It’s heart-breaking to see a pup cowering in a corner, too scared to come out from under a chair, too timid to say hello to visitors, or to play and terrified when out on walks.
But unfortunately we do see puppies like this. It’s not a good life for them, being scared all the time, and it’s a huge and long-term problem for owners trying to help them.
The main cause is poor breeding and early socialisation practices – which are the breeders responsibility.
Most people try hard to make the best decision they can when buying a new pet – doing research on breeds and taking time to look around to find a good breeder.
Our free webinar and accompanying notes provide loads of advice on how to go about finding your perfect pet – where to look, what to look for and what to consider. And we will also come with you, for free, to help you choose your new pup.
Please pass on this information to anyone you know who is thinking about getting a dog.
Unfortunately thousands of new owners are duped into buying puppy farmed puppies or illegally smuggled puppies every year.
Such puppies are bred for profit, with no thought given to the importance of breeding for good temperament and no time or attention given to the vital early upbringing in the first few weeks needed to produce a confident, balanced, healthy puppy.
A recent Dog’s Trust survey showed some shocking figures:
– over half (51%) of buyers were not allowed to see the puppy more than once;
– 43% were not allowed to see the puppy with the mother;
– nearly a fifth (19%) were not allowed to see the puppy at the sellers home and were asked to collect the puppy in a layby or car park instead; and
– over a quarter (26%) had concerns about the health or behaviour of their puppies within a few weeks of buying them – one in six (15%) saying these problems were significant and costing them an average of £500 in vet bills.
These are scary statistics. Most worrying to me was that so many people had bought through an online advert.
Over 201,000 dogs were advertised online last year on the UKs biggest websites, including Gumtree (97,000), Pets4Homes (101,000) and Preloved (3,000).
The survey showed that a large proportion of people (over 20%) said the seller lied to them about the dog they bought, usually about the breed, age and vaccination status, and many had falsified papers.
Please, if you are thinking of buying a new puppy, watch our free webinar. The key points are:
– be very honest to yourself about whether you have the time and money needed – your cute puppy will be your responsibility for many years to come
– research what breed or type of dog is going to fit in best with your family and lifestyle
– always see the puppy with its mother at their home and visit more than once
– ask lots of questions – and be prepared to be grilled yourself. Ask about the parents and their behaviour, the breed, health, diet, and what the puppy has experienced so far
– if you have any doubts at all, walk away, even though it is hard to do
Finally, if you are struggling with an anxious or nervous dog, or the dog is clearly distressed for some other reason, then please do ask for our help.
You can book a Doggy Doctor House Visit or Consultation Call here and we’ll sort it out together.
No dog should live its life in fear.
Keep training,
Carol