American Kennel Club Promotes Responsible Dog Ownership

Posted by Clare Bristow | Leave a Comment

AKC Pet PromiseOn 1 September the American Kennel Club's (AKC) month long celebration of responsible dog ownership begins. Dog clubs and organizations will be holding events throughout the month, and there are two AKC flagship events being held on Saturday 15 September.

The aim of the month long event is to educate people on the importance of being a responsible dog owner and to celebrate the bond between humans and dogs.

"As dogs are increasingly viewed as family members, the need for all dog owners to train their pets to be good citizens and practice responsible dog ownership is more crucial," said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "More communities and businesses would have dog friendly policies if they felt confident that all dog owners would be courteous and respectful."

Unfortunately there will always be dog owners who won't train their dogs properly, let them trespass over other peoples' property, and who refuse to clear up after their dogs - they give all dog owners a bad name, and it's little wonder that there seems to be a growing anti-dog sentiment.

As responsible dog owners ourselves, the best thing we can do to counter this anti-dog feeling is to consistently show non-dog owners that dogs can be well behaved in all sorts of different environments, they make great companions, and we take our responsibilities for owning a dog seriously.

As part of the celebration the AKC is encouraging people to sign its Responsible Dog Owner Pet Promise, in which you show your commitment to providing proper care for your dog - click here for a printable version.

Events are being held in most States throughout September, and will include things like:

  • Microchip clinics;
  • Health clinics providing advice on spay and neuter, general health and dog first aid;
  • Information on Dog Breed Rescues and Rescue Groups;
  • Obedience, Agility, Rally, and Performance demonstrations;
  • Therapy, Search and Rescue Dog and Police K9 Unit demonstrations;
  • Safety Around Dogs presentations; and
  • AKC Canine Good Citizen tests.

To find out what's happening in your State use this link to the AKC website.

Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe to the Dog Topics feed to be notified every time a new post is added to this blog.


Keywords: , , ,

Filed Under Dog News, Blog 

Chicken Beaks and Feet - A Real Dog's Treat

Posted by Clare Bristow | 2 Comments

japanese-chinMy dogs are very lucky, I fed them ground up chicken carcasses, chicken beaks and feet, and various internal parts from a cow (not meat) as a for being good when they had a bath this weekend.

I wasn't so naive as to expect a product called Basted Beefhide Crunchies to be of high nutritional value, but I did expect it to contain some nutrition!

As the Food and Drug Administration in the United States continues to test the Chinese manufactured dog treats Bestros Chicken Jerky Strips for evidence of melamine contamination, it's about time we paid more attention to the listed ingredients in products.

Click to Continue Reading —>


Keywords: , , , , ,

Filed Under Dog Treats, Blog 

Oops Britney's Done It Again

Posted by Clare Bristow | 2 Comments

puppy-yorkshire-terrierYet again has managed to get the attention of animal rescue organizations.

This time the SPCA, Los Angeles branch, is concerned about an injury to London,+Britney's+Yorkshire+Terrier" rel="tag" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/www.technorati.com/tag/_strong_London_+Britney_039_s+Yorkshire+Terrier_/strong');">London, Britney's Yorkshire Terrier. The little dog has a broken leg and the SPCA has received numerous requests from the public to investigate the incident. A spokesperson for the SPCA said the concern was not if the dog had had an accident, but whether it was getting proper care.

Apparently Britney's sons injured the dog whilst playing with it. According to a source, London was taken to the vet by Britney after she 'noticed it wasn't walking right or running as fast'.

Unfortunately leaving children and dogs to play together is a recipe for disaster.

If you have young children and a dog, constantly supervise all interaction between them and ensure that playtimes do not get out of hand. Small puppies have fragile bones and can easily get injured - a young child can easily fall on a puppy, drop a puppy whilst carrying it or just play too roughly.

The American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a good article on how to create a safe and happy household when you have young children and a pet.

Whatever your opinion of Britney as a mother and/or pet owner, at least she took her dog to the vet. How many times do we read about dogs abandoned or just left to suffer after similar accidents?


Keywords: , ,

Filed Under Dogs and Children, Blog 

Next Page »