In previous columns, I discussed acquiring a pet and the issues you must confront before you make the decision to welcome the arrival of the new family member into your forever home.
Assuming that you have now made the decision to adopt a dog, you must now determine whether the pet dog will live mostly outdoors or indoors.
There are some pertinent considerations that have to be factored into the discussion:
OUTDOORS:
During your “indoors versus outdoors’ deliberations, please remember that the cute, furry ball of fun will develop into puberty and maturity (within months). Female dogs can breed as early as seven months of age. You will have to accommodate the change in size, especially if you have brought home a breed which you know will grow into a large animal.
2. If you have spent a lot of money to purchase a puppy, then you have to safeguard the animal against human and animal predators. Yes, a $100,000 pup can easily be lifted out of the yard by a passing thief. Also, a vicious antisocial dog might simply enter your yard and maul the pup.
3. Can the pet puppy or adult dog withstand the stressors of the outdoors? A Toy Breed “lap dog” (so called because it finds itself in one’s lap) really would find it difficult to exist outdoors (the availability of a protective kennel notwithstanding).
4. Do you have enough space in the yard for a kennel? I have been noticing that houses built in Guyana, particularly Georgetown, in recent times occupy the almost entire ground area with narrow concrete apron to the fence; in other words no earth surface. This is a most unsuitable environment for a dog kennel and for a healthy dog to exercise.
5. The dog cannot be kept for extensive periods inside a kennel or tied to a post in the yard. Such actions are manifestations of cruelty and there are specific laws in Guyana to protect animals subjected to these inhumane circumstances.
INDOORS
If you decide to keep your companion animals indoors, please consider the following:
There must be areas in the home where the pet ought not to frequent. The animal must be trained to stay away from those areas which you may wish, for sanitation or religious reasons, to be free of dog dander, odours and shed hair, and which potentially pose a risk to you and the animal’s
safety.
Two specific area of concern (and you, of course, will know your high-risk areas) are the kitchen and the dining room. I have not carried out a statistical analysis, but empirical observations at my Clinic reveal that many dogs, (and cats too) wanting to demonstrate love, get tangled up with the feet of the caregivers and, as a result, get scald burns from the liquids being transferred from the stove to counter/ table. The owner may also suffer from burns or may fall and break a limb.
It follows, therefore, that the pet’s food/water bowls must be placed away from those areas considered to be high-risk/heavily trafficked.
You must have the time and patience needed to toilet train. Get guidance from your veterinarian relative to sequential training methods for a desirable long-term outcome.
Determine the location in the house that will be optimal for the dog to sleep at nights. I am not conditioned to accept even the concept of a dog sleeping on the bed with adults and children. I know that one can clean and groom a dog daily and that the burden of ecto- and endo-parasites is managed with proper veterinary and home care. But the dog’s indoor and outdoor world is just 18 inches off the ground. We humans breathe air that circulates, on average, five and a half feet from the surface of the earth. This is a big difference. In the dog’s micro-environment, dust, debris, and every bug known to man exist. Dogs will hunt smaller prey (they particularly love lizards) and happily bring the carcass onto your bed! In the tropics, the heat and humidity levels allow bacteria, other infectious agents, and sundry vermin to multiply and flourish. A well-cared dog with inherent immunity will cope well, However, he can be a carrier of contaminants. For this reason, I believe that beds, dining tables, sofas, etc. are not places for the dog to inhabit.
Be assured that dogs love routine and their own space. Once they settle in their quiet corner at night, they will sleep comfortably until you rise. A crate, with a blanket and favourite toy, and large enough to permit some movement, is a happy place for dogs and they would usually signal you when it’s their bedtime, by gravitating to the crate and making whimpering/whining sounds.
Make every effort to keep your dog and your home environment as clean as possible. It will entail a great effort on your part. But you will do it. After all, you chose the pretty, puny pooch who may not fare well in confronting outdoor life and has per force become a new member of your family.
