One of the books I read for my reading challenge was, “Unleashing Your Dog.” This book was one of my favorites of all the books I read and talked about ways to give your dog more freedom. Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce get straight to the point about how little freedom dogs have.
According to them, no matter how well intentioned we may be, the fact is our dogs are our captives. They have no choice about whether they live with us, how long they can stay, when they eat, and so much else.
Considering how little control our pups have over their lives, being mindful of their needs is incredibly important. Fortunately, it’s not just Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce who thought of this. People have been concerned about animal freedoms since 1965.
In 1965, Britain’s Farm Animal Welfare Council developed “The Five Freedoms of Animals,” which was then adapted by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians for companion animals. The results are these 5 freedoms:
Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
Your dog deserves fresh clean water, and the correct amount of food for their size. Although they may look at you with shining, luminous eyes that say, “I’m still hungry!!” The council meant freedom from starvation and inadequate food. Although your dog might not thank you, freedom from health conditions such as obesity are also important.
Your dog’s needs can change depending on their life stage or health. Senior dogs and puppies often need different types and amounts of food than an adult dog.
Freedom From Discomfort
Most chihuahua owners are pretty good at making sure their chihuahua has adequate comfort. This means keeping them indoors in a temperature-controlled environment, making sure they have enough pillows, blankets, and beds to feel comfortable.
Freedom from Pain, Injury and Disease
If your dog gets sick, you need to get them treated. If they break their leg or are injured in other ways, they need to be treated. Although most of us take our dogs in if they’re acting sick or have an injury, it’s also important to do our best with preventative care.
Freedom to Express Normal Behavior
This one is where many of us slack off when it comes to the freedom of our pets. Like it or not, it’s normal for our dogs to want to spend 15 minutes sniffing the same blade of grass top to bottom. It’s normal for dogs to roll in horse poop. It’s normal for dogs to dig holes and pee on the flowerpots.
Most of these normal dog behaviors we frown on. We don’t want the potty walk interrupted by our dogs checking their pee-mail. We don’t like our lawns dug up, and a dog who is green and smelly usually gets a bath.
Although living with humans does mean altering some of those behaviors, we can give them opportunities to express their doggy nature.
This might mean leaving for the potty walk earlier so your dog can spend 15 minutes smelling the Very Important message on the blade of grass. Maybe this might mean getting them a sandbox so they can dig away for buried treasure.
When ever we can, allowing them to express the dog side of themselves can greatly enhance their freedoms.
Freedom from Fear and Distress
The final freedom is the freedom from fear and distress. This means we should take steps to make our dog’s lives as fear free as possible. If your dog is afraid of nail trims, consider working with your pet between grooms to help them learn that nail trims aren’t always stressful.
Your dog’s mental well-being is just as important as their physical well-being. If they are unusually afraid of something, taking steps to help them through that fear is important.
Similar Posts:
- Chihuahua Lifespan: How Long Do Chihuahuas Live?
- Review of Unleashing Your Dog
- Review of Saving Sadie
- Review of Sacred Sendoffs by Sarah A. Bowen
- Do Dogs Know That They Will Die
Excellent article, Andrea! You are right that most of us do not give our pups the freedom to be dogs and do normal doggie behavior. I admit, I generally rush Henry out and back inside first thing in the morning. He’d love to stay and sniff everything that transpired overnight. But I’m a bit afraid that at 6 am, those wild predators are still making their way home. Right now, with the warmer weather, he doesn’t want to stay outside much during the heat of the day, even with his cooling vest. But in the evening before his dinner, he generally gets to explore, sniff, and dig to his heart’s desire. He probably needs more than just one exploring adventure. I’ll have to think about the logistics of doing it so he’s safe and not too warm. This is a fascinating article. I’m sharing with all my dog parents.
Fantastic post and thanks for the recording, it made it easier on my eyes. I am learning daily about having a pup and the freedom she needs and as a dog Mom am working on it daily. She loves rolling in the mud in the park and I have decided that if that makes her happy so be it, she needs that freedom to be a happy dog and not a robot for my pleasure as such. Your posts always open my eyes to so much and I am so grateful for them, Nili woofs thank you
That makes me so happy! I’ve been trying to put in recordings for the whole website to make it more accessible, but it’s a huge project. You’ve really encouraged me to keep going.
Great article! And true for all dogs! We actually created a special backyard haven just for our five Huskies, including a roof-covered deck, kiddie pools, and even a giant sand pit for them to dig in! I really agree that letting dogs be dogs lends to a happy life! All on your list is right on, and dog parents, we need to do for happy, fulfilled dogs! Love this post! Sharig!
An excellent concept. Keeping it simple and easy for everyone to understand. Our neighbours have a dog that gets left out all day while they are at work and it barks and barks. Sadly I think it is lonely and the barking is a form of distress – “come and talk to me”. I am sure it gets fed but it is reactive and almost uncontrollable and this lack of discipline means the poor dog has very little fun in its life.
Thank you for this, I am going to share it a LOT!