OLD HOUSE DOCTOR 1-5-03
LEAD, PROTECTION AND LOVE
Dear Old House Doctor,
This is only
slightly about Old Houses. I am a single female just moving into an old
farmhouse in the country. I’d like to get a dog for protection. Are there any
precautions I should take concerning dogs in Old Houses? Signed Novice Country Girl
Dear Novice,
There is only
one concern I have about dogs and old houses, and it applies to ALL dogs. Old
wood houses used to be covered with lead paint, which, when it inevitably
peeled off, fell to the ground close to the house and got pulverized into dust
by the rain coming off the roof. This dust worked its way into the soil, and
your dog, which especially likes the taste of lead, will dig to it and eat the
soil. This will eventually kill it in a most lingering, horrible fashion. To
avoid this, test the soil in several places near the house’s foundation. There
are numerous labs in Springfield Fayetteville
If you see
your dog digging in a particular spot and eating the soil, do not hesitate to
test it for lead poisoning. Of course, make sure it’s not just following the
neighborhood cats around.
Let me climb
up on my soapbox here for a minute. I am often queried on the best dog to get
for home protection. I have the same answer for everyone: get a friend, not a
trained killer. You are going to have to live with this animal and with your neighbors. If you give an
unwanted animal a loving home environment, I guarantee you will be loved and
protected like never before. And your neighbors and kids might just live
through it, too.
So go to Good
Shepherd Animal Shelter and pick out a mutt. Purebreds often have more health
problems, and the Shelter’s black yearling males are friendly, impressive, and
less likely to get adopted than others. Fix him and fence him.
Then when
ex-boyfriend Du-Wayne comes around, he might go elsewhere for his bi-weekly
girlfriend thumping.
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