My Pet Pet-Peeves

Everyone makes lists of new years resolutions. In this spirit, I'd like to make a list of my pet peeves related to dog ownership:

1) Buying instead of adopting a dog. There are millions, yes millions of rescue dogs that are put down every month across the country for the simple fact of being unadopted/unwanted.

Remember that Hollywood movie about unwanted dogs and foster kids? I forget the title, but all, yes, all of the highly trained dog actors were rescue dogs. The dogs were all adopted from local shelters and trained. A rescue dog can be as smart and trainable as a pure-bred dog.

2) Adopting a high energy dog and not taking them for any walks -- just letting them poop and run in the back yard. Walking is fun and healthy not only for the dog but also the dog owner. Some dog trainers would even argue that walking is necessary for a dog's mental health.

3) Adopting a dog and not giving them any fun activities. We have a responsibility to offer mental stimulation to our dogs, especially dogs that are highly intelligent. There are lots of fun options like pull toys, or kongs that you can stuff with treats. For food motivated dogs, you could read about dog agility training or watch lots of youtube videos on the subject too. It's not only fun for you, but fun for the dog too.

Having a dog in your home and life is something to treasure and does take some work too. The work of playing and walking and offering fun activities for your dog can also be very fun for you too!