To the Editor:
I have seen several dogs in our community that have been kept in 6-foot-by-6-foot fenced cages on their properties. It breaks my heart and saddens me that they are outside all day and all night in all kinds of weather – rain, snow, cold, and the heat of the sun.
They receive very little human contact minus the three seconds it takes the owner to put down a bowl of food and water and lock the gate again.
The average dog can learn 165 words, including ‘signals,’ and the ‘super dogs,’ those in the top 20%of dog intelligence, can learn 250 words.
Dogs evolved from wolves tens of thousands of years ago. During this time, certain genes that make dogs particularly gregarious have been selected for, according to research. This may give dogs their distinctive personalities, including a craving for human company.
Dogs left alone for long periods may become aggressive and anxious with a variety of other behavior issues. Isolation is not healthy for a living, breathing creation called a ‘pet dog.’
If it’s security that your home needs, you can invest in a $100 Wyze Camera or a $300 Ring Alarm Pro on Amazon, which is less expensive than yearly food and vet expenses and much more humane.
