Friday, November 20, 2009

Commandment #3 & 4 for Responsible Pet Owners

Ten Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner as dictated by the pet

  1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
  2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
  3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
  4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments. But I have only you.
  5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
  6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
  7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, and yet I choose not to bite you.
  8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long or my heart might be getting old or weak.
  9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too will grow old.
  10. On the difficult journey, on the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Because I love you so.

It has been awhile since I commented on my blog post "The Ten Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner as dictated by the pet" so here I am ready to tackle a couple more. My last post dealt with number 2. I don't really have much to say about number 3, "Place your trust in me". As in any human relationship without trust there really is no relationship. I think that is also true with pets.

Number 4 sends a strong message in my opinion. I never really thought about it in that way. Like children, pets are going to misbehave at times. And if you think about it most of the time they probably h
ave no idea they are doing something wrong or that their actions are making you angry. They are not going to understand why you are locking them up as punishment. Think about it. When you send your kids to time out or to their room you want them to think about their actions and why they were wrong. A pet doesn't have that ability. They are not going to ponder what it is that made "mom" or "dad" so angry. They are probably just going to feel abandoned, confused or maybe even afraid.

And how true is it that we have our w
ork, friends, activities and entertainment to turn to and all they really have is you. All your dog or cat wants to do is please you...all they want from you is love and a little understanding and patience when they do something they are not suppose to do.

As pet owners we know there are going to be times when you will become angry with your dog or cat. It is
part of life. But instead of punishing or staying angry for too long maybe it would be more productive to let your pet know you are disappointed in them. They will sense that and as mentioned before they just want to please you. Try to correct their behavior with positive reinforcement and then just let it go. You and your pet will soon forget what exactly it was that upset you...until next time of course...and there will be a next time! It is part of being a proud pet owner.

Don't forget to visit Koby's Best Choice Pet Supplies for the most holistic, nutritional pet food and snacks available.

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