DOG SANITATION

Another vital part of your dog's city-survival training is to see that he doesn't create a sanitary nuisance in the apartment or street. This matter of dog sanitation in the city has given the dog haters and those opposed to dogs being kept in the city plenty of ammunition. It is also a reason why dogs are banned from most apartment houses and hotels. Soiled sidewalks, streets and other public places have been the cause of violent arguments between dog owners and non-dog owners. In some cities, the dog sanitation problem has precipitated some strong laws governing dogs in the city.

Soiled sidewalks, streets and park paths cannot be blamed entirely on stray dogs. In most cities, the strays are kept to a minimum, the minimum being those dogs wily enough to escape the nets of the dog catchers. But as a rule, strays are promptly rounded up and impounded. No, the great majority of sanitary nuisances are committed by dogs with homes, aided and abetted by their irresponsible owners.

Despite laws requiring dog owners to take their dogs into the streets, many dogs are allowed to use the sidewalks and cross-paths. Not long ago, New York City's Sanitation Department received more than 8,000 complaints of dogs soiling the sidewalks, streets and other public thoroughfares. Sanitation inspectors issued summonses to the owners of offending dogs (when they could catch them), but these failed to alleviate the problem. The Sanitation Department soon found itself in the middle of a big squabble. On one side were the dog owners who claimed they were being persecuted. On the other side were irate civic organizations clamoring for a clean city. The Commissioner of Sanitation was faced with a contretemps: he liked dogs, yet it was his duty to keep the city clean.

The Commissioner called a conference of interested parties. He invited the civic organizations to present their views. And he invited dog authorities, dog owners, dog organizations and anyone else with an interest in dogs. All were asked to help solve the problem without resorting to stringent legislation.

All kinds of corrective measures were tossed around at the conference, from imposing stiffer fines to erecting "dog comfort stations" around the city. One of these dog comfort stations was set up outside the A.S.P.C.A., but failed to attract any dogs or owners. The idea was impractical to begin with and the resulting structure was poorly designed and costly. Most dogs objected to using it and owners were too lazy or indifferent to take their dogs to the station. Furthermore, in a city the size of New York, with more than 350,000 dogs, the number of these comfort stations needed would send the taxpayers' blood pressure skyrocketing.

There was one valuable observation that came out of the conference, one that everybody present agreed upon. It was this: if the city dog owners wanted to prevent a mass exile of their dogs, it was up to them to control their dogs in public places and to clean up the mess when an accident occurred.

Accidents will happen and dogs are not always able to get to the street in time. This is especially true of dogs that are confined all day in an apartment. They "hold it in" and then can't make it to the street. If this happens to your dog, clean up the mess. Nobody would object to this. But when people look the other way when their dog commits a nuisance of this sort, tempers boil.

When you take your dog out for a walk, take him into the street and make him walk there until he has had a bowel movement. Keep him in the street and close to the curb, not on it! After he's done his business, you can let him up on the sidewalk or take him for a romp in the park (if allowed). It wouldn't be a bad idea to take the dog out armed with a disposable plastic bag and scoop. Or, if you prefer, there are elongated tongs on the market made especially for this purpose. Some of the dog magazines carry advertisements on these gadgets.

The dog sanitation problem in the city is not confined to t he outside. Poor sanitation within the apartment house can also be a source of complaints. Soiled newspapers should not be rolled up and put out in the hall to permeate the atmosphere with odors. Nor should they be thrust into open boxes or cans. Get a metal can with a tight lid and use it just for the dog's soiled papers. If the apartment house has an incinerator, make frequent trips and dispose of the soiled news-papers. A liberal use of deodorants will help keep down objectionable odors in your apartment and the hall. When you take these precautions, the neighbors can have no cause for complaints.

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