Tuesday, June 12, 2012

In Recent Local News...

This week in Calgary a young girl was mauled by a Husky that had escaped from its yard.


Unfortunately this entire situation was preventable with some owner education. Here's some key points that every dog owner of any dog breed or mix needs to follow:

  • Make sure your dog is secured. Many breeds of dogs are great climbers/jumpers. This includes small guys too! For our large, athletic breeds it is especially important that your fence is not only tall but potentially slanted inwards to keep dogs in. If your dog is a great climber or a known escape artist also consider a tether to secure him/her and don't leave your dog unattended!
  • An obedience class can do wonders for keeping your dog at home. It will help you teach your dog recall and owner focus. Both of these can prevent escapes.
  • Make sure your dog is spayed/neutered and is adequately exercised. This will decrease roaming.
  • Certain breeds are more independent and have a tendency to roam. Making sure you are educated on what type of pet you are purchasing and assess whether you can keep this animal secure. Where's Your Sit offers owners pre-puppy consultations to help with this type of decision making. Very few homes are capable of keeping dogs like Huskies in the city. This breed has huge exercise needs and are great at escaping! If you are set on a Husky make sure you attend classes. These dogs can be hard to motivate but with the right trainer they can learn to listen to you.
  • It is also important to socialize your dog to children and other dogs even if you don't have any at home. Dogs do sometimes escape and it's very important that if this happens they do not pose a threat to people or pets living in your area. Keeping a dangerous or possibly dangerous dog is unethical and could land you in hot water legally.

Keeping your pets safe as well as neighbours is everyone's responsibility. Please make sure to take the time to learn about dog socialization, husbandry and training.