Responsibilities of Dog Owners toward their Pets

Dog owners have a responsibility to keep their neighbors safe from their pets since dogs are naturally vicious, and this starts by fulfilling your responsibilities toward your pet. Here are some more of dog owner responsibilities that may help avoid the need for a Los Angeles Dog Bite Attorney in the event of a dog bite.

1. Sterilizing your dog

The dog is prevented from breeding once sterilized. A female dog is spayed unless you want her to have puppies. Spaying is a surgical procedure routinely carried out when a dog reaches its sixth month of age. Male dogs may undergo especially if they normally stray, fight, or display aggressive behavior. This is also done routinely when the dog is on its sixth month. But remember to consult your veterinary surgeon before sterilizing your dog.

2. Vaccinating your dog
3. Having your dog vaccinated is essential to prevent them from acquiring fatal diseases like distemper, parvovirus, or leptospirosis. A full-program vaccination while your dog is still a puppy and an annual booster vaccination are some of the ways pets can be protected against these diseases. Vaccinations for puppies are given during the sixth, ninth, and twelfth week, but this may vary depending on the type of vaccine and the level of disease the dog may be exposed to. Seek the advice of your veterinary surgeon about the vaccination program particular for your dog.
4. Housetraining your dog

Once you’ve acquired your dog, start with the housetraining. The golden rule to remember is to praise or reward him if he did something right, but ignore the things he did wrong. Do not shout at him or make a fuss about his mistake as this will only make him more prone into committing any more errors out of fear. Also, toilet-train the dog in proper spots. If he did it in a public place, you as the owner are required to clean it because just leaving dog waste in public is an offense.

5. Elementary obedience training

Training the dog should start the first day you get him, but keep the sessions short. Use a lead and a collar during the initial trainings to keep in control and to enforce command. Over time, the need for enforcement or control will diminish because the training will be repetitive and the dog will be rewarded. Start with the basic short commands: heel, sit, stay, wait, come, and down. A properly trained dog will obey command immediately, so a short response should not be rewarded. Stop the training session if there is no progress.