Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Crisis Of Stray Dogs In America

By Garrett McMahan


While we hear a lot about how many dogs wind up in shelters across America, you probably would be shocked to discover that the Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are about 70 million stray cats and dogs living in our country at any given time, but only about eight million of these animals wind up in shelters.

While many people do adopt dogs from shelters every year, this is simply not enough to deal with the high demand in our shelters. Therefore, about 5,000 dogs are euthanized every day in the United States. The vast majority of these animals have not been spayed or neutered, which is one of the biggest reasons why we have such a huge problem with stray animals in the first place.

Many cities and counties are attempting to lessen the numbers of unwanted animals by requiring that pet owners spay or neuter their animals. In Los Angeles County, for instance, most dogs and cats must be sterilized by the time they are four months old. There are exceptions for those with show dogs or service animals, but this law affects most typical pet owners in LA County. Thirty states require that all animals adopted from an animal rescue or shelter must be sterilized prior to adoption.

Owning a pet is a big commitment, and it's always wise to consider how much time and money you have to give prior to bringing an animal home. The recession certainly has forced some families to surrender their pets, but generally the main reason why animals are abandoned is simply because they are too difficult to handle. Behavior problems frustrate many dog owners and rather than finding a simple solution to these problems, the dog is simply taken to a shelter.

Before you purchase a pet, whether it is a puppy or an adopted dog from a shelter, it is best to think about dog obedience. Many people feel that they simply don't have the time for training classes or think that at-home training is too complicated. However, dealing with barking, jumping, clawing, scratching and other common elements of misbehavior is far worse than spending a few weeks training the dog and eliminating most behavior problems.

Keep in mind that your dog will be happier and more secure if you teach them how to behave and they love to make their owners happy, so they are enthusiastic learners. A dog obedience training program such as The Dog's Way makes it easy for your to train your dog at home, you don't even have to attend a class or leave your yard. This is a set of five DVDs that includes 12 dog training lessons that will teach your dog the proper way to behave in a variety of situations. While it won't happen overnight, with enthusiasm and patience, it won't take long to have your dog trained for a lifetime.




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