Must Love Dogs

CEBU, Philippines - Most people, if not all, consider their pet dogs as family. Dogs, which we have come to adopt as family pets or our own individual pets, provide warm company, happiness and joy. In return, we provide them with care and love.

And so when our pet dog dies we feel having lost a good part of our lives. Worse, if it is a family pet that had been with us for a long time, the whole family mourns, individually feeling the loss.

In the book "If Your Dog Could Talk: A Training Guide for Humans," it says that dogs are human inventions. Although they came from the Asian wolf, the modern dogs have become the most adaptable of all land-based carnivores and live according to the whims of humans.

It is important for dog owners, or those planning of getting a dog as pet, to give enough time for their own "man's best friend." Like people, dogs feel different emotions too, including fear.

It helps to remember that a dog looks up to its owner as the pack leader - for mental stimulation, opportunities for play, and other activities. The owner has responsibility to provide these essentials. Some dogs, especially those who have gone through a traumatic experience, are fearful, and have to be supported out of their anxiety. Dogs that did not experience a full range of activities while they were young tend to be frightened too.

The dog owner has to learn to identify signs of fear in the dog's behavior. Ways must be devised to assuage the fears. For example, if the dog is afraid of noises, such as thunder or fireworks, a good therapy is to make the dog listen to CDs of fearful noises - first quietly with the owner, and then for the volume to be increased gradually and for the owner to decrease his presence around the dog until the animal's fear is overcome.

The dog's body language also indicates fear. For example, when a dog's tail is behind its two hind legs, it means the dog is afraid of something - maybe of another animal, an individual, or something else. Another sign is when the dog lowers its body and head or the ears are pulled back to the head.

It is important to understand that not every dog is for every dog lover. There are dogs that just wouldn't fit into a person's temperament, life conditions, lifestyle, or standards of living.

Thus, getting a dog should not be an overnight decision to make just because the person is bored or thinks he needs a company. Also, the kind of dog to choose must be seriously taken into account. A little time spent in weighing the matter over is well spent in avoiding potential problems.

Different dog breeds have different characteristics. Those who want to get a particular kind of dog must know beforehand the characteristics, the needs, the behavior, and other such things about that breed. It may sound like a lot of trouble, but matching the right dog with the right owner can be very rewarding for both the owner and the dog.

Dogs have the immense capacity to give back the attention, the care, and the love they are given.  (FREEMAN)