It’s good to be nice, but sometimes we need to get real.

This may come across as a rant and all I can say is you may be right!

I like to think of myself as mostly calm, tolerant, and fair. But honest to goodness, sometimes I don't feel like that, sometimes I feel angry, sad, and frustrated especially when I see or hear of unkind things and careless things done to animals unnecessarily, selfishly, and just because we humans think we have the right to do whatever we want, after all, they're just an animal, grrr!

Humankind is a force to be reckoned with of that there is no doubt, but this statement runs both from a negative as well as a positive perspective. And for the purpose of this piece, I am seeing our flaws.

There is no doubt that the relationship between people and dogs, can be such a beautiful gift but sometimes I do wonder about us humans, our need to just take what we want and then to just as easily rid ourselves of it, if we feel it no longer meets our expectations.

Now if perhaps we were talking about a book we bought that wasn’t turning out as we expected, or perhaps a new top that we thought looked great in the shop but not quite so good when we tried it on at home in front of the mirror, then we might ask a  friend would they like it or maybe even post it in a buy and sell group online to see would anyone like to take it off our hands. But buying a dog is not, I repeat, not the same thing. When we are talking about a puppy or a dog, they are not and should not be treated as commodities… never!

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~ Immanuel Kant

When we make that final decision to welcome a dog or puppy into our home it should not be done on a whim and without due care and attention. And if there is any doubt whatsoever, then perhaps it is not truly the right time, not yet, or perhaps not ever!

There is no excuse for making such a big decision just because we have decided it would be fine, fun, or cute, or because one of our children would love to have a dog to play with.

Welcoming a new animal into our home is not something we can just change our minds about when we’ve had enough. We are talking about something much bigger than a whim; we are talking about a lifelong commitment.

I work alongside many puppy owners, some even before they make the final decision to bring that new puppy home, and, I want to both applaud and commend these individuals for not making it just about them or even their children but also about the puppy. A real live, living creature that may not be the same species as us but still a species that has its own basic life needs, that should be met and supported at all times.

These owners have taken the time to discuss, research, seek advice, learn new skills, manage the environment, make a commitment, and work so very hard especially in those early and crucial weeks and months to ensure that they do their very best for the puppy coming into their homes. 

Let me clarify this is not ignoring the fact that life, as we know, can be unpredictable and sometimes throws challenges at us that we just cannot manage to overcome and sometimes these challenges have either a direct or sometimes an indirect link to our dogs and no matter how hard we try they do not end the way we had hoped for and sadly and regretfully we may need to make the decision for both the dog and the family to rehome or surrender our pet. In some cases, this is absolutely the fairest and kindest things to do, but what does not sit right with me is when we think we are entitled to just discard them because it is too much like hard work, and act, as though we had no idea of this before we brought them home, because simply, that is not true.

We need to stop and think before taking them away from their mother and littermates, upheaving them to a strange environment, with strange sounds, smells, noises, and people and then expecting them to know just what we expect from them without taking the time to show them, instead, through kindness, patience, and understanding.

Dog’s have such an important place in the life of humans, and, many positive changes have occurred, but there is still a way to go, a distance to travel. But wouldn’t it be so amazing if we could travel that journey, together, side by side.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of humankind.” ― Mahatma Ghandi

And remember we don’t always like what we hear, but it doesn’t always mean it’s not true.