Thinking of Getting a Puppy?

Thinking of getting a puppy? Please think twice.

I’ve said it before, and I’ve said it again, but ‘just to be sure’, here it is again!!

Sadly, puppy farms exist. Sadly poor breeders exist. Sadly people still get puppies for Christmas (yes of course, many work out fine – I hope that’s you). Sadly, many times, instead of bringing happiness, the new wee bundle of fun can turn life upside down -financially and emotionally.

If you’ve just welcomed a new puppy into your home, congratulations! As you may know by now, there are lots of free puppy training help notes on the PawsAbility.co.uk web site, including help for the most common problem such as toilet training, socialisation and puppy biting. Happy reading.

However, if you are thinking of getting a puppy soon and haven’t actually got it yet, then please do read on to make sure that your puppy journey is as happy as possible.

Puppy gifts – please do consider whether this gift is really wanted. So many dogs and puppies are abandoned to rescue centres at this time of year. And according to DogMagazine.net at least one eight week old puppy has already, in the past weeks, been bought, not wanted and abandoned to the dog rescue.

Puppy source – please do your research. Poorly bred puppies from puppy farms and from poor breeders will cost you much more money than the ticket price. It sounds quite unbelievable, but a Kennel Club study found that:

• ·      One third of puppies are bought from disreputable sources including internet sites, newspaper ads and social media.
• ·      Nearly half of these puppies, who haven’t been seen before buying first, fall sick.
• ·      One in five of these puppies cost £500 - £1000 in vet bills in the first 6 months.
• ·      Over one third of people who ended up with a sick puppy bought this way, experienced financial and emotional problems.
• ·      Over one third of these puppies were spur of the moment decisions.
• ·      And these poorly bred puppies are far more likely to suffer from behavioural issues.

So, please plan carefully. It may seem that money is saved at the outset, but it is highly likely to cost you more in the long run.

Is the time right? – please think long and hard about whether this is the right time to get a puppy. Puppies should not be left home alone for more than two hours (this is after they are old enough and have been accustomed to being on their own).  They also need you to be able to spend 1-1 time with them for socialisation, training, and play. Many puppies can take up several hours in your day.

Family – a new puppy will affect the whole family so please do make sure that everyone in the household really, really – I’m gonna say it again – really, really wants a puppy. I know this sounds obvious. But I have worked with many families where it transpired that at least one adult family member was strongly opposed to the new addition.

Four paw families – also, please consider the other pets in your household. How will the addition of a puppy affect your cat? Will your older dog be able to cope with a jumpy, bitey, annoying little puppy? Are the other dogs in your house well enough trained? Do you really need another dog to join the pack?

I know, and I’m sorry that this all sounds so negative. Of course, we love our pets and we do think that we’ve weighed up the pros and cons and are making the right decision. But, sadly, many new puppy purchases just don’t work out. So, if you are about to take that step, it’s not too late to change your mind and do more research – even if you have paid a deposit!

Please think twice, then it’ll be alright (maybe).

I do hope this has helped with your contemplations. There are, of course, more resources on the PawAbility.co.uk web site to help you to choose where and when to get a puppy, or you can email your questions to anna@pawsability.co.uk.

For more information and help, including great web sites on puppy costings and questions to ask your breeder, please look here - Getting a Puppy.

Article originally published in the Northern Times, Dec 2016.

Keep safe and happy with your pet at Xmas

Gosh, it's been a while - I can't really believe I've not posted here for a year!! Surely the dates must be wrong.

Anyway, here's some helpful advice on keeping safe with your pet at xmas.

Are you stressed out by Christmas yet? Well, why not sit down, have a cup of tea and spend just a moment or two thinking on how our dogs or other pets may be affected. Here are a few tips to help to reassure ourselves that they will be safe and happy.

First, let’s consider the now well-known phrase: ‘A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas’. It may seem a perfect time to add a new furry to our family, taking advantage of being off work for a little longer. However, for the most part, this time of year is really busy for us. The best advice is therefore to consider a calmer time in our lives so that we can give our full attention to our new puppy or rescue dog.

Sadly, rescue centres are frequently inundated with abandoned pets at this time of year.  Perhaps it’s worth thinking about the future, before extending your family. Or perhaps you may wish to donate a little to your local rescue centre to help those in unfortunate circumstances.

Next, please consider general safety. During the festive season we may have gifts, decorations and extra food around, all of which can be dangerous for our pets. Dogs and puppies in particular will be very excited with something novel lying on the couch or under the tree, and may well decide to investigate. Whilst presents under the tree do look nice, they may well be too much of a temptation, as may tinsel and other tree decorations. So, please consider how you can keep your tree safe. Perhaps putting a smaller tree on a table would help, or how about a decorative fence around the tree?

Food and treats can also be a hazard. Chocolate, grapes and macadamia nuts (well we may well have them at xmas time) are all poisonous to dogs, along with many other xmas treats. Even feeding your pet some special meal or turkey left overs can upset their digestive systems. Obviously it’s nice to treat our pets, but, just a tiny amount of something safe will feel special for them.  Take care with xmas plants too which are frequently toxic to pets.

Next, it’s worth considering how our change in routine affects our dogs. Can they cope with more visitors? If not, then consider introducing a safe den area in the house for them. Can they cope with being left for longer when you are out at a party? If not, perhaps they would be happier having a friend or neighbour pop in to see them.  But certainly, make sure that you’ve left enough time to give them an extra walk before you go.

And finally, we want to avoid the issue that frequently arises after the holidays. Some dogs who had seemed perfectly happy being left at home whilst you were out at work, can suddenly no longer cope. And, when you return to work, they may bark a lot, toilet in the house or destroy things. It’s a common problem. To avoid this, try to keep their routine similar, and give them a little home alone time.

So, in summary, please try to keep your dogs safe from the food, decorations and presents and aim to keep their routine as consistent as possible.

We hope you have a safe and happy Pawsmas. For more information on dog poisons and keeping your pet safe and happy, please visit Pawsability.co.uk.

Author : Anna Patfield

First published, Northern Times Dec 2016.

Further Reading : More on Xmas by Denise Nuttal