A dog is for life? please read if you are thinking of getting a pup

Milford_Cubicle

We got our Lab pup when she was around 7 weeks old. A little young, yes but there were reasons behind it. Anyway, she's now coming up 26 weeks. I have never owned a dog before, but my partner has. It has been hard work, especially as I seem to have been doing quite a lot of the bringing up!! Several times I've been close to tears because I'm so wound up with her, I've threatened to give her back but would I? Absolutely not. She's our pup/dog/crazy black blur and that's the end of it.

We spent ages thinking about it, we knew what it'd mean taking a puppy on. I do wish more people would act with determination "This is our puppy/dog and it'll be a part of the family whatever happens".

I appreciate that yes, there are genuine reasons for rehoming and that's fine but too many people are giving up young dogs because it wasn't how they thought it'd be :rolleyes:
I think there should be some sort of test, or bring back the dog licence!

orlao

I've posted similar to this before (sorry;) ) but IMHO a lot of the unwanted dog problem especially young dogs is that too many people no longer have any hands on experience of animals........but still want a dog....and have no idea just how much work a puppy is. Add no idea of basic training, then the attempts at a quick fix (usually from the telly) and they end up with an young confused illmannered dog that is causing a problem every time they try and walk it or trashing the house or flattening the kids so they are now scared of the dog and the result is another dog in rescue.

The really sad part is that rescues, quite rightly, won't rehome to these families because they are usually insistant they want a pup (because they are cute, will grow up with the kids, rescues are too dangerous to have with kids, fill in the reasons yourselves:rolleyes: ) so they never get the hands on support that they need as inexperienced owners who would be much better off with an older trained dog that could actually be fun for them.

There are genuine reasons that dogs end up in rescue through no fault of their own or their previous owners as life often doesn't go to plan but as far as I can see the great majority of dogs in rescue are there through lack of care and thought.

foreign_correspondent

In the first month of 2009, The Mayhew’s Dog Adoption Officer received 162 calls about dogs that owners no longer want -126 of these being pure breeds of dogs – dispelling the myth that people don’t abandon, or give up, pure breed dogs.

ls from the London area consists of a list of 36 different breeds of dogs, including Pugs, Schnauzer, Border Collies, Labradors, Spaniels, Pointers, Greyhounds and Great Danes.

The top reason given was that the owner simply ‘didn’t want’ the dog anymore, followed by ‘landlord won’t allow’, ‘new baby’, or ‘can’t afford’.

I wonder if many breeders are aware that so many pedigree dogs are dumped?

Many people assume that if people have paid a lot for a dog they will be commited and be able to afford it long term - it seems this is no longer true, if it ever was.

Luckily for the dogs in this article, they landed at the Mayhew, rather than a pound with a 'keep for seven days then put to sleep if not claimed' policy. (and if dogs are handed in, rather than found straying, they can be put to sleep immediately, which often happens when space is short)

In many areas, the pound is the only option.