• Can you afford veterinary care, food and grooming cost?
• Will you obey laws that pertain to animal ownership?
• Do you have allergies?
• Will you take time with your pet on a regular basis? Dogs need daily exercise and training.
• Will you make a commitment to a pet for its entire life? A dog or cat may live to be 20 years old.
• Will you have the pet spayed or neutered?
• When you take a vacation, do you know what to do with your pet?
• Does your landlord allow pets? If so, do they require a deposit?

If you answered yes to all of the above questions you will be a responsible pet owner

...but it's also a big responsibility. Remember that your dog depends on you for everything. Use the list below to learn how to take care of your dog the right way. Giving your dog what it needs is being a responsible owner and good friend.

Are you a responsible owner?
Do you...

• ...provide fresh water at all times?
• ...provide quality dog food?
• ...have your dog checked by a veterinarian at least once a year?
• ...make sure your dog wears its current license and ID tag?
• ...make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise?
• ...bathe and groom your dog regularly?
• ...play with your dog?
• ...train your dog?
• ...give it lots of love?

All dogs are different, just as people are different. Some dogs are friendly and some are not. Sometimes even a friendly dog may bite.

Dogs may bite when they are surprised, excited or scared. Running, yelling, loud noises and teasing can cause a dog to bite you.

If a strange dog comes toward you:

1. Be calm and stand still. Never run away.
2. Face the dog and watch him, but don't stare into his eyes.
3. Speak softly but firmly to the dog, saying things like, "good dog".
4. After the dog has calmed down and doesn't look scared or angry, you can leave safely by slowly backing away.
5. Never run from a dog.
6. Never touch a dog you don't know.

1. Stop the bike.
2. Get off the bike on the side away from the dog.
3. Keep the bike between you and the dog.
4. Back away slowly to an area of safety, perhaps a parked car.

Don't let your dog travel unsecured in an open pickup truck bed. Dogs can't "hold on" the way humans can, and any sudden start, stop or turn can toss your pet onto the highway. If the impact of hitting the road at a high speed doesn't kill it, oncoming traffic probably will.

There are other hazards to consider. Most dogs love the feeling of wind blowing past their ears at 60 mph, but that wind can seriously irritate mucous membranes and blow pieces of grit into the animal's eye. Insects or flying debris can also lodge in the nasal passages or get sucked up into the windpipe.

It is safest to allow your dog to ride inside the truck cab, or leave it at home. If it must ride in the back of a truck put the pet inside a crate that will give some protection from the wind and weather, and tie the crate securely to the walls of the truck bed so it cannot slide about or be tossed out of the truck.

Lincoln City Ordinance 6.04.310 requires that animals have convenient access to shelter throughout the year. This requirement is defined and interpreted to include the following:

1. Any dog kept outside habitually or left outside unattended repeatedly when adults persons are not present on the property must have shelter as described below.

2. For circumstances not included in the above, any dog kept outside for more than 30 minutes during inclement weather conditions should have access to an artificial shelter which provides adequate protection for existing and anticipated weather conditions. A responsible dog owner will use good judgement based on weather conditions vs. dog's health, breed, and size.

3. All dogs should have access to shade at all times during warm weather.

1. Shelter for a dog is defined and interpreted as a structure having 4 sides including a roof and floor with one side having an entrance. The shelter should be small enough so the dogs body heat will keep him warm and yet be large enough for the dog to stand and turn around. It should protect the dog from temperature extremes and precipitation.

2. Bedding material should be maintained, cleaned and replaced as needed. The shelter should be in good condition and not have any nails or other protruding objects. A shelter having insulated walls is ideal and recommended.

3. One shelter per dog is ideal with some type of flap over the entrance.

4. For dogs kept in an unheated garaged, a box with bedding to retain body heat is recommended. Ideally, the floor of a shelter box should not be concrete, because it will transmit coldness to the dog unless it has come type of heating elements. A crawl space under a porch is not acceptable, because it does not retain the dog's body heat and will not keep the dog off frozen ground.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your dog can find a way to escape. A gate is left open, or the dog finds a way over, under or through the fence. If the dog is kept inside it may tear up your home. This is enough to drive any dog owner crazy. But it doesn't take much to solve the mystery of how to make Rusty obey. The following ideas can help keep your dog where it belongs--safe at home.

Invisible Fence Concept

The invisible fence concept is a wire that is buried around the area in which your dog is to be confined. The dog wears a transmitter collar that lets the dog come within a certain distance from the wire. When the dog goes over the boundary, it is shocked by the collar. This concept is used by an increasing number of dog owners, but there are many problems with this system. There is little protection for your dog and there is a possibility of the fence and/or the collar to not work properly. The invisible fence concept is illegal in the City of Lincoln as your only fence. It is acceptable if you use it as a back up behind a regular fence.

Digging and Chewing

Dogs always seem to find the holes in a fence, or they do a little digging and make their own escape route. Other doges chew their way through a fence. An easy way to discourage this behavior is with a battery powered electric wire fence system. The wire has a low voltage zap which startles the dog. After doing this once or twice, the dog should learn not to escape.

Jumping and Climbing

Dogs should be magicians because they love to pull disappearing acts, especially when challenged with a fence. Usually, there are two ways of escape:
Climbing over the fence similar to the rock climber. This problem can be solved with an underground electric/radio fence used only as a secondary fence.
Jumping is another way of escape. The dog takes a running jump to clear the fence. Creating some kind of barrier such as a flower pot, at the starting point would help prevent this.

An alternative to both of these problems is to add an extension at the top of your fence. Climbers cannot make their way over the top and jumpers cannot judge the correct height of the fence to make a clear jump.

Cable Runs

A Cable Run is a good way to prevent your dog from entanglement as pictured below. A strong plastic-coated cable can be connected to two solid places such as a tree and your house. Make sure there are no objects blocking the path of the run. Also, put stops on the cable several feet from the end so your dog will not get itself tangled.

A second cable is connected to the first, so it is suspended and can easily move back and forth. The second cable needs to have enough length so your dog can sit, lie down, reach food and water or shelter.

When tying your dog, be sure to use a nylon or leather collar, or a harness - not a "choke chain" or training collar.

Hurricane in the House

You can tell when a person is bored, frustrated or stressed by the way they act. The same is true with your dog. When left alone in the house, dogs can become destructive.
A way to eliminate this problem is by giving your dog 15-30 minutes of hard exercise before you leave and when you return. Other alternatives are training classes and removing any items that might interest your dog.
It is hard to keep your temper under control when you come home to a house that looks like a tornado hit it. When you do get angry, your dog connects the frustration with your returning home, not with the problem.

You need to create alternative methods of punishment for the dog to understand your displeasure. For example, crate training.
Crate training teaches your dog to stay in its crate when you are not around. Dogs get used to their crates because it creates a safe haven where they can go when you are not home. This means your dog will stay there peacefully and you can return to a home still in one piece.

Kennel Runs

Kennels come in a variety of shapes and sizes with a comparatively low cost. When your dog is confined in a kennel, use the minimum space requirements from the chart below as a guide.

An additional 16 square feet should be used for each dog sharing the pen with another. The minimum pen sizes includes a shelter.
Kennels can come with tops for jumpers and climbers. For dogs who like to dig, the kennel can be placed on a cement pad. Kennel runs might seem like a silly idea when you have a large yard, but for dogs who love to escape, this may be a good choice.

Open Gates

If children or meter readers are letting your dog out, you can solve this problem by putting a pad lock on your gate.
You can also contact your local utilities company about reading your own meters.
Another solution to keeping the gate closed is to install a self closing spring which automatically closes the gate.

Speed Demons

Dogs have learned that the easiest way to escape is to run out an unprotected door. To solve this speeding violation, you can train your dog not to run through open doors or gates. It just takes time and patience on your part.

Points to Remember

Many of your dog's problems with behavior can be helped with obedience classes. These classes can give your dog something to think about other than escaping or making a wreck out of your home.

• Spaying or neutering your dog help to keep its hormones in check and the desire to escape is not as strong.
• Try not to punish your dog when it returns from an outing. The dog does not connect the punishment with leaving, but with returning. If a dog thinks it will get in trouble for coming home, then it will try to escape more often.
• Dogs love to look around in the outdoor world. With a little patience and a lot of practice, owners can make sure their dog is kept safe at home.

Water Training Method
This method works for almost all dogs and is simple to use if you follow these guidelines:

• First, be consistent and persistent. The dog will not learn if he is corrected one time and not the next. For this reason, plan to teach when you can be home most of the day.
• Fill a plant mister or water pistol with water.
• When the dog barks, immediately give him one or two squirts of water while the dog is barking and say "Quiet!" The dog will be confused if you wait until he stops barking.
• If the dog backs away, repeat saying "Quiet", as you move towards him give him one more squirt of water.
• Repeat each time the dog barks needlessly. Always praise your dog if he barks in a watchdog situation.
• With this conditioning experience your dog will soon learn to expect a squirt of water when you shout "Quiet!" Once he has made this association, you will not need to squirt him again.

Barks When Nobody's Home
Try leaving a radio on when you go out. It may fool him into thinking you are home. Get the dog used to being in a closed room or the basement by using the following method. Tell him to be a good dog and close the door. When the dog starts to bark or howl, burst into the room and scold him, "Quiet!" then leave and wait to see if the dog barks again. If he does, repeat the commands with more force. Try to convince him that you will always be there to scold him if he barks. Increase the amount of time you leave the dog alone until he is comfortable when you leave for long periods of time.

Barks At Any Little Noise
These dogs need special attention. Set up a situation where you know he will bark. For example, the arrival of the mail carrier, cars passing by or the presence of another animal. When he begins to bark tell him firmly, "Quiet!" Until he understands the command, slap a rolled newspaper on your hand, not the dog, to reinforce the command.

Barks During The Night
Feed your dog late in the evening so he will be drowsy and sleep through most of the night. If possible, it is best to bring your pet inside for the night.

Is Tied Up
Make sure your dog is as comfortable as possible. He should have shelter, fresh water, and food. Make sure he can't tangle himself up in the line he is tied with. The dog should have enough room to move without stepping in his food, water, or feces. Give the dog lots of attention when you are home and set aside time each day to play with your pet.

Barks Non-Stop
If your dog is corrected once and then continues to bark, speak to him directly with a commanding "Quiet!" If the dog still doesn't understand, hold his mouth closed (being gentle and careful not to cut off breathing) for a moment and say "Quiet!"

A barking dog is often a bored dog that gets no exercise or affection. Happy, healthy, well trained dogs don't bark unnecessarily.

If These Methods Don't Work
You may want to contact a reputable obedience training school. A trained dog will stop barking on command. Obedience school will also help to control your dog in other situations.

Is Your Dog A Nuisance Animal?
According to Lincoln City Ordinance 6.08.160 it is unlawful for any person to "own, keep or harbor any dog which by loud continued, or frequent barking, howling, or yelping shall annoy or disturb any neighborhood person or persons", If you own a dog that barks frequently and/or excessively, you own a nuisance animal.

The Pros and Cons of Barking Dogs
Not all barking is bad. Barking is a dog's response to his environment. It can alert owners and neighbors of a stranger's presence or other potential problems.
Barking also tells the owner when the dog is in distress.
Excessive barking is extremely annoying. Noisy animals create neighborhood tension. Chronic barking is a sign of a board or nervous dog and should be stopped immediately.
If you can answer "Yes" to any of the following questions your dog could be a neighborhood nuisance:

Does Your Dog Bark Excessively When...

• someone rings the doorbell or walks by?
• he hears a siren?
• another animal comes into view or another dog barks?
• he is alone?

Do's And Don'ts for Dog Owners

• Do find out why your dog barks.
• Do correct the behavior immediately and consistently. If you correct your dog once and don't the next time, he will never learn.
• Do be patient. Braking the barking habit takes time, but with patience and understanding you should be able to complete the training in two to three weeks.
• Do tell your pet "good dog" when he obeys your commands or barks for a trained reason.
• Don't squirt your dog with the garden hose or throw things at him.
• Don't hit your dog. This is not an effective replacement for the water treatment method. Hitting your dog will probably make it impossible for you to ever train your dog without professional help.

Remember you are teaching, not punishing.