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. Assuming that you have now made the decision, you would also need to determine whether the pet dog would live mostly indoors, or outdoors.
There are some pertinent considerations that have to be factored into the discussion:
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 at five 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.
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 dog might want to enter your yard and maul the pup.
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 (within a kennel notwithstanding).
Do you have enough space in the yard for a kennel? I have observed that, over the years, houses being built in Guyana occupy the entire ground area, with very little earth surface. In order to ensure the maximum square footage for the living quarters, the house is constructed to extend to almost touching the fence line. And, the space between the house and the fence is occupied by a concrete apron, with no consideration for an appropriately sized kennel, or even a kitchen garden for that matter.
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.
If you decide to keep your companion animal 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. Specific areas 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, 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 the 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 mut be placed away from those areas considered to be high-risk/heavily trafficked.
You must have the time and patience needed to toilet train.
Determine in which area in the house the dog will sleep at nights. I am not conditioned to even accept 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 an 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.
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 can do it. After all, you chose the pretty, puny pooch who may not fare well in confronting outdoor life, and that pet has become a new member of your family.
If you choose to keep your companion animals outdoors, please consider the following:
A kennel is required. It is recommended that the kennel be procured/constructed before the dog is brought home. A puppy can be placed outside from as early as six weeks. The kennel must be functional. To be more specific, here are some further considerations to guide you.
Elevation of the Floor: All along the coast, and in Georgetown, the water table is relatively high. Therefore, moisture can seep through the floor of the kennel if it touches the ground. Some old concrete hollow bricks will suffice to elevate the kennel. In fact, many dogs enjoy resting under the kennel on a cool surface, especially on hot days.
Size: With your knowledge of what will be the adult size of the dog, please ensure that the kennel is at least twice the length, width, and height of the grown dog. This provides for comfort of movement and the concept of space.
Shade: We do not want to lock a dog in the kennel and barbeque it to death. Situate the kennel in a cool, shaded place. “Cool” does not mean draft; the kennel must be draft-free. The selected location must also protect the animal from rain, which may enter from all directions and soak the kennel and the locked-in dog. Placing the kennel under a tree with a large canopy makes good sense.
Sanitation: The kennel must be built to facilitate easy cleaning. Cleaning, of course, does not mean dousing with some nice smelling disinfectant on the floor and walls of the kennel. These surfaces need to be physically brushed with a recommended disinfectant. I have always advocated that the roof be detachable so that the physical cleaning exercise is facilitated.
Periods of time indoors: Once you have decided on an outdoor “dog house”, do not encourage your dog to come indoors for lengthy periods of time. An owner may wish to bring the dog inside on cold and/or rainy nights and during those festive occasions when they are traumatized by the noise of fireworks and squibs. We live five degrees away from the Equator, and no night is that cold, and your kennel has been built to protect if from rain incursion.
N.B: AS PREVIOUSLY ADVISED, CATS HAVE TO BE KEPT INDOORS. THEY WILL GO OUTSIDE WHEN THEY SO DESIRE!
