Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Homeless Dogs: A National Epidemic

By Garrett McMahan


We all know that shelters are full to the brim with unwanted dogs and cats, but it might surprise you to note just how big of a problem we have in the United States. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are more than 70 million stray animals in our country and about eight million are placed in shelters.

Despite the fact that more people are definitely turning to shelters to find a faithful companion, there are so many animals in shelters that they simply cannot accommodate all the animals in need. Each day, shelters must euthanize about 5,000 dogs simply because they don't have the resources to house, feed and care for these animals. Sadly, about 90% of the animals that are in shelters were not neutered or spayed by their owners, and this greatly contributes to the epidemic of animal homelessness.

Many cities and counties are attempting to lessen the numbers of unwanted animals by requiring that pet owners spay or neuter their animals. In Los Angeles County, for instance, most dogs and cats must be sterilized by the time they are four months old. There are exceptions for those with show dogs or service animals, but this law affects most typical pet owners in LA County. Thirty states require that all animals adopted from an animal rescue or shelter must be sterilized prior to adoption.

Owning a pet is a big commitment, and it's always wise to consider how much time and money you have to give prior to bringing an animal home. The recession certainly has forced some families to surrender their pets, but generally the main reason why animals are abandoned is simply because they are too difficult to handle. Behavior problems frustrate many dog owners and rather than finding a simple solution to these problems, the dog is simply taken to a shelter.

Obedience training should begin almost from the moment you bring a dog home from the shelter. You might think this will take too much time, but it's much more fun to train a dog properly than it is to deal with the aftermath of them destroying your belongings, scratching at walls and doors or listening to them bark excessively. With training, you can eliminate almost all irksome behavior permanently.

In almost every situation, behavior can be adjusted for a positive outcome. If you are unsure how to proceed, consider using a simple system such as The Dog's Way. This is a set of 12 lessons spread among five DVDs. This easy-to-follow program will help you tackle many key issues. You can teach your dog to sit and stay and obey boundaries. You can teach your dog to stop barking on command. You can teach your dog to come when you call and to not jump on people or scratch furniture. All of this can be accomplished with a little patience and a dog training video program like The Dog's Way.




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