Christmas
Time (with dogs)
by
David the Dogman
Every
year comes the message "A Dog Is Not For Christmas, its for
life"
A
living puppy should not be thought of in the same category as
a Christmas toy. A puppy that makes it first appearance, as a
gift under the Christmas tree is more likely to be thought of
by children as an object or a toy, rather than a family member.
Whilst
walking around the Christmas Bazaars and markets do not be tempted
to take a dog home with you. If you see a particular dog that
you like then arrange with the charity in question to collect
the pet a few days after Christmas when everything has settled
down. You can then go to the shelter by appointment to collect
your new dog or cat. As a sign of good faith one would expect
you to make a deposit donation.
I
would urge readers to certainly not consider giving a friend a
pet for Christmas. If you are thinking of a new pet then give
a thought as to how old you will be in ten years time, and where
you might be living. Are you prepared to attend training classes?
Young dogs are destructive; can you supervise a young dog for
the next year? If you do not have a baby what will you do with
the dog when a baby arrives? If you have to return to your homeland
due to ill health, what will you do with the dog? Most important
can you afford the vets fees?
It
is always a good idea to check if your vet is offering an emergency
service over the Christmas period and to keep the telephone numbers
handy. Vet fees are double for out of hour’s emergencies.
If your dog is going into kennels now is the time to check that
your pet has up to date vaccinations. Check you have enough medication
for the holiday period.
Christmas
is the time that we celebrate and we humans do make a lot of noise
and have a lot of strangers around the home. This can be a distressing
time for our pet dogs and cats Do try to keep to your routine
and please do not forget those essential walks. Our Christmas
crackers can be terrifying to a nervous dog and it is worth considering
a homeopathic remedy called "Rescue" Five drops on the
tongue really calms pets and also humans!
Christmas
trees are pretty but watch out your pet might be fascinated with
the decorations. It is a good idea to keep the tree off the floor
and to keep any electrical wires out of reach from pets. The tree
lights should only be on when pets can be supervised.
Many
dogs and cats have been known to swallow decorations, cracker
ornaments and tinsel threads. Watch out for those fruit bowls,
which might have walnuts, peach stones and Brazil nuts and of
course as we all know human chocolates are dangerous to our pets
and can kill. Choc drops made for dogs are not dangerous they
do not contain theobromine.
Christmas
is the time that we feast and drink and of course we are apt to
over eat but I am afraid that dogs often suffer the worst for
overeating. No pets should ever be given any form of alcohol and
certainly no bones from the Turkey. Yes I agree that there is
no problem giving your pet a Christmas treat but please avoid
fatty scrapes and do feed in moderation. Never leave tempting
treats lying around the floor and remind the children to stop
feeding the family pet with sweets.
Commitment,
Firmness, but kindness.
Do
you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem
to DAVID THE DOGMAN. David is a Canine Behaviourist who works
and lives in Marbella, Spain.
Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388. His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net.
David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers
and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years
and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police.
He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea
rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs.
David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and
the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check
chains, or any form of aggression.
David
The Dogman is available for private consultations in your home,
for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388