September is AKC National Responsible Dog Owner Month
September. What a month. At first glance, there seems to be little to celebrate unless you love hot days, fewer hours of sunshine, and the unofficial end of summer after Labor Day. Luckily, the American Kennel Club has designated September as National Responsible Dog Owner Month! It’s a month to applaud all the dog owners out there who have made the commitment to be the best owner/handler/partner to their dogs. If you are one of those responsible dog owners (and I’ve been blessed to meet many in this area), your dog has a message for you:
Thank you for choosing to provide the best food you can afford for me. I know your budget is tight, especially lately. I appreciate that you are now looking at the labels on commercial foods to make sure it doesn’t contain a lot of filler that is not good for me. Thanks for considering cooked or raw meals that will provide optimum nutrition to give me a shiny coat and good behavior. I know it would be easier for you to just pick up just any bag of kibble and throw it in my bowl.
Thank you for providing adequate shelter for me. I love being with you and am so happy you haven’t just thrown me in a pen in the back yard or tied me to a tree. You have seen to it that I always have water, protection from the sun and rain, and a warm place to go when it’s cold outside.
Okay, I can’t say I was thrilled when you decided to have me spayed/neutered. I know you did it to help reduce the number of unwanted dogs and you also want to reduce the euthanasia rate. Because some studies indicate that dogs who have been fixed have fewer behavior problems, you may have helped prevent me from biting or fighting. I’m more likely to hang around home now, too. Thanks for doing what is right.
You know I am not usually thrilled to go to the vet, but I do thank you for knowing all about me and my special needs. I’ve watched you spend hours researching what will be the best treatment for me and then making sure I get nothing less. Thanks for caring enough about me to see I get a checkup every year even when I appear healthy.
About the training – I really like it. I get to spend time with you and you give me some really yummy treats when I do the right things. You also praise me a lot. Plus, I don’t get put away when you have company anymore. I get to spend a lot more time being part of the family.
You know one of the things I like best about you? You come home from work really tired sometimes, but you always see to it that I get to exercise and sometimes you even let me play with other dogs and people! You’re talking about letting me try a sport – let’s go! I’m ready! I feel so much better when I’ve burned off some of my extra energy.
There is so much more to thank you for, my responsible owner. I appreciate you keeping me safe by walking me on leash and only letting me run in a fenced area. Sometimes the call of the wild overcomes me and I forget about cars or bad people that might hurt me. I love my identification tag on my collar. If I ever got separated from you, it’s nice to know other people could help me get back to you. I find it amusing that you pick up my deposits, but I know you do it so other people will welcome my presence. You never leave me in a hot car and you don’t let the kids hit me or pull on me. You make sure I don’t annoy the neighbors by barking and howling at 6:00 a.m. even though I can assure you I have one of the finest voices in Dogdom and your neighbors just don’t realize it.
Above all, thank you for loving me and sharing your life with me. I know it’s not always easy and you could place an ad in the paper to give me away. I also know you could take me to the shelter and let others worry about me. How easy it would be for you to just put me out back and forget about me. You don’t! You groom me, you play with me, you show me how to behave. You think I am beautiful and you protect me.
So I celebrate you, my responsible owner, during this month. Most of all, I love you.
Jan Casey is a reward-based trainer and owner of Smiles and Wags Pet Services in Cookeville. Feel free to contact her with questions at www.smilesandwags.com .