{"id":662,"date":"2011-12-28T06:15:44","date_gmt":"2011-12-28T11:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/heavenlycreatures\/?p=662"},"modified":"2011-12-29T16:46:17","modified_gmt":"2011-12-29T21:46:17","slug":"new-years-resolutions-for-animal-lovers-3-be-a-better-pet-owner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/heavenlycreatures\/2011\/12\/new-years-resolutions-for-animal-lovers-3-be-a-better-pet-owner\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year’s resolutions for animal lovers: #3 – Be a better pet owner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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As we continue to talk about ways we can make 2012 a better year for our animal friends \u2013 or \u201canipals\u201d \u2013 here\u2019s #3: resolve to be a better pet owner.<\/p>\n

I know that in my lifetime of having dogs, I\u2019ve been a good, responsible dog owner \u2013 and a terrible dog owner. I confess I had the dog that ran the neighborhood. I didn\u2019t always pick up poop. But twenty or thirty years later, I\u2019ve learned more about my four legged friends and quite honestly I\u2019m embarrassed and ashamed at the way I treated them.<\/p>\n

So here are a few ways you can move from average pet owner to super fantastic:<\/p>\n

Upgrade the food. <\/strong>If you\u2019re feeding Fido or Fluffy commercial dog food that you get at the discount store or off the grocery shelf, make 2012 the year you promise your pet to give them actual food. Not all pet food is created equally \u2013 even if it meets the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommended guidelines. According to The Dog Food Project,<\/a> \u201cMeat\u201d, for example,\u00a0\u00a0includes \u201c\u20184-D animals\u2019 (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue.\u201d Learn more about what goes into your dog food at http:\/\/www.dogfoodproject.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take a walk.<\/strong> Resolve in 2012 to get a little more exercise for you and your pet. Take a walk, even if it\u2019s just around the block. Go to the park and play fetch.\u00a0 Just get out and spend time together!<\/p>\n

Take a training class. <\/strong>No dog is too old for training classes and neither is the owner. Even if you think you know how to train your dog \u2013 or your dog is so great he doesn\u2019t need training \u2013 take a class. You\u2019ll meet new people, and I guarantee you and your pup will learn something new. And if you\u2019re still of the \u201calpha dominance\u201d mindset \u2013 run to your nearest positive training facility and sign up for a class! Besides, there are lots of fun classes you can take that will help build your relationship with your pup. Try agility or fly ball or rally obedience!<\/p>\n

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Try something new in 2012! This pup is having fun at a doggie painting class!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pick up the poop.<\/strong> There\u2019s nothing worse than going for a walk and having to navigate around mounds of dog poop some irresponsible owner left. Poop bags are easy to\u00a0 carry and super cheap \u2013 just use a plastic grocery bag! \u2013 so you don\u2019t have any excuse not to pick up after your dog. And not just while you\u2019re on a walk. Do yourself and your dog a favor and keep the yard clean, too. Poop left lying around leads to worms and parasites in your dirt, so even when the poop seems to have disappeared,\u00a0the gross stuff\u00a0is still in the dirt, ready for you to touch when you dig in the garden or the kids play in the yard. Blech. That\u2019s a good way to get roundworm.<\/p>\n

Obey the leash laws. <\/strong>No, you cannot let your dog run loose, even if it\u2019s on your property. For your own dog\u2019s protection, keep him fenced in or on a tether according to your town\u2019s law.\u00a0Not only\u00a0could he\u00a0be hit by a car, get into a dog fight, bite a child or wind\u00a0up lost, but it also can be unhealthy if he wanders into the yard of another dog who\u2019s sick and picks up worms or a virus. It\u2019s just not worth the risk to you or someone else.<\/p>\n

Take your pet to the vet \u2013 especially your cat.<\/strong> If you\u2019re not taking Fido and Fluffy for an annual vet visit, you\u2019re doing them a major disservice. Cat owners in particular tend to avoid the annual trek for an exam. But that can be dangerous, because cats are very good at hiding\u00a0that they\u2019re sick. So if you wait until you see a problem, it may be too late. And good vet care includes a dental check up. Our poor kitty Murphy\u00a0 had a tooth that needed extraction. I didn\u2019t even notice there was a problem, and I\u2019ve got my hands on that cat all the time. But\u00a0his teeth\u00a0weren\u2019t something I checked\u00a0regularly. But\u00a0the vet said the risk of infection was great if we hadn\u2019t caught it at our annual visit.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow:\u00a0New Year\u2019s resolution\u00a0#4 \u2013 Volunteer!<\/p>\n

NEW YEAR\u2019S RESOLUTIONS FOR ANIMAL LOVERS:<\/strong><\/p>\n