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Exercise saves dogs' lives

N.H. Sunday News - Dog Tracks Column 1/4/09
By: Gail T. Fisher

There is a popular belief that we have a dog overpopulation problem in this country. Estimates are that millions of dogs are put to death each year in shelters. It logically follows then, that these are surplus dogs – that we have too many dogs for the number of people who want them. Yet I frequently talk to people who want to adopt a mixed-breed pup from a shelter, humane society or rescue, but they can’t find one. They might be able to find a puppy in another part of the country, but in our area, all they see are adolescents and adult dogs. Where are the puppies? If there is an overpopulation problem, why aren’t the shelters filled with unwanted puppies that can’t find homes rather than the occasional pregnant mother or the mother with litter of pups that shelters get on rare occasions?

The reason there are few puppies to adopt is that there isn’t an overpopulation problem of the magnitude we are led to believe. Viewed from a different perspective, it isn’t that there are too many dogs being born, rather it is that dogs that have homes are being given up, often only to be replaced by a new puppy. Why are dogs being given away? What causes a family to give up their dog or put it to sleep?

Often when a dog is brought to a shelter the owner doesn’t tell the whole truth about their reasons for giving up their pet. Typical reasons for giving a dog up for adoption or euthanasia include moving house (“We can’t keep the dog anymore”), allergies, or lack of time/space to give the dog what he needs (“He’ll do much better in a home in the country”). More often they’ve reached the end of their patience. The fact that they can’t stand this dog’s problems anymore – that reason is left off the questionnaire.

The majority of adolescent and young adult dogs are given up for adoption or put to sleep is that the dog has a problem and the solutions owners employed to try to fix the problem haven’t worked. Whatever the problem – be it destructive chewing, running away, house soiling, excessive barking, and the like – with each repetition, the level of affection for the dog is whittled away a little more until the owners reach the end of their rope.

Much like the book and movie “Marley & Me,” sadly, the humans blame the dog. “We gave him chance after chance to improve,” they think. “We tried and tried to teach him the error of his ways,” they mistakenly believe. Truth is, the dog has no idea what the problem is, nor has he or she any ability to solve it without human help. But the dog is blamed.

Here’s my take on this problem. The biggest cause of dogs being given away or put to sleep is not overpopulation; it is lack of exercise (mental and physical). The answer is as simple as that. Young, active dogs are not couch potatoes – no matter how much we may want them to be. They require exercise. They require training. They require attention. They require an outlet for their energies. If they are not given an appropriate outlet, they’ll create their own.

We have many Doggie Day Care parents who have told us that were it not for their dog being able to get regular exercise, were it not for their dog being tired and happy at the end of the day, they wouldn’t have the dog. The healthy outlet that comes from playing with other dogs is merely one possibility for exercise. Others include taking a daily, long walk with your dog, playing retrieve games that involve your dog doing a lot of running, training your dog actively to involve both your dog’s mind and body, dog agility, and lots of other activities.

It is up to every dog owner to create a constructive outlet for his or her dog’s energy – a way to get sufficient exercise. Then everyone will be much happier – you, your dog, even the humane societies.