Doggone Etiquette —

Better Watch Out

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

Are you a big, brave dog? Do you go out in the dark of night completely and totally sure of yourself? Or are you the opposite – terrified to go out of the house without a person at your side to protect you?  There are lots of reasons to be afraid, but if you have grown up in a caring family, they will have helped you overcome some of those scary feelings. Your VIPeople want to keep you safe, and there are things they had better watch out for. Let’s tell them what they need to know.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

We’ve been over this before, but it bears repeating. People can unintentionally create, or escalate, fear in their dog by pulling back on the leash when a person approaches with or without a dog. This seemingly innocent action tells the dog clearly that YOU are afraid, which your dog interprets as something HE also has to fear and that you are protecting him. Puppies often pick up on this during their most formative months, typically around the fifth month when many dogs go through a fear period. If you catch yourself pulling your dog back, try this. As the person approaches, use your happy voice to the dog, come to a stop, and pull up, not back, on the leash AS you tell Rufus, “Sit – good dog.” It will go a long way toward preventing that type of fear.

However, that is not the “fear” that this column is all about.

What you had better watch out for concerns all dog owners in our area and is squarely the responsibility of those owners. Not too long ago the big concern in country living was that the dog might get sprayed by a skunk. It was easily solved when special deodorizing shampoos came on the market. (Tomato juice also works!)  Things got a bit worse and we had to watch out for the occasional rabid raccoon being sighted, and for ticks spreading Lyme disease. Both are dangerous, but fortunately preventive medication is now readily available for each.

Here’s the biggie. There has been a somewhat alarming increase in the numbers of other “long-leggety-beasties” coming out of our woods this Spring. Many of us have become almost casual about seeing foxes running across the road, or the lawn, with or without prey-dinner in their mouths to take back to their young ones.

Many dog owners are not even aware of how many wild animals are out there. The fox is just the one most frequently seen. In addition there has been a big increase in the population of coyotes, bobcats and black bears in our wooded areas. These animals kill for survival, to protect their young and for food. It means that our small dogs, puppies (and kittens) can all too easily become targets. Dog owners in our area need to be fully aware of these dangers and figure out what precautions they can take to take to prevent such a tragedy.

Check your fences! Check your leashes! It’s a fact that dogs of almost any breed will instinctively give chase to anything from chipmunks to deer, but once through that fence, they easily become lost, and being lost is only part of the problem. It’s what happens when say, a dog of any size has chased a couple of deer, only to be confronted when somewhat lost by a coyote that then attacks the dog. It could be the same scenario with a bobcat or bear. A lost dog is not safe. Do not leave any pet outside overnight.  When your dog goes out for a final trip before bedtime, make sure lights are on and that the dog will be securely confined to an area under those lights. Check on him, or stay by him. It may mean that the dog must be walked on lead – under those lights or with a strong flashlight. A puppy, a very small dog, or an old-timer might better be allowed to use a designated spot in the garage. No matter where or how, that last trip out at night is usually a brief one.  Just make sure it’s a safe one.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.