A Leash on Life is a public service organization here in Atlanta. This annual community service project allowed us to vaccinate, spay and neuter pets at no cost helping parents to alleviate one additional burden as they prepare for this new school year.
Kids are back in school, now it is time for pet owners to go to school as well!
The first lesson in Dr. Dani’s school of pet ownership involves puppy training 101. Remember, the puppy is not paying the mortgage, so take control of your house. House training requires a great deal of repetition, and reward! Crate training is the best method of training your new puppy’s bladder. Be consistent and repetitive about the times that you take your puppy out for relief. It is OK to leave a puppy in a nice comfortable crate until those times arise for training purposes, you are training them, don’t let them train you!! Reward them with favorable praise and even a treat when their house training practices are favorable. You can even tie a bell to a long ribbon on the handle of the door you use to exit as a symbolic reminder of this great event! A smart puppy will learn to ring this bell for you to let you know it is time to go out! There is no set time period that is standard for all dogs. Be consistent for a few weeks and then give your puppy a chance to show off what has been learned!
The second lesson in pet ownership is to educate yourself as much as possible about preventative care. This will save a great deal of money, it will alleviate medical problems and ultimately keep the big bad vet away! Spay and Neuter is imperative to prevent over population, medical disorders and to prevent our pets from straying away and ultimately getting hit by cars. Vaccination is imperative and is the only way to prevent many fatal and infectious diseases spread among our pets. Some other preventive measures are: small breed dogs are predisposed for periodontal disease(bad teeth), Knee cap issues and heart problems. Active and athletic dogs often have orthopedic or ligament tears and ruptures. Cats can contract fatal diseases if kept outdoors exposed to other cats and suffer from urinary tract and kidney problems. Large breed dogs require a great deal of food and exercise and also suffer from hip and joint disorders. Know what things may happen so you can prevent and prepare for a long healthy and happy life with your pets!
An important lesson that I always encourage my clients about, is to know where the nearest emergency clinic is located closest to you! If you have an emergency you don’t have time to spare.
Utilize pet services that are available to make your life easier. One of the most common causes for pets to loose their home is due to behavioral abnormalities. Cats spray in the house and dogs think they pay the mortgage. Behavioral specialists and remedies are available to help keep everyone in place. Pet sitters, mobile groomers, pooper scoopers, trainers, boarding resorts are all services available to make your life easier.
I hope this little lesson was enough to aid you in getting an “A” in caring for your pets.
Remember, these are hard economic times for many, lend a helping paw and help keep our furry friends out of the shelters and at home where they belong!