I am a professional Pet Sitter and have been involved in the animal care field for over twenty years. My scope of experience includes employment as a Zoo Keeper, an Animal Services Officer, Veterinary Technician and a professional pet sitter with an Associate of Science degree in Animal Science.
Folks we as dog owners have a responsibility not only to our community and environment, but to our dogs to pick up after them and as members of society we have a responsibility to keep our communities clean and not impose our waste on the rest of the community.
As dog owners we have the responsibility to see to it that we do not reflect negatively on fellow dog owners because of our actions. For example you let your dog out to poop in your neighbors yard and another dog owner sees that and takes the cue that it’s appropriate to do the same. The other neighbors may now have a negative opinion of dog owners in general because of your actions. We have seen a similar scenario occur with the “Pitbull” group. A small group of irresponsible individuals treats their “Pitbulls” poorly and the entire group of dogs receives unjustified discrimination because of their owners actions. As dog owners we must police our own in order to avoid the draconian breed specific legislation that is now sweeping the country.
Be responsible- scoop the poop, train your dog to be a canine good citizen and keep your community a clean and enjoyable place to live.
I own a head halter but I haven’t used it in years. The male dog I put it on was extremely upset about it to the point of becoming frantic, I could not distract him with food, so I took it off. I guess some would say I gave in, and I would do it again. The next day he was very painful and had trouble eating. Not too much later I witnessed an obedience class being offered by a large chain pet supply store. A young German Shepherd bitch wearing a head halti was frantically throwing herself around on the floor fighting the halti and screaming. The instructer ignored her behavior, I told them to stop, that she would get hurt. I was asked to leave. I know that there are many dogs that quietly accept these halters. But they need to used with caution and there should be warnings of the possibilty of injury both mental and physical.
Great Points. Thanks for the post.