CHRISTMAS is my favourite time of the year.
I'm so blessed to share it with loved ones, including my fur-covered ones. Just as I love watching the human youngsters in my life open their gifts, Christmas morning would not be the same without seeing my dogs rip open their presents too.
Yes, I'm one of those dog lovers who buys her dogs presents; they are eternal toddlers and half the fun of Christmas morning is watching them with their new toys.
Sharing my life with dogs is one of the greatest gifts I've been given. Everything they do brings joy to the present moment, be it sleeping, chasing a squirrel or going for a walk. So it seems only natural that people would want a piece of the joy-action by bringing a dog into their lives.
But it ain't always that easy. I'm not trying to burst the joy-fest bubble I've just created here but if you are considering bringing a dog into your life in the new year, please take your time and consider the responsibility involved. We hear the words "A dog is for life" all the time, and they are. It's hard work. There are the weeks of house training (whether you get a puppy or adopt an adult dog, they have to be taught to do their business outside). Then obedience training; puppies start with socialization classes then need obedience training and adopted adult dogs need obedience training regardless of their history.
Good dogs are not born, they are trained, and like everything in life, you have to put the effort in to get the results you want. It doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen by giving your dog a cookie and taking it for a walk. It requires dedicated, responsible work. Obedience is not about teaching a dog to sit for five minutes in one spot. Instead, it's for the owner to learn the ropes of leadership and how to set appropriate boundaries for their dog to live within so the dog matures into a confident, reliable, peaceful dog that respects other people and dogs. A dog that defies its owner doesn't respect its owner. For some people they either can't admit they are the problem or don't want to put in the effort required and give up on the dog.
Many dogs at shelters are between one and three years of age because - like most teenagers - they can be challenging. It's a shame that people give up on their dogs because, like fine wine, they get better with age. Their grace begins to shine as they mature and get over their adolescent first year of wanting to hump everything in sight, then the social angst of the terrible twos of canine hierarchy and then the three-to-four-yearold dominance period of
"I'm the boss of everything." Somewhere around five, a dog just becomes peaceful with themselves. As soon as that happens we forget about every terrible experience raising them, or we look back at those moments fondly for a giggle with friends.
Be prepared and consciously aware of the lifetime of financial, emotional and personal commitment that is required to care for a dog, for the entire life of the dog. Our shelters and rescue agencies are full of dogs from people who did not take the responsibility seriously and have given up on them. If you give a dog a chance to share its life with you, and you stick it out you will have many joyful holiday seasons ahead of you.
Merry Christmas.
