Tag: puppies

Howl-oween: Guide Dogs prepare puppies for spooky season

As Halloween approaches, charity Guide Dogs is highlighting the importance of preparing puppies ahead of the big day, with Halloween festivities exposing young dogs to many potentially overwhelming new experiences.

Puppies are naturally curious but can become fearful when confronted with unfamiliar situations. Early socialisation helps dogs to build confidence and adapt to new situations, making them more able to handle situations calmly.

All guide dogs are carefully socialised throughout their time as puppies before undertaking  comprehensive 6-month training programmes once fully grown. If they are successful in their training, they become trusted companions, helping people with sight loss live active, independent, and full lives. 

The sight loss charity recently hosted a Halloween socialisation afternoon for a litter of seven five-week old prospective guide dog puppies, exposing them to new and unusual objects they might encounter during spooky season from pumpkins, to fancy dress and ghostly decorations. 

As well as being alert to new and potentially scary experiences, the charity is also encouraging new puppy owners to be extra vigilant of what their four-legged pals are eating at this tempting time of year, as Halloween typically sees a surge in dogs getting hold of sweet treats, such as chocolate, which is poisonous to dogs. 

To help get your puppy Halloween ready and avoid them getting spooked, tricked or freaked this Halloween, Hannah Wright, National Dog Training Lead from Guide Dogs reveals the charity’s top tips: 

1.    Walk your dog earlier in the day, before any trick-or-treaters are out on the streets. Plenty of exercise will also likely mean your dog is more relaxed and calmer in the evening if there are strange-looking visitors or noises outside.

2.   If you know your dog may struggle when the areas around your house are busier, plan ahead and create some soothing enrichment activities you can do with them at home if they wish to.

3.   If you have children coming to your home for sweets, make sure your dog has a cosy quiet den well away from the front door. You can always leave a bowl outside on your front step with a sign to stop people knocking or ringing the doorbell. If you are not open to trick-or-treaters, make sure the front of your house is dark.

4.   If your dog is frightened by someone in a costume or mask or struggles to recognise a family member when they are dressed up, don’t force them to interact. Halloween can be confusing – it’s best to remove strange accessories if it makes your dog feel more comfortable.

5.   And leave the costumes for the humans. Dogs should not be dressed up in Halloween outfits, as they may find this a stressful experience. Such costumes can be hot, irritating or limit your dog’s movement.

6.   The candle inside a jack-o’-lantern can be very dangerous; never leave a lit candle alone, and never have them on the floor when you have children or dogs present.

7.   Keep all Halloween sweets and chocolate well out of reach, and make sure any visiting children know they are not to share any of their treats with pets. Chocolate, raisins and the sweetener Xylitol are all toxic to dogs, and ingesting plastic wrappers or foil can cause issues too.

To support the charity, enrich your dog’s life and receive treats for you and your four-legged friend, subscribe to Good Dog! at: 

https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/good-dog

Royal Veterinary College invites dog owners to take part in huge national study

The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will explore how the Covid-19 lockdown has affected puppy buying in the UK

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is calling for respondents for its survey on puppy buying experiences both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey is applicable to UK-based dog owners who have acquired a puppy since January 2019.

This ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will compare how and why puppies were bought before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, to help build an understanding of the changes in buying behaviours and intentions over this period.

This study will then be used to help provide advice and guidance to owners who may have experienced problems purchasing their puppy, as well as supporting prospective puppy buyers in the future in avoiding the potential pitfalls.

Many people are likely to recognise the benefits of owning a dog during the pandemic, which has inevitably led to more households deciding to add a puppy to their lives.

While puppy buying is an exciting and emotional time for households, buying and owning them also brings many challenges.

Finding a healthy puppy bred by a responsible breeder is not always a simple process, and lockdown may have posed additional difficulties to potential ‘pandemic puppy’ purchasers. Consequently, there have been many reports of unscrupulous buyers and puppy dealers cashing in on the increased demand for puppies.

This study will also explore owners’ early interactions and future plans for their dogs.

Lockdown has raised concerns around dog welfare, including limited opportunities for new experiences during a critical period of development for young puppies.

This study will explore if and how the early lives of ‘pandemic puppies’ differed from those purchased the year before the pandemic. This research will identify any vulnerabilities to the health, behaviour, and welfare of this puppy population, and inform future educational messaging to promote ways to safeguard their futures.

The survey is open to every dog owner in the UK who purchased a puppy of any breed or crossbreed from 1st January 2019 to the present time.

Participation is open to anyone who has acquired a puppy since January 2019. The puppy must have been under 16 weeks old when it was brought home and must also have been purchased from a breeder or private seller, rather than adopted from a formal rescue organisation or bred by themselves.

Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC and lead of the project said: “Since lockdown, the media has reported huge spikes in UK households buying puppies.

“Although a new puppy may have been a welcome relief from the pandemic for many households, unscrupulous breeders have cashed in on this increased demand, and many well-meaning owners may have inadvertently bought puppies from poor-welfare sources.

“We want to learn more about how and why people bought puppies during lockdown, and your experiences of owning a young puppy during this unprecedented period.

“We want to know about both good and bad experiences, so even if you feel the puppy buying process didn’t go as well as you had hoped, you have worries, or even if you have rehomed your puppy, we would love to hear from you.

“We equally need vital information from owners of puppies bought before the pandemic in 2019 and early 2020, to learn what ‘normal’ puppy buying looked like in the UK. Please help our study to improve the lives of puppies both now and in the future.”

The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ research project was awarded a grant from the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and will be conducted over a period of six months, with data collection taking place from November until the end of 2020.

To take part in the survey, please visit: https://rvc.uk.com/pandemic-puppy-survey

Don’t get Petfished!

Prospective puppy and kitten owners  warned of risks of being ‘Petfished’ when buying a pet online following lockdown demand surge 

Vets, charities and animal-loving celebrities have joined forces with a government campaign to warn prospective pet owners against unknowingly buying puppies, kittens, cats and dogs from unscrupulous sellers amid a rise in demand for pets since lockdown.

An open letter, signed by celebrities including Kirsty Gallacher, Paul O’Grady, Amanda Holden and David Gandy, and supported by charities including Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust and the RSPCA, is calling on the public to research sellers thoroughly online before buying. 

These warnings follow continued demand for pets since lockdown eased, with online marketplace Preloved reporting that the number of pet listing has increased by nearly 50% since March. They are anticipating a further boom in adverts throughout the summer.

Pets4Homes has also said that they are experiencing not only a six-fold increase in new user accounts, but an average of 155 views per new pet advert. Both Preloved and Pets4Homes are supporting the government’s Petfished campaign, which urges people to stop and ask: ‘Who’s the person behind the pet?’.  

Despite a huge 125% increase in adverts posted across online marketplaces during lockdown for puppies, kittens, dogs and cats, demand continues to outstrip supply. However, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has advised that vets are dealing with ongoing cases where owners have been sold sick puppies and kittens by unscrupulous dealers as a result of new owners not researching sellers before buying their new pet.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:  “Prospective pet owners must beware of sinister sellers out there who breed animals purely for profit with zero concern for their welfare. The devastating consequences include crippling vet bills and, in the worst cases, animals having to be put down.  

“It’s vitally important that people not only research the breed of animal they want but also the person selling it to them.”

Animal Welfare Minister Lord Goldsmith said: “At this time when more people are looking for pets it is more important than ever that buyers do their research and ensure they go to a reputable seller.

Following the introduction of Lucy’s Law earlier this year, everyone must now buy directly from breeders or consider adopting from rescue centres. So please look out for the warning signs and report any suspicious activity.”

TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, who has two dogs, British bull dog Betsy and French bull dog Bertie, said:  “My dogs mean the world to me and pets bring joy to so many. It’s shocking to hear the lengths deceitful sellers go to when selling pets and sadly this can mean animals come from low-welfare conditions with distressing consequences.

“As pet lovers, we should take responsibility by always researching the seller before buying a new pet to ensure our four legged friends live happy and healthy lives.”

The letter, also signed by former international rugby players Chris Robshaw and Sam Warburton, is part of the government’s ‘Petfished’ campaign - a play on ‘catfishing’, where a stranger creates a fictional online persona to lure someone into a relationship - deceitful pet sellers use a similar tactic to ‘Petfish’ unsuspecting buyers.   

Following Lucy’s Law – meaning it is now illegal to sell a kitten or puppy you haven’t bred - the Petfished campaign calls for consumers to remain vigilant, always researching the seller before visiting, reporting suspicious adverts and crucially be prepared to walk away and report suspected cases of animal abuse to the RSCPA or, if witnesses, the police.  

British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) President Ian Ramsey said: “Vets are continuing to see many owners who have been sold very sick puppies by unscrupulous dealers simply because new owners have not researched the seller before buying their pet.

“As a result, vets see first-hand the distress and upset this can cause owners. We would urge anyone thinking of buying a puppy or kitten to check their pet is coming from a responsible seller before making a decision to buy.”

To avoid being Petfished, the public are being urged to spot vital red flags when researching sellers, with the help of the acronym S.P.O.T:

Seller

  • Put the seller’s name and phone number into a search engine – avoid those with multiple adverts.

Parent

  • Make sure you see puppies and kittens in their home with their mother.

Old enough

  • Check puppies and kittens are at least 8 weeks old before you take them home.

Treatment

  • Ask to see the animal’s health records and avoid sellers who can’t provide them.

Anyone looking to buy a pet can get tips and advice on the Petfished campaign website by searching ‘Get your pet safely’ or visiting  getyourpetsafely.gov.uk    

Puppy Love: Ben signs up to SSPCA campaign

Local MSP Ben Macpherson supports #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign

The Scottish SPCA is delighted to have the support of local MSP Ben Macpherson for their #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign. Scotland’s animal welfare charity continues to suffer first-hand the devastating effects of puppy farming and are more determined than ever to raise public awareness and tackle the issue once and for all. Continue reading Puppy Love: Ben signs up to SSPCA campaign

Back the fight against puppy smugglers and backstreet breeders, says animal welfare Minister

People planning to add a four-legged friend to the family this Christmas need to be wary of unscrupulous breeders and sellers, animal welfare Minister Lord Gardiner has warned today. Continue reading Back the fight against puppy smugglers and backstreet breeders, says animal welfare Minister