out btw (we've had her since she was a pup). Have never met any other dog who has shown this kind of behavior. If there's a treat in my hand she'll do anything, but she knows when it's gone and then goes into full-out resistance. Our German neighbor laughed at her one day, she said they are known for this.

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. Dogs don't like to come in after final potty. Unless the weather's lousy.

One of my dogs, terrier of course, you can call his name after final potty and he starts to come in then nope, changes his mind. Or he'll pretend he can't hear you.