Pet Owners & Their Responsibilities

My name is Miranda, owner of NJ Pet Sitters, L.L.P. in Morris County, New Jersey. I wanted to share some of my findings and thoughts about what caring owners can do for their young puppies. Quite often I find that we begin caring for dogs at a very early stage, but usually after their developmental stages have ended. There is a period of time when puppies approach what I like to refer to as the "Fear Stage", when their long-term personality and attitude is formed. This is the time in a puppy's development when caring, nurturing and leadership is most critical. Young dogs look to us as surrogate pack leaders to provide the leadership that they would have received from their parents and peers if they were still together or in the wild. This is the time when our loved ones can be most easily influenced for both good and bad. These puppies don't know what the correct behavior should be, and they require the proper instruction from us. Professional dog training is a very important solution at this time, but it is not the only means of education for them. Most importantly, verbal or physical abuse is NOT the answer. This simply teaches a dog that the way to react in a stressful situation is with aggression, as is frequently seen with shelter dogs after years of abuse. That is why it is often so difficult to re-educate these dogs in the later stages of their lives. Should you choose to train your loved ones yourself, consult the internet for advice from professionals or seek advice by reading the many blogs, books and articles that are available. Just as people seek information on child-rearing as they become new parents, the same effort should be expended on their 'other' loved ones. Dogs are wonderful additions to any family, but owning them should be a privilege and a commitment, and not just a right. Please share your thoughts and advice for everyone else to benefit from, and let's make this world a better place for all of our dogs and the many generations to come! For more information on the service that we provide, please visit us at www.njpetsitters.org