January 2012: Fencing for Dogs

A huge dog, tied by a chain, was painted on the wall and over it was written in capital letters "Beware of the Dog." ~ Petronius Arbiter ~

It's not a good idea to routinely tie, or tether, a dog. Animal advocates consider it inhumane and some jurisdictions restrict tethering. A tied dog will understandably consider itself at risk from human and dog predators, and become dangerous itself. While occasionally tying a dog may be unavoidable, routine restraint can result in a very unhappy and dangerous pet.

Containing dogs is important not only to pets and owners, but also to neighbors and the community at large. The old proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors" may be especially apt when applied to dogs.

If the only purpose in putting up a fence is to keep a dog in, electronic fencing may be a good choice. If there are other reasons, i.e., children, keeping other dogs out, etc., wood & rail fences may be another option. In addition to keeping your dogs in and others out, a fence is an aesthetic asset--or liability--to property, so try to fit the budget to a fence you can enjoy. Check your county or sub-division/community zoning restrictions to be sure you meet their guidelines.

You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets. ~~ Nora Ephron ~

Almost thirty years ago, I processed insurance at a (people) clinic and was surprised a well-to-do client had no health insurance. He was in trouble with the IRS (and banned by insurance companies) because he'd enrolled the family dog on their health insurance policy. I think he did this for tax purposes because I can't imagine how he'd pull it off in medical cost savings, but maybe he had a creative plan. This was before pet insurance was available in the U.S. and I remember thinking, medical insurance for pets, what a crazy idea. But, veterinary medicine has changed drastically in years since, and brings, along with almost the same care available for people, medical insurance.

For decades, in Europe, approximately 25% of the pet population, especially in England, has carried pet insurance, as compared with less than 1-2% in the U.S. (figures as of 2008). Rather than better care by pet owners, the difference in popularity could be due to how differently human health care is handled.