People who truly love dogs are a special breed. They respect and adore dogs for their love, loyalty, heart, and soul. They consider dogs part of the family. They treat them with kindness. They appreciate the value dogs add to their lives and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dog lovers are also passionate about what they consider the best way to care for their animals. They have strong opinions about things such as:
- what the best dog food is
- if a person should buy from a breeder or adopt from a rescue, and
- how to train dogs.
Despite these differences, they have some things in common – they love their canines and only want to give them the best life possible. They spend quality time with their pups, they learn everything they can about dog health, wellness, the healthiest dog food, and buy the best toys.
They can’t understand people who don’t feel the same way they do; especially those that own dogs only to neglect them. Their collective hearts break over dogs dumped in shelters, riddled with illness and receiving no care, and pets left to languish alone in backyards.
To them, living life with dogs means spoiling their pet, protecting their dog at all cost, and lavishing love on their fur baby every day. Having it any other way is just out of the question and even unfathomable.
Here are 5 things that true dog lovers will never understand:
- Dogs living outside away from their family
Why get a pet if you’re going to keep it outside? Dogs are social animals. They do best when part of a family and don’t do well in isolation. They want nothing more than to be with their owners and are excited to spend time with people.
In his book, The Behavior and Biology of Dogs, Per Jensen discusses the relationships dogs have with people and other animals. Dogs are known to play, explore, give care, greet, and even vocalize. They crave companionship.
Clearly dogs have emotions. If you’ve ever met a dog, then you know that it’s obvious that they are thrilled to be with people and are not shy about showing love and affection.
- Dogs dumped at a shelters
Dogs are forever. They are not ‘until’ the going gets tough, the new puppy comes, or the dog gets sick. They are part of the family until the day comes that they gain their wings.
There are ways to manage life with dogs when things get difficult. There are dog walking services, doggy daycare, and friends and family that can step in to help. It helps when dog owners support each other during times of injury, illness or extreme stress so that less people feel the need to surrender their dog to a shelter. In the most disparate cases, a rescue is often a better option.
According to the ASPCA, “approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.” Of these, 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).
True dog lovers due their part to keep pets from shelters and many adopt pets that have been cast off. The true angels tirelessly work as advocates to help unwanted pets find loving forever homes.
- Dogs being fed an unhealthy diet
Not everyone can afford the most premium dog food. There is even some argument about what the best food is. However, if you can’t afford a reputable, healthy dog food, you probably cannot afford to own a dog.
Feeding a dog a healthy diet helps to protect them from disease, builds strong joints, prevents digestive upsets, and much, much more. At minimum a healthy diet includes foods that are balanced for the life stage of the dog and meets minimal nutritional requirements by AAFCO.
The best foods will have been tested, gone through food trials, are proven safe due to testing pre and post manufacturing, and are free from dangerous ingredients. By talking to a vet, canine nutritionist, or friends who own healthy dogs, it’s pretty easy to find a healthy food. Dogs deserve it.
If you’re a dog food geek, you might enjoy this book available on Google, Nutritional Requirements of Dogs and Cats.
- Physical suffering in pets
Getting a dog means providing healthcare. Nothing upsets dog owners more than seeing dogs that are in need of vet care that is not being provided. It’s hard for dog lovers to understand people who let their pets suffer.
If you can’t afford vet bills, there is a solution. It’s called pet health insurance. It should be considered by anyone who would be financially strapped by a large vet bill. If you’re dog is already sick and you need help, Care Credit is also available.
While social media forums are great for supporting for pet lovers, they can never replace the diagnostics and care from a veterinarian. Please for the sake of your pets, get them their annual physical and care for them when they’re ill.
- Dogs that are allowed to roam by themselves
For countless reasons, dogs should not be allowed to roam away from home. Dog lovers can’t fathom why a pet owner would put their dog in harm’s way. Every year pets get lost, hit by cars, stolen, and otherwise never find their way home.
In fact, over 10 million pets get lost every year and only 15% not wearing tags are ever reunited with their owners. Out of those pets, some get adopted while many more are euthanized.
You owe it to your dogs to keep them safe. That means keeping them with you no matter where you are. Loving pets is a commitment and a joy. Giving them the best life is a gift that they return in a multitude of ways.
Can’t imagine life without our four-legged best friends? We can’t either. What can’t you understand about some pet owners? Drop your answers in the comments below.