Should I have said something?

Caroline_a

Was in large pet supermarket today (you know the one..) when I saw a woman with a tiny puppy on a lead asking one of the staff about leads. She said that the pup was 10 weeks old (my thoughts - why was it out and on the floor??), and it didn't like its current lead and kept fighting it. The sales girl suggested an extending lead.

My thoughts (apart from the ones about the pup being too young to be out) was that the pup needed some gentle puppy training to get it used to being walked on a lead, rather than spending money on an extending lead, with all the inherent problems they can cause...

I said nothing - but should I have?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Caroline_a wrote: »

Was in large pet supermarket today (you know the one..) when I saw a woman with a tiny puppy on a lead asking one of the staff about leads. She said that the pup was 10 weeks old (my thoughts - why was it out and on the floor??), and it didn't like its current lead and kept fighting it. The sales girl suggested an extending lead.

My thoughts (apart from the ones about the pup being too young to be out) was that the pup needed some gentle puppy training to get it used to being walked on a lead, rather than spending money on an extending lead, with all the inherent problems they can cause...

I said nothing - but should I have?

Up to you - sometimes people don't like advice, but you've got the advantage that they probably get a few people coming up to make a fuss of the pup. I'd have possibly worded it in terms of 'my dog used to do that, and pulled just as much but further away when I tried an extending lead, what worked was the training classes'. I'd definitely stick my nose in if I overheard dangerous or harmful advice though, not just stuff I didn't approve of. And I'd back off if it was clear that I wasn't welcome, but most people with puppies seem used to being approached.

Mind you, most dog interactions I get these days are where the animal has taken a liking to me out of the blue. The most recent was a dog in the pub last night, who decided my lap was the perfect spot for a little sleep whilst his Mum did a bit of drunken dancing - first I knew of his existence was when he landed and curled up.

Mum was incredibly apologetic for his overconfidence, but I ended up with a very sweet lap warmer for the evening.

teddysmum

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Up to you - sometimes people don't like advice, but you've got the advantage that they probably get a few people coming up to make a fuss of the pup. I'd have possibly worded it in terms of 'my dog used to do that, and pulled just as much but further away when I tried an extending lead, what worked was the training classes'. I'd definitely stick my nose in if I overheard dangerous or harmful advice though, not just stuff I didn't approve of. And I'd back off if it was clear that I wasn't welcome, but most people with puppies seem used to being approached.

Mind you, most dog interactions I get these days are where the animal has taken a liking to me out of the blue. The most recent was a dog in the pub last night, who decided my lap was the perfect spot for a little sleep whilst his Mum did a bit of drunken dancing - first I knew of his existence was when he landed and curled up.

Mum was incredibly apologetic for his overconfidence, but I ended up with a very sweet lap warmer for the evening.

I have to comment, especially in the past where people wanted to buy 'choke' chains because their obedience class suggested one.


I case of the puppy, I would be very tempted to ask if it was vaccinated, especially as it was on a floor where there would be lots of dogs in contact


I'd also ask if they had tried letting the puppy wander in the garden with a lead trailing, before trying to 'control' him with the lead.

Katiehound

I would have commented too. Generally when folk have a puppy / young dog they are used to people stopping to talk so an ideal opportunity.

I usually ask how old the dog is etc, and then ask if they go to any dog training and suggest what is available locally. I may well have commented on ways to lead train too, that depends on what response I got.

One of the worst things is to see folk with a dog on a halti together with an extending lead! and then it depends on who they are as to whether I say something!.........or if I will get sworn at etc!!

Caroline_a

I should have said something really, but would have had to interrupt the sales girl - I was just being a bit nosey and earwigging. I think it might have come across a pretty rude.... The owner had already said that the pup was now 10 weeks old and had her back to me.

Katiehound

That's a bit more difficult then- if you were in the queue there wasn't a lot you could do- unless of course you ran off after pup and owner!!!

Pop_Up_Pirate

Caroline_a wrote: »

Was in large pet supermarket today (you know the one..) when I saw a woman with a tiny puppy on a lead asking one of the staff about leads. She said that the pup was 10 weeks old (my thoughts - why was it out and on the floor??), and it didn't like its current lead and kept fighting it. The sales girl suggested an extending lead.

My thoughts (apart from the ones about the pup being too young to be out) was that the pup needed some gentle puppy training to get it used to being walked on a lead, rather than spending money on an extending lead, with all the inherent problems they can cause...

I said nothing - but should I have?

None of your business and there's no reason why a pup can't be out at 10 weeks old.

Feral_Moon

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

None of your business and there's no reason why a pup can't be out at 10 weeks old.

None at all as socialising it is the best possible action but, in my opinion, the owner should have been holding it to provide assurance and safety in an environment whereby it was likely to encounter other, possibly much larger, dogs which could frighten it.

Kim_kim

I do get my cat vaccinated, but it's not mandatory.

I'm sure there are a lot of pet cats & dogs that don't get vaccinated.

Feral_Moon

Kim_kim wrote: »

I do get my cat vaccinated, but it's not mandatory.

I'm sure there are a lot of pet cats & dogs that don't get vaccinated.

Most pets these days are far too over-vaccinated and that in itself poses health problems in that there has been a huge increase in certain types of illness and disease over the years, e.g. Cancers and neurological conditions, etc.

Also, at 10 weeks old the puppy should still have sufficient immunity from mum to offer protection. Vaccinating any earlier than 12 weeks, and preferably waiting until 14-16 weeks is far better and more likely to actually work effectively.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Most pets these days are far too over-vaccinated and that in itself poses health problems in that there has been a huge increase in certain types of illness and disease over the years, e.g. Cancers and neurological conditions , etc.

Also, at 10 weeks old the puppy should still have sufficient immunity from mum to offer protection. Vaccinating any earlier than 12 weeks, and preferably waiting until 14-16 weeks is far better and more likely to actually work effectively.

Diseases of old age, compared to dying as a pup of parvo, or things like cerebellar hypoplasia from the unvaccinated mother contracting parvo prior to birth?


My Idiot Cat has CH, as does the rest of his litter that we know of (the ones that survived). Had his mother been vaccinated as a kitten, the odds are that the entire litter would have been normal. His neurological condition is an argument FOR vaccination at an early age, not one against it.