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- Free from thirst, hunger or malnutrition
- Discomfort free
- Free from pain and disease
- freedom to express themselves
- Free from fear and stress
don't know what they are the 5 freedoms of animal welfare? Before starting to work with a dog thinking it has possible behavior problems, we should ask ourselves if its 5 freedoms are guaranteed.
Complying with this basic requirement allows us to measure the level of well-being in our animal and make sure that, although it shows one behavior or another, our pet is mentally well as far as possible and as far as we can give it.
Do you guarantee the 5 freedoms of animal welfare? Find out next in this article from the Animal Expert.
Free from thirst, hunger or malnutrition
Although it seems unthinkable to us, that our animals may be thirsty or hungry, on some occasions can happen without us realizing. Like?
Water should always be available for your pet including at night, that is, before you go to sleep you should confirm that your pet has water. In winter and especially if we live in a cold place, we must make sure that the upper layer of water has not frozen, to prevent this from happening, put the water inside the house.
As for food, it is important to know what kind of food our pet needs, and it must always be of quality. You may think that it gives you very good food and plenty of it, although in reality this may not be so. Identify the signals your pet gives you.
Discomfort free
Comfort is something basic that directly depends on the environment that your pet should have on a daily basis. It should have a comfortable bed, nest or den where you can relax and rest, a stable room temperature, toys and accessories to distract yourself as well as the security and tranquility of being in a comfortable place. Old pets will advance like dogs and cats need extra comfort due to their situation and physical condition.
Free from pain and disease
We cannot say that we have a dog that fulfills the 5 freedoms if it has any illness or pain. Remember that although you do not suffer from a parasite infection or serious illness, problems such as canine arthrosis or conjunctivitis in cats can create a general malaise that will make you act in a less friendly way.
Pay attention to signs that may indicate discomfort in your pet whether it is a cat, dog or even a hamster. It is very important that you periodically review them as they can't tell us they feel bad.
freedom to express themselves
The dog must be able to express himself freely in the environment in which he lives and inhabits, for this reason it is essential to have good communication with our pet and know what he needs:
- let him explore and smell: This will allow you to adapt to the environment you live in, identify the pets that live around you, locate yourself in a certain place, carry out your daily tasks of searching for food (as you would in nature) etc.
- Activity: It is very important that your puppy can do all the exercise he needs, only in this way will he be free from stress, happier and more fulfilled. It is very important that you respect this point.
- Contact with people: Dogs who have spent their whole life together with people want contact with them, it makes them feel socialized and happy. Sometimes they can generate stereotypies just so that we pay attention to them and give them affection. Be sure to pamper your dog, cat or any other animal that is used to your presence and pampering. Failure to do so can create a serious problem of anxiety or depression.
- Contact with other pets: If your pet lived with others of its own species or another, it may become depressed if left alone.
Free from fear and stress
Finally and to finish the list of the 5 freedoms of animal welfare we must make sure that our animal do not suffer from fear or stress, and this is the tricky part of getting it because we don't always know what your fears are, so we advise you to:
- Don't force him to relate if he doesn't feel like it
- Reward calm and tranquility
- Never punish him through physical force
- Teach him to notice the "NO"
- Always use positive reinforcement
- Does not generate situations that make you feel bad
- Identify your fears and try to make him overcome them always accompanied by an expert
