| It's plain, simple and easy to make a dog happy and | | | | when I was young and I did not understand exactly |
| to keep a dog healthy. This article is just a beginning | | | | how much time, caring, effort and work it is to have |
| -giving a few helpful hints on how to keep y our | | | | an animal --and to keep that animal and keep those |
| animals healthy and happy. Here goes: | | | | around that animal safe, sound, healthy and happy. |
| | | | Now, today, her answer seems really sensible to me. |
| 1. Remember that dogs have feelings too. Treat | | | | So, perhaps if you need to use methods that hurt |
| them humanely - always. | | | | the dog or animal perhaps you do not have time for |
| 2. Always check for fleas on a regular basis and | | | | that animal either. That's just a thought. OF course it |
| handle the problem immediately as soon as you find | | | | is better to think about that thought before you get |
| any. | | | | an animal rather than after the fact. Take time for |
| 3. Bring the dog to the vets regularly just to be sure | | | | yourself first. And then if you really have time for |
| that everything is okay. | | | | yourself, then consider an animal for a pet --if that is |
| 4. Never give chocolate to dogs as that can be fatal. | | | | really what you want. |
| 5. Train your dog to sleep on the floor, not on the | | | | Or, have animals in your life without the work or |
| bed with you. (If you want a healthy dog, first you | | | | responsibility. Here are ways that you can do that: |
| need to be healthy yourself. Sleeping with dogs is not | | | | |
| the healthiest thing for humans to do, most especially | | | | 1. Go window-shopping. Spend some free time looking |
| if you have 'outdoor dogs'). You can roll over on the | | | | at the puppies in the window. (That 's correct. Do |
| dog in your sleep. You can get bitten (if you roll over | | | | not buy a puppy). |
| on your dog). You will have dog hair all over your | | | | 2. Go to the zoo or wildlife conservation center a |
| sheets (That is so not healthy). If you really need to | | | | few times a year. |
| sleep with your dog, then for goodness sakes, put | | | | 3. Go into large stores like Petco and places like that . |
| his dog bed at the foot of your bed that keeps you | | | | You can view all types of animals there all during the |
| both healthy. | | | | year. |
| 6. Never use a chain on your dog outdoors when you | | | | 4. Go on class trips to aquariums, zoos or wildlife |
| are not there to supervise. | | | | centers. |
| 7. Know that dog food and water attracts wild | | | | 5. When you go on vacation, visit the aquariums and |
| animals to your dog if your dog is chained up outside | | | | zoos wherever you go. |
| when you are not around. This could lead your dog | | | | 6. Dog-sit or cat-sit for your neighbors, friends or |
| to get bitten by possums, raccoons, squirrels and | | | | relatives. |
| other animals. | | | | 7. Volunteer at an animal shelter or some other |
| 8. Know that your dog can bite children when chained | | | | organization that helps animals. |
| outdoors. (No, it is not correct to think this is okay | | | | 8. Join that organization that trains dogs to help |
| just because the dog is in your own yard). Dogs | | | | handicapped people |
| should be attended to --not left alone on chains. You | | | | 9. Find a job in a vet's office or some other place of |
| cannot control children coming into your yard unless | | | | business that treats or serves the animal population. |
| you have a fence that is locked, and even then | | | | Those are ways you can have animals in your life but |
| some kids can and will climb over them. Remember | | | | not have the personal responsibility of caring for, |
| the stories of those children that got into the bear | | | | raising or sheltering an animal in your home. Those are |
| homes at the zoo? Well, do not leave your dogs | | | | just ideas. It is extremely important that care is used |
| unattended outdoors. It just is not safe for them and | | | | for indoor dogs -when they have accidents indoors. |
| not safe or healthy for anyone else. | | | | So many times, children can get infected or get |
| What other ways can you keep your dog healthy, | | | | disease when they have contact with dogs fecal |
| happy and safe? Some use electrical fences and | | | | matter. This comes from cleaning up after dogs. |
| there are varying opinions about that. I just wonder | | | | Read this article for more information about some |
| how natural it all is. A long time ago, I asked a friend | | | | diseases that can be transmitted to humans through |
| why she did not have a pet if she loved them so | | | | the fecal matter. |
| much. She replied that she felt it was unfair to the | | | | Here is a link to an article about one parasitic disease |
| animal since she just did not have time for it, to take | | | | that some dogs get and carry. There have been |
| care and to play with it. At that time I thought that | | | | children who have gotten this disease from dogs. |
| answer was odd, because I thought, how can | | | | (And, yes, children can have other diseases from |
| anyone not have time for an an animal. But that was | | | | dogs). This link is from b-net. |