Advice on Pets, Life, Love

by Monica Collins

Dear Dog Lady,

Whenever I see a news story about a catastrophe - a bad car accident, a house or apartment fire, a tornado or storm - I always wonder if animals have been hurt or died. Often, the reporters don't say although occasionally their closing comments may have something to do with injured or saved pets. In news stories, why can't animals have the same consideration as people? For example, a recent tragic story about a reckless driver who killed a woman out jogging with her dog did not include the news about the fate of the dog. Why is this?

--Miranda

Dear Miranda,

Like it or not but animals do not occupy the same level of regard as humans. This the way it is and the way it should be. A reporter and his or her editor will decide whether or not to include news about an animal's demise, particularly if the story is about human tragedy.

While the omission of an animal's fate can be frustrating, you will admit that animals are prominently featured in the news when the story's about them. The "Puppy Doe" case of a dog torturer roiled the public consciousness about humane treatment of animals. A Quincy man has been charged with that animal cruelty and remains in custody (he also was charged with larceny against a human).

Of course, we all love the triumphant animal survival stories. A recent tearjerker involved an elderly Labrador retriever named Lady who walked 30 miles to be with a Kansas family that turned her back to the animal shelter where they had taken her in the first place. After reading of Lady's plight on Facebook, the heiress to the Wrigley gum fortune sent a private plane for the black Lab. Lady now lives in Florida as one of Helen Rich Rosburg's personal pets.


Dear Dog Lady,

Can you "unfix" a fixed dog?

--Laura

Dear Laura,

Once the fix is in, there's nothing you can do to reverse the procedure. And why would you? With no sex in the city, a spayed or neutered dog is a healthier, better-adjusted animal. All good muttropolitan manners start with the big snip-snip.

Dear Dog Lady,

I am part of the so-called Greatest Generation. I raised five children who have given me many grandchildren. I love being called "grandma." I have a problem with "doggy grandma."

Oh, don't get me wrong. I enjoy dogs. But I come from an era when dogs had their proper place in the family. They ate whatever I remembered to put in their bowls and they slept in the garage. They lived amongst us happily on the periphery. They didn't command the center of attention. When my fifty-something daughter comes to visit me, she brings her Portuguese water dog and treats it like a child. She feeds the dog holistic foods and let it sleep in the bedroom with her and her husband. This pampering irritates me. I wonder if I should be the cranky voice of reason here.

--Anna

Dear Anna,

When the granddog visits your house, you can set your own boundaries. But feel proud of your pooch progeny. Your daughter obviously gets her canine nurturing instincts from growing up in a home where she saw animals treated with kindness. Maybe the family dogs slept in the garage but you must have given them your own brand of loving attention.

Dear Dog Lady,

My husband and I just adopted a seven-week-old Weimaraner puppy.  He is adorable but I am having anxiety. I have done my research on this breed and know he needs tons of exercise and attention. My husband travels frequently on business, leaving me a single puppy mom. I work nine hours a day far from home. I am fully prepared to take him to puppy kindergarten on the weekends and hire a dog walker for a midday break from the crate. But will this be enough? I feel so rotten leaving him locked up all day in his crate. 

Should we return him to the breeder and wait until my husband is home more?

--Amanda

Dear Amanda,

Yes, for the sake of the dog, return him to the breeder. With your husband traveling and your long work hours, the daily stresses are many. You need to take care of yourself first. You should not feel an iota of guilt. You are behaving very responsibly.

Dog Lady, however, cannot say the same of the breeder who sold you this newborn. Puppies should not leave their natal pack until they are at least eight weeks old. Optimally, ten weeks is the golden age for a bowser bye-bye to the birth family. This Weimaraner puppy will grow up a saner dog because he is going back to the nest for more maturation. You are doing the right thing all the way around.

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