Animals are sentient beings. This is recognized by law and this is how science has demonstrated it.
The emotional part of decisions
Neuromarketing experts know that decisions are highly influenced by emotions. The influence multiplies at Christmas.
However, to incorporate a dog or cat into the family, it is mandatory to ask yourself a series of questions beforehand.
- What are the motivations that lead me to love an animal?
- What needs does the pet have every day, throughout its life?
- Am I able to meet these needs?
- Do I have time?
- Will I have it in the future?
- Will I understand that during his life, my dog can break, dirty, or create difficult moments in coexistence that I will have to deal with?
- Am I willing to invest in their education and care?
- Do I understand that it is a commitment and responsibility for the entire life of the animal?
Answering these questions consciously and honestly will help us to act out of emotion and with our heads. This will allow us not to err in the final decision.
When can you give away a dog?
There are two key points for, in case, to give a pet to a family member not to fail.
- Preparation: The other day speaking with a fellow veterinarian, she commented how she had been surprised, by a 12-year-old boy who accompanied his new dog to the office with his mother. The boy perfectly interpreted the signals that the animal emitted, commenting when the dog felt uncomfortable during the exploration. According to her mother, her son had prepared a lot for the arrival of the pet. And this is the number one key to giving away a dog. The recipient must be prepared.
- Responsibility: obviously in the previous example, the child, as much as he wants to and is already at an age where he can be very involved with the education and care of the dog, is not an adult. Therefore, the dog is not really a gift, but a considered decision of the mother, combined with the illusion of the child, but fully conscious. The gift is not the animal, but the decision.
What to do with the dog at Christmas?
Whether your dog has just arrived home, or if he was already part of your life, you should keep in mind that these holidays are full of dangers for pets:
- Christmas Wires and Decorations – Puppies love to chew on wires and play with balls on the tree. Keep in mind that you could get a cramp if you bite into a live wire, or cut yourself if you decide to bite into a decorative ball. The easiest thing is not to place, for the moment, any of this within their reach.
- Christmas plants: many are toxic, like the poinsettia. If your pup is curious about plants, which is very common, place them out of his reach.
- Christmas Sweets – Chocolate contains theobromine. A highly toxic compound for dogs, which they cannot metabolize. A high intake of chocolate could be lethal for your pet. Never leave sweets up to her.
Christmas ends. How many hours can you leave a dog alone?
Christmas is not eternal and we will return to the routine. That our dog does not spend too many hours alone, without going out to empty the toilet and socialize, is crucial to avoid typical behavioral problems such as destructive behavior:
- In adult dogs: the maximum number of legal hours to keep an adult dog alone and without going out is 6-7 hours. Even if your dog lasts 12 hours until your arrival and nothing has been done, you should not consider having a dog at home if you cannot meet this need.
- In puppies: when your dog is less than 6 months old, he should not be left alone for more than two hours. Firstly, because he is still learning his hygiene routine and does not have much potty training, so you should pay attention to this point. Later, because it is a stage of life, which we know as destructive behavior, and he still needs guidance to know that he can bite and that he cannot.
