Advice - Leaving pup at home

alisara

Thank you Welswoofs, I can't stop laughing though when I hear the words "puppy creche"!. It's a lovely wee place for her though.

CFC

krlyr wrote: »

But not only has the world changed but also our perception on the world and what is OK.
For a dog-related example, 'latch key' dogs used to be the norm.

The norm in certain sectors of society and towns, and kinds of dogs, and not in others. As a child I knew families of both sorts.

The general knowledge on dog behaviour, body language, etc. has increased a lot in recent years and we're seeing things that we didn't even notice - gestures or signs that a dog is stressed, for example.

Yes, because of course we've all become much more intelligent since the internet was invented....mmm I don't think so, personally, but people are entitled to their own opinions.

Can puppies be left for 7 hours? Yes. Should they? No, and not just because they'll toilet indoors, but because of the effect it will have on them mentally. I don't think it's "just life" because that implies it's out of our control. OP may not be able to change their job, but as their replies have shown, they can do something about it - in this case, get a dogsitter.

We agree on this bit. It's not ideal. However, for many people, who can't afford to shell out perhaps £8-£15 per day, on a dog walker (I have to say I do not know one single person who could afford to do that on a regular basis, but maybe I only know poor people!)...it IS 'just life'.

But hey, you probably are comfortable in your middle class cocoon, with your vision of everyone being forced to buy a dog from a 'reputable breeder' AKA 'Kennel Club Registered', so only those with the money who could afford a very expensive dog with inbred health issues due to the drive for competition would be in a position to worry about it, anyway....because that's the corollary of your desire to restrict breeding to 'reputable breeders'. Not to mention, the only dog you could find would be one that is dictated by current competition fashion. Lets not forget that those 'reputable breeders' started the whole health issue in the first place through wanton interbreeding for fashionable looks.

Of course nobody wants to buy a dog from a 'puppy mill', but there's a whole spectrum between 'dog factory' and 'Kennel Club'.

Written as one who has never owned a 'KC' registerable dog in her life. I admit to owning a JT when young, but they were the poor relation then and looked down upon without a chance of getting into KC books.

No personal offence meant, doubtless your life and background are very different to mine.

krlyr

I think some people have learnt more since the invention of the internet, yes. Why is that a ridiculous statement? Information is more freely available than your local library or expensive courses and seminars. I can learn nearly as much as as a professional dog trainer by looking up articles and information online, websites of these trainers who share information for free, speaking to them on free dog forums. I know a lot more since joining dog forums in the last 5 years than I did from growing up with dogs - I felt, 10 years ago, that I knew a lot more about dogs than many people but there was still lots of new information to learn once I got online. The amount of information and tips people glean from places like MSE just goes to show the power of the internet - advice is seconds and a few clicks away, this forum being an archive of hundreds of thousands of people's experiences through personal and professional life.

Lots of assumptions in your latter part. I, too, have never owned a KC registered dog. I don't think KC registration is the be-all and end-all of dogs. I can see the benefits of having breed standards but KC registered does not mean reputable breeder, the terms are not hand in hand. You get poor breeders who are KC registered as they play the system to their benefit, and you get good breeders who are not KC registered - perhaps breeders of working dogs, or dogs they enter in sports rather than KC shows, who may not see the need to become KC registered. I don't recall ever saying all dogs must be KC registered, and don't think I would have as that's not how I feel.
I want all breeders to follow certain procedures - do the right health tests, the right research into bloodline and any problems with any ancestors, to only breed dogs of good health and good temperament, to take the time to socialise the puppies with the big wide world and produce well-rounded puppies that will have the best chance at being happy, healthy dogs without behavioural issues - that is not a bad thing and I think something that most people should be happy to pay for. A dog like this does not have to cost a fortune - with breeders doing health tests as a matter of routine, the testing companies will probably lower prices to compete with each other, for example.
Plus, as the dog species become a healthier species to own due to this careful breeding, they will cost people less overall - that £200 puppy from the freeads will not necessarily be the cheaper dog compared to a £500 puppy from a reputable breeder, I know that from experience because I 'inherited' a £200 Loot puppy from a relative who soon cost me £300 for an x-ray alone and years of costs related to the hip dysplasia she suffered from. She was euthanised at 4 years old as she was so bad, healthwise and behaviourally, otherwise it could have been years more of treatments and therapies before spending thousands (thankfully she was insured so it wouldn't have cost me any more than the excess) on hip replacements and the related costs to that. Whereas a puppy from a breeder who healthtests, had hip scores done, knew the hip health of the parents, grandparents, aunts, etc. is far less likely to suffer from that sort of problem, nor have the behavioural issues that my dog suffered from (most likely a result of being poorly bred, poorly socialised, and sold far too young to someone who had obviously not been vetted that well since they gave up on the pup just a few weeks in).
I'm sure, even in a world without puppymills and backyard breeders, there would be ways to attain dogs cheaply or for free without compromising on principles anyway. While reputable breeders take responsibility for their puppies, I'm sure there will be times when owners genuinely have to rehome their dogs - perhaps instead of approaching a rescue for an older dog, you'd approach a breeder and put your name on waiting lists for this kind of dog. I'm sure some people will still rehome dogs privately to new families, and you'd probably still get the odd accidental litter (that I would hope a good breeder would help the owner out with such a litter, but with dogs being property I imagine it would be the owners choice on whether they sold the puppies and at what price, or rehomed them free-to-good-homes).

Not sure why you feel breed choice would be dictated by latest fashion - it is generally the irresponsible breeders who are creating the "fashionable" crosses at the moment. There are many breeders of the many dog breeds in existance and I'm sure many who would be willing to continue to keep "their" breed in existance and to the best of health should there be a crack-down on breeding. Many of these breeds have been around decades, if not longer, fashion has yet to cause their extinction and I don't see why it would in the future.

I mean, I imagine it would take a long, long time to come anywhere close to this but having a vision of a time when dogs are bred just as much for their benefit as ours is not something totally unrealistic IMO. We're slowly improving the planet - animal welfare, the conditions of farmed animals, and so on. Would you say being vegetarian is a stupid idea because you'll always have people who have to buy cheap meat because of their financial position? I'm sure people in the past thought feminism was pointless, or fighting against slavery, or any other cause or belief.
The world changes, and it changes because of people striving for better. I don't imagine my having this particular view will do much for the world but I have managed to prevent the purchase of a puppy from a BYB or puppymill with my view on more than one occasion, and perhaps those people have gone on to educate others, who may go on to educate others. And that's why I will explain to people why I feel how I feel and what I hope for in the future.

If you really meant no personal offence, why get personal? Not that it bothers me if you feel the need to blame my views on my life or upbringing but don't pretend you're not being personal when you obviously are.

rising_from_the_ashes

alisara wrote: »

My lovely little pup, is now booked into puppy creche! And when a little older same company will come and walk her etc for up to an hour on the days I am at work.

Thank you all for your replies.

That's fantastic news Alisara ...... it'll do wonders for her socialisation too!:D

Best of luck .... and pics ASAP please!

hethmar

Im so pleased to read about the puppy creche. We put our boys in a day creche when we went on holiday and couldnt take them to the Eden Project (and we werent prepared to leave them sitting in our car, even though they assured us a warden would keep an eye on them :eek:) We were really nervous about a creche, the boys had never been in kennels, well, apart from rescue kennels and I didnt want that memory being stirred in them. But it worked well, they were fussed like mad by the kennel nurse and took a while to notice when we returned and they were playing with her on a small enclosed paddock.

RevolvingDoor

alisara wrote: »

My lovely little pup, is now booked into puppy creche! And when a little older same company will come and walk her etc for up to an hour on the days I am at work.

Thank you all for your replies.

Great news!:T