Dog walking is a legitimate profession in the US, where a dog walker can make a decent living if they walk 10 dogs at a time.
Their job is not just about letting the dogs out to do their business and stretch their legs — they also provide much-needed human interaction while their owners are at work.
This is unheard of in Taiwan, where many dogs are presumably left at home all day as their owners work long hours in an office.
Very few city residents have a lawn or space for their dogs to play in during the day. On top of that, it seems that some Taiwanese do not even know that dogs need to be walked, as evidenced by people who put their dogs in strollers.
There seems to be virtually no online advertisements for dog-walking services in Taiwan. The service does not even need to entail a monetary exchange — there are many people who love dogs, but cannot own one and would like spend a few hours with a dog.
Just as children need to attend a daycare or preschool, dogs need human interaction and stimulation. Happy dogs will likely have fewer behavioral problems, which would decrease the number of people who abandon their dogs.
There is much to be learned about dog ownership in Taiwan, especially with the huge number of strays that are overwhelming the animal shelters while people still purchase fad breeds such as shiba inus.
The breed was last week described as one of the “most frequently maladjusted city dogs” in an article about urban depression in dogs. The Taipei City Government’s e-Campus deserves praise for launching a series of online pet ownership video courses focused on dog behavior and wellness last week. All courses are taught by professional dog trainers and behaviorists, and the quality seems high, though the Web site’s interface could be improved.
The venture is especially important amid a push to boost adoption of stray dogs living in animal shelters.
It is a noble idea to adopt a dog from a shelter, but many dogs living in shelters have behavioral problems due to trauma, and many people get frustrated and end up returning the dog.
As a result, the nation’s shelters become overcrowded — especially after a law came into effect banning animal euthanasia.
The Animal Protection Office on Wednesday last week held an event to promote the courses.
However, how many people would actually log on to the Web site, search for the courses and watch them in their entirety when they are not even aware that their dog has problems because it is not being treated right?
It is strange that people have to take classes and pass an exam to drive a car or operate certain machinery, but not to raise pets or children, which are arguably more difficult.
If people who want to own a dog were required to take pet ownership classes beforehand, some people might realize that it is a much more difficult endeavor than they had imagined and might change their mind. This would stop people from buying or adopting dogs on a whim, and make sure pet owners treat their animals properly.
The same should apply to people who want to have children — although it would be bad for the nation’s birthrate.
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