Related to dogs...
- Impulsive adoptions/purchases
I remember this being a problem when
101 Dalmatians and
102 Dalmatians. When the movie came out, everyone got excited and couldn't withstand the cuteness of those adorable puppies that they had to go out and buy one. What they didn't know was the amount of care and attention that dalmatians require and how they are not excellent pets for kids. Because of that, a lot of people ended up returning those dogs a few months later when they started to be not-so-cute.
- Buying from a pet store
I agree with this. Pet stores charge a lot of money for their dogs. Pure breed is something that should be left to royalty since they're inbreeds as well.
A lot of pet stores have their own breeding farms. Also, they often charge a lot of money for shots and other things things. Animal shelters spay/neuter their pets and include all shots... and is still cheap.
- Killing with kindness
I've seen this done by some people (even those who have hearing assistive dogs). They spoil their dogs so much that their dogs become too damn lazy and mean to others.
I knew one woman who had a small dog that she would spoil with leftovers from fast food restaurants that we went to every day. She would buy clothes for it. She would give it a lot of attention. If someone was talking and her dog demanded attention, she would immediately shift her attention from those people (including her friends) and focus on her dog. Her dog would bite people and she didn't care because as long as her dog loved her, she would be happy. :roll:
I knew one woman who had a hearing assistive dog and took advantage of it by taking her dog everywhere... I mean... EVERYWHERE. She would feed her dog table scraps (even when they go to the food court at the mall). She would bring her dog to the grocery store. She would bring her dog to the mall (especially department stores where the dog is walked through the clothing aisles). This is a HUGE health hazard, especially for those who are allergic to dogs. What if a customer bought a dress and went home only to end up in the hospital?
- Focusing on punishments rather than rewards
I think this is very important. Dogs are like our kids. We reward our kids when they do something good (complete chores, good grades, help, etc)... and punish our kids when they do something bad (break something, talk back, bad grades, etc). Dogs should be treated the same. Of course, positive reinforcement should be done more than punishments.
- Assuming your pet is a person in fur clothing
While we may think of our dogs as kids, there are some things that nature intended. If they do something that's unusual, don't suddenly get mad. After all, they're probably doing what all dogs do. Do your research and talk with others to find out what's normal and what's not normal.
- Not spaying or neutering pets
This is a serious issue... especially when people buy pure breeds.
Remember what I said earlier about animal shelters? They spay and neuter animals they get because they don't want to give away a dog that will come back with 5 more dogs. If they did, they wouldn't be doing a good job in the first place.
If you're going to breed your dog, get a license. But think again about whether it's really worth it or not.
- Lack of supervision between pets and children
This is very important... especially since kids don't know if what they're doing is right or wrong and dogs don't always know their own strengths.
