Dogs are often called "Man's Best Friend." They can also be his worst enemy in maintaining a good and peaceful relationship with the other people in his neighborhood. The problems that can surface as a result of a person keeping a dog for a pet can include such things as: barking and whining at different times of the day or night, a foul stench or unsightly view of a kennel that is not kept clean enough, the dog getting loose and menacing people or other pets, or digging in garbage containers, flower beds, or yards; causing unwanted breeding, defecating on public or private property where it isn't wanted, biting, running out into traffic and causing accidents, and many other things that annoy or disturb people in a community.
Man has been keeping dogs as pets for about 10,000 years, longer than any other animal. Dogs come in about 400 different breeds, and countless mixed-breeds. They can weigh anywhere from a few pounds, to over 200 pounds in some large varieties such as Mastiffs and St. Bernards. With the exception of size limitations, ANY breed of dog can mate with any other breed of dog. The female will go into a period of estrus or "heat" twice a year, with that period lasting 2 to 3 weeks. The female carries the pregnancy for about 9 weeks. The litter is usually 1 to 4 pups for smaller breeds, 4 to 8 pups for medium size breeds, and 6 to 10 pups for the larger breeds. Their lifespan can be about 15 or 16 years for small and medium size dogs, but the large varieties are considered old at 8 or 9 years. To properly "socialize" the dogs, the pups should be gently handled for a few minutes each day starting shortly after birth, and even more from 4 to 10 weeks of age.
A person must keep in mind that MOST of a dogs behavior is instinctive, or inherited, rather than learned. ALL dogs will bite, given the right circumstances. Dogs are very territorial, and will try to protect a given area from intruders. This may be their kennel, their yard, the vehicle they're sitting in, or even an area around themselves and/or the person they're with. If you accidently "corner" a dog, it may become aggressive. You should back away slowly from a dog that confronts you, and avoid staring directly into the dogs' eyes. Never turn and run away from an aggressive dog.
Nuisance Dogs or situations involving dogs should ALWAYS be handled by professional law enforcement people, who have the training and equipment to properly handle these situations. Taking the law into your own hands will only lead to getting YOU into trouble, and rarely does it solve the problem.
