By Liz O’Mahony
My personal philosophy on caring for your dog means looking after him holistically. By that I mean nurturing him physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. This begins with respecting him as a sentient being. He experiences the same emotions as we do. It’s up to us to give him direction, to develop his potential and help him live life to capacity even within the limits of reduced health or old age. If you like, it’s the lifestyle we, as humans, desire for ourselves.
Responsibility: When we bring a dog into our home, we immediately have a duty of care to look after him to the best of our ability. That means giving him the best diet we can afford that suits his needs and lifestyle. It entails exercising both his mind and body in order to help him reach his potential.
Your dog adopts you as his ‘go to’ person: the most reliable, favourite person who looks after his needs. That’s a huge responsibility and one we shouldn’t take lightly. It’s an opportunity to establish a relationship that can thrive both in good times and bad. It’s a partnership, a two-way relationship based on mutual respect bringing enormous satisfaction to both of you.
Education: This is a basic need – to identify your chosen breed and then to find out all you can about its character traits.
By this, I mean that you find a dog that suits your lifestyle. If you hate routine and physical activity, don’t invest in a dog that needs loads of exercise and mental stimulation. If you hate an established routine and training sessions, then you need to think about your choices.
Sometimes the best people to talk to are the veterinary nurses who see all breeds coming through their doors. And most will be glad to give you the benefit of their wisdom and advice.
If you’re getting your first dog, it’s probably a good idea to avoid those breeds or combinations that come with a caveat such as ‘very independent’, ‘can be difficult with other dogs’ or some such proviso. Much better to choose a dog that is known to be biddable. But, having said that, there’s always the exception to every rule! So don’t be afraid of asking for help in choosing the ‘right’ dog for you.
Socialising: When you’ve made your choice, then you’ll be embarking on a course of training which should include socialising him. That covers many aspects. Obviously, you need to help your dog to meet and be happy with other dogs and people. It may suit you to find some socialisation classes to do this where a trainer orchestrates the ‘Meet and Greet’ between other dogs.
However, you need to really know your dog. A shy dog, a confrontational one, a fearful one, even an over-exuberant, friendly one: they all need a different approach to socialisation. A trainer may be your best bet lest you make your dog’s life more difficult by overwhelming him through your own ignorance.
Playtime: This means playing with your dog; teaching him games; giving him quality time with you. It’s so important when developing the relationship between you and him. It’s also a way of incorporating training while having fun. For example, instead of simply throwing a ball for Saffron, I will ask her to sit and wait while I throw it. Then I encourage her to ‘go fetch’ it.
Or I will ask her to sit and stay while I disappear around the house and hide the ball from her. Then I call her to ‘Go find’. Not only has she shown complete self control by sitting and waiting, she then uses her brain and nose to sniff out where I’ve hidden it.
And, of course, you can teach your dog tricks. Most dogs will enjoy learning as long as you make it easy for them, and provide plenty of praise and rewards in the process.
Esteem: It’s important to appreciate your dog: his qualities, his ability to focus and learn, his value in your life. Cherish your dog for all the good things he brings to your relationship.
Caring: By caring for your dog, I mean giving him the best diet, all the veterinary care he needs, extra training, if necessary. And most of all, loving him to the end of his life. Dogs love us wholeheartedly. We need to follow their example.
Training: Every dog thrives from learning basic obedience training. It gives them boundaries and lets them know exactly what you want and expect of them. It also gives them choices. If you’ve got the training right, they will want to follow your guidance and do as you ask. If not, they may just walk away! And then you have to question what’s gone wrong. Training should be a way of life, not a chore.
As you can see, respect for your dog covers many facets.
