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 had40 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 thecreator of http://www.ToyBreeds.com, your online resource toToy dog breeds.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Taking Care of Your Sick Dog Just like humans, dogs are subject to diseases and illnesses. If your dog gets sick, you may have to take him to the vet for treatment or even surgery. Your Purrrfect Companion Out of all the pet animals, the cat is most expressive about its needs. The feline loves to be pampered and cared for. Cat Arthritis Cat arthritis is not a very common ailment among healthy cats. Most arthritis found in cats is from an accident that has made the bones or joints weak. Seven Ways to Boxer-Proof Your House You are ready to bring your Boxer home? First, you must prepare your house. Whether you are bringing home a puppy or adult Boxer, you may want to spend some time surveying your house from a Boxer eye view (about 2 feet off the ground). Stop Your Dog From Pulling You Down The Street From the first day of life on a leash, most dogs learn that by pulling on it, they get to where they want faster. Its the behavior that so many dog owners struggle with. The Cure To Stop A Horse From Kicking I get a lot of horse training questions about stopping a horse from kicking. The kicking habits of these horses range from the horse kicking at virtually anyone to kicking at only the husbands. How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever! Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave you out of pocket but also very frustrated and annoyed at your cat for being such a bad little kitty. Cats need to scratch, it is something that cats instinctively do, not as you may think, in order to sharpen their claws, but to remove the old layers of their nails. Are You Really Ready For a Boxer Dog? The answer is "no" if you are the type who mostly leave your dog on a chain. Boxers require much of your love, attention and companionship although they are easy to take care of. Lemon Tetra - A Perfect Addition for Your Community Aquarium Lemon TetraGlassily transparent, the lemon tetra (hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) could appear to be just a sunbeam flashing through your community tank if not for background elements like plants and driftwood. Another member of the large characin clan, the lemon tetra has a fairly elongated body like its smaller relative the neon tetra and like neons and other characins, the lemon tetra does best if kept in small schools of six to eight fish. Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... Part 2 Cryptorchidism is peculiar to male dogs and a condition present at birth.The testicle/s, which developed in the abdomen, fail to descend into the scrotum. Understanding Psychology Of Dog Training: Pack Behavior & Establishing Control Dogs are descendent of wolves. To study the psychology of dog training and understand the pack hierarchal system of dogs, we must go back and examine their ancestor - wolves. Preparing For Your New Dog - What You Need to Know Before He Comes Home Preparing yourself and your household before, during, andafter your pet comes home is an essential step to successfullyintegrating your new puppy or dog into its newenvironment. Give the new puppy or dog plenty of time toadjust; most experts recommend at least ten days. My Tips to Take Care of a New Dog So you're bringing home that cute little puppy from the best breeder after doing all that research, or you found the most adorable "mutt" at the pound, where you were just going to look, you swore. And now you realize that you weren't as prepared as you thought. The Importance Of A Proper Correction There are headstrong dogs that know too well that a verbal "no" from you is the worst that they're gonna get and this will quickly lead to them ignoring the handler. In the wild when one of the pack is out of line, he is corrected by the Alpha. Dogs and Children - What Parents Need to Know to Prevent Dog Bites Dogs and children are a perfect fit. They are what fond memories are made of and part of a joyful childhood. How Intelligent is Your Dog It is entirely normal to look for signs of intelligence in your dog. Even puppies that are not especially smart nonetheless display flashes of brilliance in their behavior. A Dog Bit Me, Whom Can I Sue? Any person, whether a minor or adult, having been bitten or knocked down by an animal improperly or inadequately leashed or contained can sue for injuries or death caused by a bite or knock-down. You can sue the person who has or was responsible for the animal. Safety in the Fresh Air and the Outdoors for Your Cat - How To Build a Cattery Animal welfare organizations and humane societies have been very successful in helping people to accept that their cats are safer living exclusively indoors, especially in urban areas. However, cat lovers still want to give their cats a chance to enjoy fresh air and all the sights and sounds that come with it. The Importance of a Plan When Building a Reptile Cage Would you put together a model plane without looking at the finished plane picture or looking at the plans? Does a builder build a house without a plan?The answer to these is pretty clearly no. A homemade snake or other reptile cage is so much simpler though, you say. What Your Cat Wants You To Know If your feline friend could speak your language, here a few things she would probably like you to know.1) I am the boss of you. |
home | site map | contact us |