Are you a responsible dog owner?

Dog ownership demands a lot of love, commitment and time. There are certain things which should be kept in mind, before bringing home a pup. Adite Chatterjee outlines ten tips to a responsible dog ownership.
Cocoa’s story is sad, but unfortunately, a common tale too. Very often, parents give into their children’s tantrums and bring home a pup. Little or no thought is given to the fact that every pup has his needs; he is a living being who needs to be fed, house-trained, exercised and taught things so that he becomes a member of the family. After the first few weeks of excitement, taking out the pup for walks becomes a chore. The child, at whose insistence, the pup is brought in the first place quickly loses interest, the parents are too busy with their own lives, and the pup is often left at the mercy of helpers.
A bored dog – or one who is not exercised enough – can also be a destructive dog. Dogs are intelligent and often try to grab your attention by doing the most maddening things. When my dog was just about 10 months old, he took to this extremely annoying habit of jumping on to the bed, lifting his leg and peeing, even as he looked straight into my eyes. At first, I was truly appalled and upset by his behaviour but soon I realised that my dog was communicating to me in a manner that needed no words! Action, attention and involvement were what he wanted. At 10 months of age, he had boundless energy and being cooped up in a flat, while I was busy attending to my home-office was not his idea of fun!
With dog ownership comes a responsibility. Dogs are meant to share our homes and be our companions and for that we need to become more responsible dog owners. Here are ten easy ways of being a responsible dog owner:
Don’t get a dog for the wrong reasons?: