September Is National Responsible Dog Ownership Month! How to Celebrate?

Safety

Keeping your dog safe is a big factor in being a responsible dog owner. Your dog needs you to help them stay safe in a world run by humans. They may be smart, but they can’t know everything that a human can, and it’s going to take them a long time to learn the things that will keep them from harm. You have to do some of the work for them.

When you first bring a dog into your home you should always make sure that your home is properly pet-proofed. There should be nothing on the floor or at dog face level that could hurt your pet or make them sick if they decided to chew on it. Protecting your pet means ducking under the bed and making sure that no batteries have rolled under there.¹

It’s also a great idea to regularly make sure that your home is pet safe even after you’ve had your pet for a while. We can get comfortable with how our pets behave, but given the right circumstances, any dog can feel neglected, alone, or bored from time to time. Any of those emotions are a recipe for them chewing on something they know is not theirs. It’s up to you to make sure that nothing in their reach can do any serious harm to them.

Another way to make sure you’re keeping your dog safe is to make sure that their outdoor time is protected. Equipping yourself with the right tools to keep your dog safe when they are outside of the home is just as important as inside—if not more.

Your dog should never be outside without some form of identification, be that a tag on their collar or a microchip with your information programmed into it. Ideally, both would be best. If by some chance your dog gets away from you, you want whoever finds them to be able to identify them and bring them back to you safely.²

And of course, you want to prevent them from getting away from you in the first place by making sure you are prepared for your dog to be outside. There are a lot of different kinds of leashes out there, so be sure the one you’re using is ideal for your dog’s size. A small dog doesn’t need a 2-inch thick leash, but they do need a collar that will fit them properly and won’t allow them to wriggle out if a squirrel catches their attention. A larger dog will need a stronger gate to the backyard than a smaller dog would, and you wouldn’t need to worry about gaps in the fence as much when you have a large dog.

Being a responsible dog owner means considering all of the factors that make your dog unique and how to work with them to keep your dog as safe as possible.

Health

It’s no surprise that maintaining your dog’s health is a huge part of being a responsible dog owner. And while there are some things that are out of your power when it comes to your dog’s wellness, there is a lot that you can control.

Your dog should always be as up-to-date on their vaccines as possible. Make sure to go to the vet yearly to update those vaccines and get preventative prescriptions for heartworm and flea and tick medicines. Regularly seeing the vet is an important part of being a responsible dog parent. And having a vet that knows your pet from regular visits makes it a lot easier to reach out to them if something goes wrong or your pup gets sick; you can trust that they are familiar with your pet and will do their best to help.³

Being conscientious of your dog’s health doesn’t stop at going to the vet regularly either. It’s in making sure that your pet has the best food for their age, weight, and breed. And that you’re giving them the right amount every day as well. Doing research on dog food is a great way to be a responsible dog owner—not all dog food is made the same—and knowing what you’re feeding your dog can make a huge difference in their lifespan. It also never hurts to ask your vet for recommendations to make sure that you are giving your dog the best life you can offer when it comes to their diet.⁴

Along with diet comes exercise. Dogs are active animals and they typically have a lot of energy. Responsible dog owners make sure that their pet is getting enough exercise either through play, walks, or whatever your dog’s preference is. Exercise should both move the body and the mind of your dog. Some dogs thrive when they are able to go out for a walk and smell the animals that have been on the path before them. Others want nothing more than to play fetch in the park with you. Burning off that energy is incredibly good for their health and wellbeing, and is super beneficial for them—and you—in the long run.²

And finally, to take care of your dog’s health you should also be paying attention to your dog’s hygiene. We take time to brush our teeth, twice a day, every day. Your pet should be getting that kind of attention too, they just can’t do it for themselves. Your dog should be regularly getting baths and their teeth brushed to help protect them from any bacteria that could affect their health long-term.¹

Training

Training your dog is probably one of the most easily forgotten parts of being a responsible dog owner. Not training your dog is a form of neglect. An untrained dog has fewer positive experiences in its life and therefore their quality of life goes down, as does their average lifespan.⁴

That’s not to say that training your dog will immediately make them live longer, though it will provide an additional safety avenue for outdoor activities. A dog with a well-trained recall is less likely to get in an accident in the street than one without.

Training your dog also gives them some purpose in their life. Can you imagine not having anything to do, always being confused, and getting in trouble for not knowing what you’re doing? That’s probably what the lives of many untrained dogs are like. Dogs don’t want to upset you, you are their whole world, but if you don’t teach them what you want from them they will consistently feel like they are doing something wrong.

Training gives your dog’s brain something to work on, too. They have the ability to learn and comprehend, so giving them something to think about, practice, and learn can drastically change the way you interact with your dog and the way your dog interacts with life.

Love

Dogs are beautiful creatures that don’t know how to not love. They are built to be a part of your family, it’s in their nature. They want to be a member of your pack and spend time with you.

Loving your dog is just as important as all of the other ways to be a responsible dog owner. If you don’t love your dog then what’s the point?

Be the best dog owner you can be and take care of your pet to the best of your ability. And never stop loving them as much as they love you.

ImpriMed is happy to support you in your endeavors of being a responsible dog owner.