Let's
begin celebrating Responsible Dog Ownership Day by thinking about the
word 'Responsible'. Do you know what that means?
When
you are responsible, it means that you are dependable, reliable, trustworthy,
and honest. It means that if you say you will do something, you will
try your best to do it.
Being
responsible also means that you think for yourself. It means that you
think about things that need to be done, and then do them or help someone
else do them. Are you a responsible person?
Anyone
can become responsible even if they haven't been before. It just means
that they will have to start being honest, keep promises, and do what
they say they are going to do. If you have not been responsible, now
is a good time to start. It's not too hard.
What
are some thingsyou can doto
be a responsible dog owner?
Most
people know that it's important to take care of their dog. We know that
we should feed our dogs and give them water.
We know that we should spay or neuter
our dogs and give them vaccinations (shots)
to keep them healthy.
Here
are a few ideas:
Sit
down with your dog and pet him for a little longer than usual.
Responsible dog owners spend more time with their dog. more
about this
Take your dog for an extra walk. Responsible
dog owners give their dogs the exercise they need. more
about this
Play
a game with your dog: fetch, hide and seek, races. Responsible
dog owners play more with their dogs. more about this
Practice
some obedience with your dog. Try heel, sit, stay, down. Responsible
dog owners train their dogs so that they are good citizens. more about this
Help
your parents give your dog a bath. Responsible
dog owners help groom their dogs. more
about this
Teach
your dog a new trick. Responsible
dog owners have fun teaching their dogs extra fun activities. more
about this
Read your dog a story.
Dogs are very good listeners! Responsible
dog owners try to learn more about dog care and training by reading
books. more about this
Give
your dog a good brushing. Responsible
dog owners keep their dogs in a healthy condition. more
about this
By
spreading the word about this special day, you can help people become
more aware of why it's important to be a responsible dog owner. Can
you think of some other things you can do to celebrate 'Responsible
Dog Ownership Day'?
Check
out these things listed below:
1.
Help
your school run a canned food drive for pets. Then donate the food to
a local shelter or organization.
2. Volunteer some of your
time at a shelter or rescue.
3. Help a neighbor with their pet.
4.
Donate some pet food to a local animal shelter.
5. Watch a program on TV about
your favorite animals.
6.
Tell kids at school about Responsible Dog
Owner Day.
7.
Help
a friend or a younger brother or sister understand what it means to
be responsible.
Tell
your teacher about Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Maybe she'll plan a special activity in class: You
might suggest a writing activity, a field trip, or an animal book, or a pet food drive. Your class could put on a play. Or your
teacher might plan a fundraiser to help animals at the Humane Society.
Here's
how some of our visitors are being responsible and caring for their dogs:
I give her treats...a lot of treats. They tell me that they are supposed to be treats...not dinners! They keep her teeth clean! Carla,
age 9, Texas USA
I treat him just like a human. Anush, age 11, United
Kingdom
I take care of my
Sheltie, Penny Brite, by feeding her and giving her fresh water every day, brushing her, and walking and playing with
her.
Ashley, age 12, North Dakota USA
I help my mommy brush my dog. I play
with her in the yard, too. Sometimes I give her a treat. Rebecca, age 5, Minnesota USA
I feed my dog everyday, I take him for a walk
around the block, and I brush him. When my parents put him in the bathtub, I help wash him and then I help dry him, too. Oh, and I pet him every night while
I'm watching TV. Bryan, age 13, Oklahoma USA
Sometimes I brush, let her out and in, and wipe her paws when they are muddy. Laura, age 10, Nebraska USA
My brother, Josh, and I take
care of our dogs, Apollo and Zeus, together. Our dogs are only nine weeks old, and we have only had them for
four weeks. They are Australian Shepherds and they are extremely hard to housetrain. Every morning me or Josh get up at 5:30 and take them outside.
One of us will take care of them all morning and the other one will take
care of them all afternoon. We switch every week, so that neither one of us
has to get up at 5:30 every morning.
When we bring
them inside we feed them. Then, we have to take them outside again.
We have to take them outside ever hour for a half hour. They kept spilling
their water all aver the floor, so we have to keep their water outside.
We play with
the dogs all day long and make sure they have fresh water when they are outside. They sleep upstairs in my room every night. We have not
got our dogs collars or leashes yet, but when we do we are going to get name
tags for the collars, so that if the dogs get lost and somebody finds them,
they will be able to bring them home to us. Heather, age 13, Illinois USA
I give my dogs all the love I can give because they mean so much to me. I feed them and care for them. They are the best part of my
life.
Amy, age 12, North Tonawanda
I volunteer at an
animal hospital for 1 1/2 years. A lot of times I can bring them in and give them baths. They have this shampoo that whitens
your dog. Trust me it worked on mine. I am trying to train my dogs how to
do tricks so we can put on a circus to raise money for a no kill animal shelter.
I love animals so much I told my mom what I wanted to do when I get older.
She said she wanted to see my dream come true so she said that we could do
it right now, and we are getting the no kill animal shelter started.
Teresa, age 13, North Carolina USA
I have 2 dogs and it's a big responsibility, especially because one has tons of Chow and Siberian Husky in him so he is huge! I feed and water him, I play in the hose with him frequently so he stays
clean and when he starts to shed I brush him. I love him to bits and he is so easy to train! Paige, age 10, Tennessee USA
I take my dog out for walks and I play with him a lot! I give him his popcorn and an occasional popsicle. He is so spoiled, but I love my little Schnauzer,Gunny. Whitney, age 10, Florida USA
I feed, bathe, walk,
and play with my Beagle, Penny.
Jenny, age 9, Texas USA
I spoil my dog, Spice,
because she is personality plus. Spice is a Dalmatian and she is very energetic. I have to make sure she
doesn't hurt herself sometimes. I wash her every weekend because she is
a dirty dog! I love Spice heaps! Siobhan, age 12, Western Australia
I walk and play with my
dog, and also play with him, groom him and love him. Phil, age 13, California USA
Everyday I take my dogs, Josie and Maggie, for a walk.
Next, I let them play with Montana, a Labrador who is their friend. After that, I play with them for hours. Finally, I brush them and feed them.
April, age 11, Texas USA
Being
responsible is important for all animals, not just dogs. Take some
extra time to appreciate all of your pets. They depend on you and
they deserve love and good care.
Responsible
Dog Ownership Days
Sit
down with your dog and pet him for a little longer than usual.
Responsible dog owners spend more time with their dog. 
I give her treats...a lot of treats. They tell me that they 
Read
our