Every day in town dog owners can be seen pushing their animals in prams, carrying them in bags or walking with the mutts strapped to the chest like babies. These misguided people are being unwittingly cruel to their poor dogs. It is obvious these people love their furry friends, but they are getting it so wrong unthinkingly depriving their dogs of exercise, smells that are so interesting to a doggie nose, the chance to leave their own scent as dogs love to do, and social interaction with other animals.
Walking sad mutts in prams or bags or harnesses is a fad now fashionable as silly people who don’t stop to think what their animal would like follow mindlessly the example set by other people as insensitive as themselves.
We turn to an authority, the former executive director of the SPCA, Dr Pauline Taylor. Pauline was asked by a reader of her column in Sai Kung Magazine, “Will my dog become lazy if I start using a doggie pram?”
Pauline’s reply:
“Are you serious! There is no place for a doggy pram unless you have a disabled or elderly dog that cannot or will not walk on its own feet. Dogs love to walk and get immense stimulation from their surroundings. By subjecting your dog to a doggy pram you are depriving your dog of so much including exercise, smells, social interaction with other animals and leaving their own messages along the way for other dogs to pick up. I cannot recommend a pram for a dog unless it is unable to walk by itself.
“Doggie prams are gimmicks and unnecessary as far as I am concerned in day to day normal doggie life. In addition they promote obesity, isolation from other dogs and may even cause fear in some dogs who develop behavioural problems as a result.”
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