With the pet industry, there are so many myths and rumors that are accepted as fact when they shouldn’t be. This can be damaging and troubling for pet parents as it leaves the door open for misunderstandings about dogs, disregards their health, and can put humans and dogs in danger. It can encourage pet parents to forgo regular vet visits, dog grooming, and even misconstrue attempts at dog communication. Here are some of those rumors explained:
Wet Nose = Healthy Dog
The rumor of a dry nose is a sick dog is almost as old as time. A dry nose, however, isn’t always an indication of sickness. The wet nose actually comes from your dog’s tear ducts; they empty out onto the nose which is what makes them wet on a typical day. Often, you may find a dog with a wet nose has overactive tear ducts, but don’t worry about that being a problem unless our vet says something or your dog ha constant tear stains. At the end of the day, check with pet industry professionals like vets if you’re afraid your dog is sick; your dog’s nose is not a good indicator of health.
There are Some 100% Hypoallergenic Dogs
If you thought you could throw out the Benadryl and get a 100% hypoallergenic dog, you might want to rethink one or both of the actions. While there are some dog breeds that can cause a lesser allergic reaction in some people, there are no dogs who are 100% hypoallergenic. From the fur, dander, and saliva, there are plenty of things for the allergic to respond to. You can talk to professionals in the pet industry to find those who are good with allergies, but before you adopt a dog, know that you will not find any you or your allergic acquaintance will not respond to. A pet adoption should be forever, so do your research ahead of time and save yourself, our family, and your dog the heartache of separation if the allergies are just too much.
Grass Creates an Upset Stomach
When you’re outside with your dog, you likely notice an unwanted (or unwarranted) addition to your dog’s diet: grass. Grass eating is common in dogs and the big argument you will hear from pet parents is that it causes upset stomachs. Dogs love grass, it’s a fact. However, grass is natural and eaten by many wild animals. Ask pet industry professionals and they are likely to tell you it’s not the grass that’s making your dog sick, but the pesticides and other chemicals on that make it dangerous for consumption.
Dog Breeders Are the Reason There Are So Many Homeless Pets
There is an estimate that 5 million dogs enter animal shelters every year and 3.5 million of those dogs are euthanized. Meanwhile it’s estimated that 23 million families are adding dogs to their families every year. With adoption rates like that, you’d think there should be no problem with dogs in shelters getting adopted. This deficit is often blamed on dog breeders, making dogs and tempting people to adopt from them instead of rescue missions. However the truth is that the pet industry is not disrupted by responsible dog breeders, and responsible breeders actually help the pet industry more than most people know. Some of the most common reasons for homeless dogs include: irresponsible pet parents who never had their dogs fixed or took their dogs into bad circumstances and they became pregnant, the owners could not afford the dogs, the owners decided they did not want the dogs, the dogs were dangerous, and puppy mills. What’s worse is there’s a nasty rumor in the pet industry that breeders are to blame.
While dog breeders do create dogs, they do not do so in excess or thoughtlessly. Not only that, but a majority of dog breeders spend a lot of time contributing to rescue missions and animal shelters by donating time and money to them, fostering, sheltering, and even placing dogs for them. No one should ever shame responsible dog breeders for keeping a breed alive responsibly just like no pet parent should ever be ridiculed for adopting from a dog breeder. Breeders always home their dogs, however irresponsible pet parents don’t.
Save dogs from euthanasia by having them fixed if you do not intend to breed responsibly. Help the pet industry. Help dogs.
