Puppy care and training (part two)
MORE about pet owners' puppy care and training responsibilities.
The first responsibility is to the dog.
READ: Puppy care and training (part one)
Your second responsibility is to other members of the community.
The responsible dog owner must appreciate that there are people who do not like dogs, and sadly, there are even people who are frightened of them.
You may be confident that your big, friendly, bouncy puppy means no harm when he goes rushing up to a stranger but to the person who does not understand dogs, this could be seen as threatening behaviour. Increasingly, legislation is being introduced to protect the non-dog owning public, and more than ever before, dog owners must ensure their dog is under control at all times.
You must also be prepared to clean up after your dog. This may not be the most pleasant aspect of dog-ownership, but it is deeply anti-social to leave a dog’s mess in public places and you may well face a heavy fine if you are found to be negligent.
Your third responsibility is to yourself and your family. A puppy who is forced to live in a household where one person likes him and another does not, will grow up into a very unhappy dog, probably living in an equally unhappy household.
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