Responsible Pet Ownership

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Jayme Dukart

What exactly does it mean to be a responsible pet owner? I think everyone can agree that it is the responsibility of the owner to make sure that their pet has all that they need to live a healthy and happy life: food, water, exercise, veterinary care and affection. These are the basics that come to mind.  But for many owners, they often times find themselves with a pet that has some behavioral issues, maybe the pet already had these issues when they were adopted, or sometimes certain situations or events can even trigger these unwanted or undesirable behaviors.

Behavioral issues can vary greatly and can be found in both dogs and cats, such as toileting/spraying in the house, destructive chewing/scratching, unwanted barking, aggression, etc.  All of these behaviors, plus many more, are not normal pet behaviors and can often mean that something is wrong.  So the first course of action for a responsible pet owner is to determine why their dog or cat is exhibiting these behaviors and to rule out any potential medical concerns that could be causing their pet to act this way.

If there are no medical concerns, then it is time to look back on the history of the pet and look and review the timeline of when and how the unwanted behavior started.  Was there a traumatic event, a change to their current living situation, or maybe an abrupt change to their daily schedule?  These are just a few possible scenarios that could be disruptive to a pet and cause a change in behavior.

It would be recommended at this point to seek out the help and expertise of a professional and certified trainer, or even better, a board certified behaviorist, as they would be able to assist you in finding the true cause of these behaviors and then recommend the appropriate training regime (which will often include behavioral and routine changes on the owner’s part as well) to either eliminate or dramatically reduce the undesirable behaviors.

The next step for a responsible pet owner, and many times the hardest, is to acknowledge and respect that there may be certain things or situations that your pet simply can’t handle or be in.  This may require some lifestyle changes on your part and even some frustration or sadness when you realize that your pet may not be able to do everything that you want or go everywhere you want to go.  But in acknowledging and understanding this, you are providing a better, less stressful  life for your pet and ensuring their safety and mental well being.



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