Responsible Dog Ownership

Dog ownership means being responsible for a personality that relies on you for its survival and well-being.

Responsible Ownership starts with making a long-term commitment to love, care for and protect your pet for his lifetime. Responsible ownership starts before acquiring your pet. 

Responsible ownership means doing research on the breed you’ve chosen and learning about all the little characteristics inherent to that breed. Behavioural “quirks” are often what define a breed and are what draws us to one breed over another.

In choosing one breed over another, looks should not be the only or primary consideration. Learn what the dog was intended to DO.  This is what defines the dog’s limitations and interactions with humans.    Before becoming a dog parent, it’s important to consider your lifestyle. Are you a person who spends most of your free time at home? If not, then depending on how much time you’re away from home, you may want to consider whether a dog is a good choice, at all.  Some people are simply away from home too much to properly care for a dog. 

You should be prepared to spend several hours per day just BEING with him. Dogs are very social creatures.  They REQUIRE interaction with humans,  and they need emotional stimulation as well as physical stimulation.   

Responsible ownership means looking after your dog’s needs.

This includes health, exercise, diet and loving. 

Responsible ownership involves all facets of your dog’s life.

Responsible ownership means providing for emotional and physical well-being and health, providing necessary sustenance and medical attention and providing socialization and training to allow him to be comfortable in public situations.   

Every irresponsible owner’s actions affects how ALL  dogs are viewed by society.  Every time you see a dog chained in a yard, or pooping on the sidewalk without his owner waiting to clean up after him, or running loose down the street, be prepared to take action.   

Every responsible dog owner should always be ready to educate and ready to take action.  If you see a  dog running at large, either call the animal control officer, slip a note under his collar explaining responsible ownership, or put a leash on him, and take him home yourself.  When you see “stray poop”, pick it up.  

Our first responsibility is to teach others by example and allowing others to see how wonderful *responsible* ownership can be, by taking, whenever possible,  our own well-behaved dogs out in public where they can be seen.

What is Responsible Dog Ownership? From Krista Mifflin, Your Guide to Dogs. 

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, be good neighbours, and provide for the needs of their dogs, 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 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 through gentle means to be a good canine citizen  • Training your dog not be a nuisance, and helping him achieve that goal 

• Teaching your children to respect animals and not 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”. By not obeying the laws, you are only ruining it for everyone else  • 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 likable, even to them? 

• 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  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.