by Charles Klein

Created on: July 01, 2008   Last Updated: October 26, 2009

Being a responsible pet owner is not just a guess it should be a requirement to own any pet! Remember animals don't ask to come to your home. You choose your pet. From a bird to donkey all animals should at least have the essentials to be happy and healthy.

Being a Pit bull enthusiast I have run into all kinds of owners.Some are good caring owners , some are folks that should not own anything. My saying has always been a pit bull owner should be twice as responsible than that of any other dog owner. It is because of the lack of responsibility that my breed has got this bad reputation.

Being and animal owner is a privilege and not a right! Treat your animals with dignity and remember to respect your neighbors. Other words don't let your dog run off leash. Don't let him bark into the middle of the night if you live in the city. Just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean it don't bother other folks.

The main responsibility is the health for your pet. Don't get a pet even if it is free if you can't afford it. If you want a dog but can only afford to care for a goldfish, don't get the dog now. Maybe a time will come when you can afford it. That is when you will find the perfect dog for you! A trip to the vet is not cheap and an animal will have to go multiple times in his life. A good idea is to put some money aside in case of an emergency.

Make sure you can feed your pet. If your starving, Don't get a pet. A good quality food that has all the nutrients and vitamins to make the animal grow strong and healthy is an essential.

Maintenance is another cost. Grooming and nail cutting. If you own a small animal you will need to buy bedding and chew toys. Maintenance over the life of an animal is very expensive.

Most of all watch your dog. Don't just chain him up and forget about him, or put him in a kennel and leave him for long periods. The animal will get out with enough time to find or make an escape hatch. If the pet is larger , tend fences and mend them if necessary. If an animal bites don't let him loose or try to trust him. If it bites once it will probably bite again. My saying is if I had a dog that bit for no reason other than being aggressive is going to have to be put down. I had to do that one time and it hurt. I feel I did the right thing. I have been around dogs long enough to know you can teach an old dog new tricks but I have no tolerance for a biter.

Bottom line there should be a certain age to own a pet, or to even walk a pet. The USDA should also be more involved in certain animal husbandry's. My biggest pet peeve is the folks that say that there are to many dog's in the world.But will breed their pet.

I strongly believe purebred dogs should only be owned by people that will work them in their original functions. If the function is no longer aloud by law. Then those dogs should be only owned by true caring hobby breeders to conformation show. If their are too many dogs,homeless and in shelters those should be just pets. Shelter dogs make great pets. They come already neutered or spayed and are usually tested at the shelter if they are good with kids and other animals. Good luck! and be more responsible then the other guy.

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