The Costs and Responsibility of a Dog.

Our Newest Foster Boy Tiny

It seems that lately I find myself quite frequently in conversations with people about the cost and responsibility of having a dog as a member of your family. I therefore consider it prudent to discuss it a little here on this blog.

Critten at Work

In the paragraph above I describe the dog as a "member of your family". I think this is important because this is truly the manner in which you need to consider your little canine buddies. When we take on the responsibility of adoption, we assume the responsibility for this beautiful creature for its entire lifetime. This is something that should never be taken lightly! These little guys are God's creatures and it is our responsibility as their guardians to care for them to the best of our ability. This is what we agree to when we adopt one of these guys.

Food is expensive, but this is not the only monetary cost that needs careful consideration. It has been said that time is money. Well regardless of the breed or age, your dog requires a considerable amount of your time. You can not just leave the little guy at home by himself for 12 hours a day. It is not fair to him and will absolutely ultimately lead to behavioral issues!

Here are a few monetary costs ( remember this is not an all inclusive list feel free to comment with additions):

• Food
• Grooming
• Heartworm tests and preventive medication
• Pet Sitter for vacation
• Crate
• Bedding
• Toys
• Treats
• Training
• Medication
• Vaccinations
• Flea/Tick control
• Collar, Leash,Harness, Pet Tag, Microchip
• Fence for yard
• Pet Gates for home
• Dog proofing (Beagle Proofing) the home.
• Misc.Supplies

I mentioned time. It is important that you walk your dog frequently. Take them with you whenever possible on errands, etc. This is important for their continued social development. Also do not underestimate the amount of time required to feed, water, and let out for exercise. You also need to take sufficient time for ongoing training.

I am not telling you any of this to discourage you from having dogs. It is just really important to realize and understand the costs and responsibility before your welcome a new dog into your pack!

The Lovely Shane and Cuddles

That being expressed, there are some really great advantages to living with dogs! A dog never judges you and us generally always happy to see you! They really do become emotionally attached to their people! For instance, the Lovely Shane got a really bad stomach virus from our grandson who was also sick. She spent the night away from the dog training shack to be with our grandson and to attempt not to spread the virus to me (I am eternally grateful for this particular gesture! It was a really nasty bug). Our newest adopted dog, Trigger the Dachshund, was not happy about this at all. He looked for his mommy all night. He was visibly anxious. When she returned the next day, she got a very enthusiastic greeting from the entire pack! By far, the most enthusiastic was little Trigger! She also got an enthusiastic greeting from the Dog Trainer .... I miss that awesome lady when she is away!

A few of our happy pack

Sleepy Copper

The point I am attempting to convey here is that dogs are a responsibility. We must care for them. This is not just a responsibility when they are convenient or fun. It is a responsibility that lasts for their entire life! It is a wonderfully rewarding responsibility! I must admit that I get much more out of my relationship with the dogs in my pack than I put into it. But, I do put a great deal of effort into my dogs. If you are considering bringing a dog into your home, you will have to put in effort as well.

If you are looking for a new dog for your pack, please let me know. Our Foster Boy Biscuit the Basset Mix is available for immediate adoption. We also have a new foster Beagle named Tiny. He is a very small Beagle. We just got him from the Fayette County Shelter. We are treating him for what we think is a respiratory infection. So he will likely not be available for adoption for a couple of weeks. He is a cute little guy. He seems to be an adult but a young one. Probably around a year old.

If you have questions regarding the responsibility and cost of dogs, or If you have any training questions, please contact me at any time!

Also, If you need a fence for your back yard, I own a handyman business and would be happy to provide you with an estimate!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Copper at Work

William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services

678-702-4791

fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com
http://fayettelawnmoore.blogspot.com

Trigger

Biscuit

The importance of exercise for your dog.

Cuddles and me walking on a trip to the mountains last year

Copper at work with me on a mild day.

 Sometimes I get frustrated because I don't think folks really understand how important proper exercise is to a dog of any age.

It is especially important for growing puppies but is also very important for adult, senior and geriatric little guys and girls.

In addition to the obvious health benefits for both you and your dog(s), it also helps them mentally and behaviorally as well.

In my experience, a large percentage of the problems and issues that my dog training customers experience with their animals is simply due to inadequate exercise.

Here is a partial list of a few of the symptoms of an under exercised dog ( I borrowed these from the Web MD site):

• Destructive Behaviors i.e.Chewing, Digging, Scratching, Eating remote controls, eating hearing aids (yes I had a student with a dog who did this once).
• Investigative Behaviors i.e. garbage can raiding, pulling items off counters, opening the cabinet doors to explore and perhaps participate in destructive behaviors :)
• Hyperactivity i.e. bouncing off the walls, awake all night
• Unruliness i.e. jumping on people, rearanging furniture, etc
• Excessive Predatory and Social Play
• Play Biting and rough play
• Attention Getting Behaviors i.e. barking, whining, etc.

Copper and Cuddles protecting the back yard

Dogs historically need a job to do. They need work. In some breeds this need is more pronounced than others. For instance terriers and shepherds very much need to have some job to do in order to be happy. Beagles, not so much :).

Without the proper amount of exercise, dogs basically get bored and that is what leads to many of the behaviors on the above list.

They also really need the mental stimulation that good, interactive(with the people) exercise provides.

Copper looking at something very interesting on the other
side of the fence (the grass is always greener there
 for some reason.

 There is a lot of good information available on how to exercise your dog.... there is also some not so great information out there. Here is what I suggest:

You don't have to be aggressive with it. I mean don't have to run any marathons with your dog or take him roller skating. I have mentioned before the importance of at least one good walk per day. This is a good start.  However, not all trainers agree with what I am about to tell you but, please resist the urge to get one of those fancy retractable leashes. They make proper leash control much more difficult and I have seen many people injured by them. That little line on them can burn you if you catch it on the retract. That little line is also very easy to trip over and become ensnared by. I very strongly suggest a good, old fashioned, flat leash. If you want a long one, you can get them 30ft. long if you like.

Cuddles and our normally very active foster girl Lovey
after a day of proper exercise.

Learn proper loose leash walking technique. If you do not know how to do this, Copper and I will be happy to demonstrate and teach you how. It is much easier to show you the technique than it is to write about it. It is one of those things that requires a developed feel. But, you can learn fairly quickly and easily.

It is very important that the exercise be interactive. Walking on the leash using proper loose leash technique provides a lot of interaction between you and the dog. Also, if your little guy or girl likes to play with toys, play with them. Play fetch or something like that. It is a lot of fun and it helps the dog exercise mentally.

Also practice some of the obedience behaviors with your dog (i.e. come, sit, stay, down, leave it, etc). This also provides some mental exercise.

Please use some common sense here. Don't over do it. And please don't exercise outdoors in the heat of the day in the summer. There are plenty of indoor places you can take your dog to exercise if you must do it in the heat of the day. Also be particlarly careful with the so-called brachycephalic dogs (those with short flat little  noses like bulldogs and boxers). These dogs tend to overheat easily due to their physiology.

If your veterinarian is an evil alien, let me
know and I will give you the name
of a vet who is a native of the planet earth

Small, short legged dogs will not have the endurance for walking that larger breeds will have. It is also not the greatest idea in the world to exercise dogs heavily immediately following a meal.

Please also remember, the sight hounds are typically sprinters. They are not endurance dogs. Please don't overexercise them.

Obviously, if your dog has physical problems, do only exercise for which the dog is capable. If you are unsure call your veterinarian he will be happy to discuss it with you.

There are some benefits of regular exercise that may not be exactly intuitive. Dogs, much like people, remain more agile and limber with proper exercise. Proper exercise sometimes helps with certain digestive problems in dogs. Because of the interactive element of proper exercise, it is often a great help to timid or anxious little guys and girls.

If you need any help teaching your little guys and girls to behave properly on a leash or if you have any other training needs or dog related questions, please contact me at anytime!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com