| |
| |
|
Pets Information |
|
|
|
How Many Dogs Are Too Many?
I'm a pariah among the dog fanciers in my community. Why? Because I testified in support of a new regulation to limit pet ownership to no more than a total of three dogs and/or cats, older than six-months of age, in one household. The reason for the age threshold is to give people time to place any puppies or kittens that their family pet has. Every major dog/pet organization I'm familiar with opposes such regulations or laws. That includes not only the animal rights people but mainstream groups such as the American Kennel Club (AKC). So why would I break ranks and support it? Reality. I support limitations on the number of pets in one household for the following reasons. 1. Nuisance laws are difficult and expensive to enforce. In one instance in my town - that has laws on nuisance dogs - the city police had been to a house three times after calls from neighbors. In each instance, the dogs were quiet when they arrived and no ticket was issued. That's the problem with the type of enforcement other dog-owner groups want. It requires catching the animal/owner in the act. Then both have the right to protest and appeal any fines or other punishments. How much of a city's budget should go to this type of effort? It is much more cost effective to enforce limits on the number of pets as this can be more readily identified and controlled. 2. The worst pet owners are beyond caring about the law. They fall into two categories. One is the drug addict, gang members or other criminal who breeds big, dangerous dogs for protection. An example is a homeowner who had 14 Pit Bulls in his metropolitan home. The other is the disturbed pet collector such as a woman who had 40 cats in her suburban house. She had no recognition of why this should be a problem and was surprised that her neighbors called the police because of the odor from her house. Neither of these types of pet owners are going to be deterred by a misdemeanor fine. 3. Dogs in packs are difficult to control. The more dogs in the home, the more problems you have. Initially it may be as the dogs joust among themselves for positions in the pack. Even once that's been settled, outside events - such as a dog coming back after a hospital stay - can trigger another round of fighting for position. There's always a danger the dogs may get lose. Having three or more dogs in one backyard can be intimidating to neighbors and other small pets in the adjoining homes. A neighboring community has a dog park near a beach and people are often knocked down by packs of dogs. The dogs aren't attacking them; they're just running together and oblivious of their impact when they knock down a little one or older person. When dogs are in groups, they work together and mob psychology rules. They may attack and kill smaller animals not for food but for sport or territory. Even dogs that live with cats will kill other cats when working in a dog pack outside the home. 4. Dogs in packs are more susceptible to illnesses. As a former breeder, I truly appreciate how difficult it is to prevent the spread of diseases when you have many dogs in one home or kennel. There's a reason it's called "kennel" cough. 5. Some dog owners have lost perspective One of the objectors to this new rule participates in a rescue organization. She had six people testifying on her behalf as to how needed her service is (I agree) and how well she manages her household of dogs. None of the six people, however, live near her. When her neighbors testified, it was another story. She had started her rescue work by telling the homeowners group that she would have no more than six dogs at one time. In one instance when the police were called to her home after a loose dog attacked a neighbor's pet and discovered she had 23 dogs there. This is just a typical suburban home - not a rural or country area. I'm sympathetic to wanting to care for abandoned and mistreated dogs but neighboring home owners have rights as well. If you've paid $600,000 for an 800-sq ft home in California (as our Sunday newspaper stated), you are going to be very concerned about maintaining property values. Too many dog owners are oblivious to the rights of other people. Just walk in any city park and see how many people don't pick up after their dog. I love dogs but I wish I could have more confidence in their owners. I recognize that I may be assigning many strays to an early death, but I can't waive a magic wand and make all pet owners responsible owners and care givers. Limiting the number of pets in a household is a cost effective measure to solving true problems. Louise Louis is a certified canine specialist and the creator of http://www.ToyBreeds.com, your online resource to Toy dog breeds.
MORE RESOURCES:
Meet Your Match boosts puppy love (and kitty love) by matching people and pets ... - Washington Post
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
7 Puppy Naming Tips You've picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Nikki and Benny, My Therapy Visiting Dogs. My two therapy dogs, Nikki and Benny, bring joy to our friends. Here is short report of our visit. Herbs For Your Dog Herbology, basically, is the use of herbs in the treatment of many types of illness. Herein the emphasis of treatment is based strongly on the specific use of herbal roots, flowers and leaves to stimulate the healing process. Why Crate Train My Dog? A few years ago, before I decided to stay home with my kids, I worked as a veterinarian technician in an animal hospital. While at that job I saw so many clients who would bring in their dog and be upset because they had eaten something in the house, other than food, and were now sick. Goldfish Tips - Finding Out The Gender of Your Goldfish Boy or Girl?How can you tell whether your Goldfish is male or female? You might want to know because you want to breed them, or give them the right name before Jack turns out to be the mother Goldfish! Here are some clues that might help you sort out the Goldfish boys from the Goldfish girls:* The female Goldfish are slightly bigger than the males and look even heavier in the abdomen when they are full of eggs.* Male Goldfish develop white spots on their gills and pectoral called "breeding tubercles" during spawning time. Tips on Easy House Breaking Your Puppy If you are lucky enough to get a 7-week-old puppy, there is no excuse for any bad habits to develop over his lifetime. Puppies learn INSTANTLY when they are that young, and if you use the proper training methods, gentle but consistent, he will behave like an angel his whole life through. Protecting the Smallest Member of Your Family: A Step-by-step Guide to Pet Insurance Let's face it - Fido and Fluffy are an important part of your family. Do you want to have to assign a dollar value to them if they become sick or injured?That may well be the case if you don't have pet health insurance. Dogs - Mans Best Friend Dogs have been known as man's best friend for decades. Owning a dog can be a positive, enjoyable experience for the entire family. Declawing Your Cat This is a very controversial topic which has a lot of emotion behind but it needs to be looked at. As a cat owner who has experienced difficulty dealing with a cat scratching issue in my home, it is difficult not to be biased but let's give the issue of declawing its due and see what exactly the pros and cons are. How To Install An Emergency Brake On Your Horse Imagine being on a horse and he bolts. You pull those reins to slow him down but it's no use. West Highland White Terriers - Westies- A Wonderful Breed Apart "Westies" or West Highland White Terriers are furry coated dogs, with dots for coal black eyes and button noses.Why are West Highland White Terrier puppies sought after by many dog lovers? Because these friendly creatures are well-behaved, loyal and affectionate dogs, who may be pocket sized (average a 10-11 inches tall), but are highly intelligent animals. 5 Tips For Choosing the Best Vet For Your Dog Find a vet, if possible, who specializes in small animals (as opposed to one who treats large and small - like horses, cows, cats and dogs.) Your community may only have vets that do a little bit of everything - and there's nothing wrong with that, if that's all that's available, but I'll remind you - you usually go to a specialist for your health issues, don't you?If you're new in the community, or haven't needed a vet before - word of mouth is a great way to start looking for a new vet. Choosing Between Dog Training Schools and Animal Behavior Specialists If you are having behavioral issues with your dog that you cannot seem to resolve on your own, getting professional help is an excellent idea. However, there are two different kinds of professionals that can help you with your situation: a Dog Training School, and an Animal Behavior Specialist. Buy Dog Travel Supplies Online Dog Travel SuppliesThe shopping part along for dog travel supplies is amusing for sure. The trinkets, toys and accessories for pet product travel are a blast. Dog Training - Early Training Is Essential Dogs are a fantastic edition to any family but like all youngsters they need training. If you do not train your puppy now it will take a serious amount of help from a training school to get him to be obedient later on. New Book Helps Worried Owners Of A Pregnant Cat 'Help, my cat is pregnant and I don't know what to do!' Not a day goes by without someone posting this message to an Internet forum.Worried cat owners will know what to do if they read How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat. Training Your Dog to Sit Training your dog to "sit" is probably the first thing you will train your puppy to do. I write puppy because you can start the training as soon as the puppy has settled in his new home. The Benefits of Large Birdcages We've all heard the phrase, "Free as a bird." In the wild, birds are free, flying from tree to tree in effortless abandon. What You Need To Know To Keep Your Dog Safe In Your Car Man's Best Friend is a great companion around the home, but Rover will love joining you on road trips - short or long - as well. If you've tried taking your dog along in the car before and met with bad results, don't give up. How I Get More Training Done On My Horses In 1/2 The Time Here's a simple way..
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
