I love dogs but also understand that they take a lot of work. In order for your dog to be "good" and also something that you can leave unattended with confidence that they aren't going to tear your house apart, you have to train them to be this way and you have to be vigilant and dedicated in this process. Some breeds are easier than others of course, and smaller dogs aren't really capable of causing that much damage.
I think one of the saddest things that I see in the doggy world here in Asia is when people have a dog tied off to a pole all day either in the yard or outside of it just attached to a fence, and the dogs are rarely even anywhere else. I am sure this is something that happens in all other countries as well and in places like the United States this is even considered cruelty to animals and they will take the dog from you if you do it. Unfortunately, we don't really have any animal rights here in Thailand so neglect of this sort is very common.
How people can live with themselves when they do this to an animal is something that I cannot understand. It is a level of cruelty in the highest order and I will admit that our organization has gone to these homes and asked if we could have the dog or even buy it from them. Sometimes the owners will say they need the dog for "security." A dog is not an alarm system though, it is a living creature with feelings and emotions and there is no dog that enjoys being tied up to a tree in the rain.
I will also admit that we have on several occasions gone on a covert op in the middle of the night and stolen some of these dogs then later found them homes where the owners are actually going to look after it properly. This has been done very rarely and only in situations of extreme abuse where the dogs were in terrible health and their lives were in danger.
This is not Thailand-specific of course, I recall from my youth in the west that several families I knew had their dog tied to a chain with a dog house and I think that this was relatively common until 30 years ago or so. These days this is frowned upon or even illegal in many countries and I think that this is a good thing. If this is the best that these dog owners can do, they should not have a dog.
Dogs dig holes, dogs chew on stuff, dogs bark and pee and poop. If you want to alter this process you have to be more actively involved in the dog's life. This is just a fact.
While I am all about people adopting dogs and wish millions more people would do it, if this is the way that the dog's life is going to end up being, then the person should not take on the job. This is not the kind of life that we here, or any other animal rescue organization around the world considers a "good life" for a dog.
If you are in a situation where this is the best you can do because the dogs is tearing up your yard or house or you feel that you can't train bad characteristics out of it, I highly suggest you at least look for a no-kill shelter nearby. I know of many all around the world, including our own that have a "no questions asked" policy as far as this goes.
Also, if you are considering adopting a dog I highly recommend that before doing so that you go and first volunteer at a shelter or animal-rescue center like our own for a bit before making that choice. Dog ownership is one of the most rewarding things that can happen in a person's life, but for many people, the process is too difficult. These creatures are not work animals, they are pets and when considering adopting you need to be prepared for the bad stuff as well as the good. I can assure you, there is no such thing as a dog that is well-behaved right out of the box.
If you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
Krabi Animal Welfare is a charity run entirely by volunteers and are a registered non-profit organization in Thailand and the U.K.. We aim to relieve the pain and suffering of dogs and cats within Krabi Province.
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