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Are You Practicing Good Dog Owner Etiquette?

Are You Practicing Good Dog Owner Etiquette?

As a dog owner it is very important that you practice good doggy manners.  What does that mean you ask?  This article is going to point out some things that are important for you to be a good dog owner and to show good doggy etiquette.

There are several things that you should be doing to show that you are a courteous dog owner.  This is just four different ones that I see being abused the most.

Jumping On People

This is the one that is probably abused the most.  Yep, you walk into a home and here comes the dog, jumping all over you.  Some people say it’s okay because they are dog lovers but not everyone wants a dog jumping all over them.  In some cases these over exuberant dogs actually knock people down. Depending on the persons age this could be very dangerous.

So how do you keep it from happening?  Put the dog on leash so the dog cannot get to the person and jump on them.  In fact teaching your dog to do a sit stay really comes in handy here.

Excessive Barking

If you have ever been the recipient of non-stop barking from a neighbor’s dog you know what I mean when we talk about excessive barking.  We should all be good neighbors and bring our dogs in the house especially during the evening so that our dogs are not disturbing the peace.  If you know a neighbor sleeps during the day do the same.  If necessary crate your dog and the neighbors will love you.

Allowing You Dog To Run Loose

Allowing your dog to run loose in most areas is not only against the law because of leash laws it is also very dangerous for your dog.  Thousands of dogs a year are run over while roaming the streets.  A dog owner that cares for his dog will never allow his dog to run loose.  If your dog shows any type of aggression you are opening yourself to a tremendous amount of liability if your dog should happen to bite a person or another dog.

Pick Up The Poop

This one is a real pain in the rear for a bunch of homeowners.  I know you have seen it but hopefully you have now added to the problem by allowing your dog to poop and not bagging it up.  This has become such a problem in some communities that all dogs are swabbed for DNA, and waste material that has not been picked up is checked with the DNA on file and the offending owner can be fined up to $500.  So bag the poop and keep your neighborhood clean.