Guest Blog: Attentive and Courteous: Obeying the Rules of Dog Etiquette

This blog was kindly provided by Jessica, who is a dog lover and creator of OurBestFriends.pet. She created the site to offer a place for animal lovers to share their favourite pet photos and stories about their furry pals. Jessica believes dogs are the best creatures on earth. She enjoys writing about and sharing photos of dogs (and other pets!) on her website.

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Dog owners often suffer from a lack of perspective when it comes to their furry friends. It’s natural to think of your dog as the cutest, smartest, best-behaved dog anyone could ever hope for. Unfortunately, other people may not see your pooch in that same light, especially if your furry friend can’t seem to stop barking, keeps digging in a neighbour’s yard, or leaves his own personal calling card everywhere but in your yard. These are signs that you and your pet are violating the rules of dog etiquette. And it’s probably not making you many friends in the neighbourhood. If you live in an apartment, it’s especially important that you pay close attention to how your dog behaves around others.

So let’s be attentive and courteous: Obeying the rules of dog etiquette

Clean up dog waste

This is the number one rule of dog etiquette. Put yourself in your neighbour’s shoes. Would you enjoy looking out your front door just in time to see someone’s dog relieving himself alongside your mailbox? The dog’s owner may mean no harm, but the homeowner may see it as a sign of disrespect and personal contempt. At the very least, it’s bad manners. In most communities, there are laws requiring that people clean up after their dogs in public, so make sure you take plenty of waste bags and a scooper whenever you and your friend go for a walk. If you’re an apartment dweller, failing to clean up after your dog can lead to fines or even eviction. There are even rental communities using DNA samples to determine whose dog left behind waste.

Peeing with impunity

As a dog owner, you know that whenever your dog goes for a stroll outside, the great outdoors becomes his personal fire hydrant. Dogs urinate everywhere regardless of who lives there. It’s normally a good thing when your dog urinates outside, but you need to be careful where you allow him to go. Try to keep him from peeing on a walking path or a highly trafficked area. Remember that you have control when you’re holding the leash, so use it when you need to.

No barking during quiet time

Dogs bark for many reasons. Yelling at your dog to stop barking is futile; he’ll just think you’re barking right along with him. It’s surprising how many people don’t pay attention or simply don’t notice when their dog is barking excessively or barking at times when it’s a real annoyance for your neighbours. If your pooch sounds off at four in the morning, you need to intervene. Bear in mind that many communities have noise ordinances that include barking dogs. Try to distract your pet from whatever he’s barking at. If that doesn’t work, try training him to obey the ‘quiet’ command (professional training is sometimes necessary when you’re trying to teach a dog to stop barking).

Exercise

Making sure your pooch gets plenty of exercises is a good way to prevent barking. Dogs tend to bark and act out in destructive ways when they’re bored or anxious. Exercise allows your pet to work off excess energy and helps make him feel tired. If there’s a dog park nearby, make it a point to take your dog a couple of times a week. If you’re just too busy, consider hiring a dog-walking service so your pet can get the companionship and exercise he needs. If he’s pent up during the week while you’re at work, look into a dog-sitting service, where he’ll get to socialize with other dogs and receive individual attention.

Attentive and courteous

When it comes to dog etiquette, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Imagine how you’d feel if someone else’s dog woke you up in the wee hours of the morning with his barking, or left piles of dog faeces in your front yard. Be attentive and be courteous.

Have fun!

Once we are obeying the rules of dog etiquette, be sure to have fun with your dog spending as much time as possible outside. While being out & about why not getting an original Dimples Dog Bandana? Have a look at the great designs and check out the new Hi-Vis Dog Bandana to be safe and seen in the dark season!