Raised by a family of dog lovers and owners, my earliest memory as a kid was when I was feeding a banana to our family dog in his play pen. That became my daily routine. I would always eat half of my meal and would give the other half to our dog. Although she was being fed regularly, I would always make sure to feed her with my own share of food.
Back then, I believed that sharing your food to your pets will make your bond stronger. I was only 4 or 5 years old during that time so you can't really blame me. Hahaha.
I know that being raised by this family means that dogs will forever be a part of my life. As early as 7, I already had my own dog. Nobody gave it to me, actually. I got the poor little puppy underneath an abandoned car a few blocks away from home.
I can proudly say that that rescued puppy grew up as a large and happy dog. I was already in college when she died of old age. This is, sadly, one of the things we have no control of.
What I Learned From Being a Dog Owner for Almost 3 Decades
Nobody is an expert when it comes to dogs. No one can say that he already knows everything on the subject - it doesn't matter if that person is a veterinarian, a celebrity dog trainer, etc. Being a dog owner is a never-ending learning experience. Personally, here are some of the most important things I learned from being a dog owner for 27 years:
1. Having a Dog is A Big Responsibility
It really is. As a responsible dog owner, what they eat is a big deal for me. My 5 dogs now are picky eaters. To make matters worse, they don't finish their food. In order to make sure that they get enough nutrients and vitamins from the amount of food they usually eat, I would always buy them premium dog food. Their favorite brand is Acana. Surprisingly, their bodies had improved in less than 3 weeks of eating this.
2. A Dog's Behavior Doesn't Always Depend on the Breed
I know that this might spark a little debate. But based on my and my circles' observations, dogs' behaviors are based on how people raise them. Many times, the environment and the rest of the pack also play a big factor on their temperament.
I have tons of friends who own pitbulls, german shepherds, belgian malinois, mastiffs, akitas, great danes, siberian huskies, and even alaskan malamutes... none of their dogs exhibit aggressiveness nor any of the negative behaviors tv shows and books are talking about. The funny thing is, our experiences related to unwanted dog behaviors mostly involve small breed dogs. However, these are only cases as minor as excessive barkings, and some serious consequences of dog anxieties to households.
Dogs who aren't regularly exposed to new environments, people, and other dogs tend to develop more negative behaviors. They're more prone to attacking strangers, or anysince the sight of unfamiliar things threaten them.
3. Introducing New Dogs to the Pack Should Be Done Properly
Bringing home a new dog where there are other dogs isn't easy. There are right methods to introduce a new member to the family. If not done properly, there'll be some consequences on your old dogs' behavior and their attitude towards the new one, affecting the latter more.
Some years ago, I brought home a new puppy. A dog breeder gave it to me since he was heading abroad in a few days. That puppy was so small for a 2-month old golden retriever. He's the runt of the litter. What I didn't expect was he was being bullied by the other dogs. They're not really fighting with him - they're just ignoring him completely, despite his poor attempts to get their attention.
4. Self-medicating Dogs is a Big "NO"
Even though you're sure what's the problem behind your dog's lack of appetite or irregular bowel movements, you shouldn't just give him any medicine without consulting a veterinarian. There was a time when someone from a Facebook dog group told me to give this "specific antibiotic" to my golden retriever when I told them that her tongue's color had suddenly changed to a bit purple. Good thing I consulted a couple of veterinarians right away. My dog was just dehydrated!
5. Training a Dog is Easier After a 30-Minute Walk
Dog training can be really stressful especially if your dog keeps on chasing anything that moves. Our secret to a successful dog training is - drain the dog's energy by 75% first and leave the 25% for the training. You can easily do this by walking him for a minimum of 30 minutes.
6. Dogs' "Me Time" Can Be Scheduled
It's best to start this training as early as 3 months. When we first got our golden retriever, a big part of her potty training was the schedule. This can be easily done by scheduling her meals.
Her meals were given every 12pm and 7pm daily. Her "me times" were every 7am, after lunch, 5pm, after dinner and 10pm.
7. Dogs Won't Starve Themselves
Many dogs are pick eaters. This is how we handle these picky eaters - we do the 30-minute rule. If they won't touch their food for atleast 30 minutes, we'll take their food away. Same thing for their next meals. They will eventually give up and eat anything that will touch their bowls. This process can go on for atleast 3 to 5 days. Just make sure that they always have water mixed with rehydration salt and there's nothing to chew on or eat within their area (trash, spoiled food, used baby diapers, etc).
8. Giving Dogs a Daily Bath is More Harmful
Some dog owners give their dogs daily baths to cure manges, get rid of fleas/ticks, etc. This is wrong in so many levels. By giving them a bath daily, you're depriving their skin and coats the natural oil they need for protection. Flaking, dryness, excessive shedding or even hair loss can be some of the consequences.
9. These Expensive Vaccinations for Dogs Are Cheaper Than Treatment Costs
Let's say a 6-in-1 vaccine costs $20. This $20 will give your dog a protection against Canine Distemper, Parvo Virus, Adenovirus Type 1, Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza and Leptospiroris for a year. But if your dog remains unvaccinated and gets a canine distemper for example, your $20 won't be enough to pay for the vet bills and his medications. Additionally, even your veterinarian won't be able to guarantee his recovery especially if the virus wasn't detected early.
Same thing goes for rabies and the vaccine against it. It's cheaper than 6-in-1 and in some places, you can get it for free.
10. Dogs are More Prone to Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety doesn't only occur to human babies. In fact, dogs are more prone to this. They do awful things just to overcome this anxiety when left home alone regularly.
Good thing that reliable pet cameras like Petcube are created and are now available on the market. I actually have a Petcube Remote Wi-fi Pet Camera at home. Whenever I'm in the office, I still get to talk, listen and play with my dogs who are left alone at home. With this, they can still feel my presence daily and I'm assured that separation anxiety will never be a problem for us.
A friend also has this pet camera. Unfortunately, after her dog suddenly ran away and was placed in a local pound for 3 days, she installed this pet camera (Petcube Camera is portable) in her dog's cage to get in touch and monitor her dog daily. They're together again now.
The list can go on, but if I have to share everything, it would be like writing a book.
I can't imagine my life without paws and wagging tails. Dogs are my life. I'm a better person because of them. If you feel that your life is incomplete and if you're sure you're ready for it, try adopting a pet.
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