Pet Talk

It should be common sense, but for some reason, many dog owners think it’s OK to use archaic torture tools on their pets or to sentence them to endless hours inside a tiny crate or isolated for days in a back yard.

Dogs experience pain, fear, betrayal, and confusion, just as humans do. Yet much abuse infl icted on dogs is so routine that people don’t think twice about what they’re actually doing to someone who loves, trusts, and depends on them for safety. Anyone who subjects their dog to abuse should stop or never own a dog.

There are people who use shock collars to deliver painful jolts to dogs’ necks when they cross invisible boundaries, use their voices, or engage in other perfectly natural behavior. These devices can cause anxiety, displaced aggression, and injuries ranging from burns to cardiac fibrillation. Choke and prong collars punish dogs by inflicting pain when they walk. They can cause serious physical and emotional damage— including spinal cord injuries and paralysis, crushed tracheas and asphyxiation, crushing and/ or fracture of the larynx, dislocated neck bones, and bruising of the esophagus.

Walk dogs using a comfortable, well-fitting nylon harness or a front-clip harness to gently reduce pulling, if needed. Secure your property with physical fencing that lets pups frolic safely, without risk of escape or electric shock. And spend time with your dog so that they understand what to do on a walk.

Imagine being stored in a box all day long. Crates deprive dogs of the opportunity to fulfi ll their basic needs, including stretching,relievingthemselves, and enjoying any semblance of freedom to walk about. No one thrives in isolation. Dogs don’t just crave contact with others— as highly social pack animals, they need it.

If left alone in a crate or yard constantly, they are deprived of social interaction, become lonely, depressed, and withdrawn and can develop other psychological problems. If a fire or flood occurs while no one else is at home, dogs have no escape and can burn to death or drown, trapped inside cages. Don’t make dogs prisoners in their own homes.

Take dogs for a long walk in the morning, dog-proof your house, leave out plenty of chew and puzzle toys while you’re away, and come home on your lunch break or hire a trusted dog walker. Or take your dogs to doggie daycare or have them spend the day with a trusted friend or family member who works from home. Then give the dogs playtime and another walk when you get home.

You wouldn’t like to be rushedthroughyourcoffee-andmorning- news routine—and dogs don’t like being rushed, either! Neighborhood walks are how dogs get the “lay of the land.” Sniffing, looking around, greeting other dogs, and being allowed to take their time are imperative for their mental and physical health. Dragging them along at your pace, staring at your phone, taking them out only to the front lawn for a hurried pee, or chiding them when they pause on a walk is more than unfair and cruel.

Remember, walks are more than a bathroom break for dogs—they’re an excursion and the highlight of their day.

Never swat, hit, slap, kick, shove or bully a dog. There’s no such thing as “gently” hitting your dog. Being swatted with a newspaper or shoved off the furniture hurts bodies and feelings. Even if these mean acts don’t leave a visible bruise on your dog, they can cause deep emotional and psychological harm.If you want a punching bag, go to the gym—don’t subject a dog to your own psychological problems.

Punishment-based “training” methods, including yelling at dogs, have serious long-term negative effects on their mental health. Screaming at dogs stresses them out and makes them sad and depressed. Barking is as natural and necessary for dogs as talking is for humans, and your dog may be telling you something important, like “I’m in pain” or “The house is on fire.”