It is with much mirth they read the many comments that the childbirth explosion after the first lockdown will be made up entirely of first-borns. Parents, exhausted from home schooling, smirking at what is to come for those who did not have to be a 24-hour entertainment centre seven days a week for their children in a time of chaos and change.
With this in mind, I propose the boom in lockdown puppies is going to be made up entirely of first-time dog owners. I have several pieces of evidence to support my theory – please excuse me if I don’t Harvard reference them…
Once bitten…
My experience has been that people don’t make an internet-based impulse pet purchase more than once…
The experience gained as a pet owner and carer for puppy farm dogs is positive in that it is a steep learning curve, but much of what you have to face in caring for these dogs is really not what pet ownership is about. I know from my own experience in rehabbing animals shattered physically and mentally by human actions that I am thinking very carefully about how and where I get my next dog – and I have always taken on rescue dogs rather than purchased from Instagram.
I suspect many first-time animal owners out there are now wondering if they did the right thing with their lockdown decision.
Doggy etiquette
A distinct lack of doggy etiquette is evident in the new puppies I am seeing in my area. This may be because I’m seeing these animals in busy touristy areas that are unfamiliar to them, but they appear stressed and overwhelmed and are not in the best position to do any doggy bonding.
Why these dogs are being brought unprepared into these areas would be my question. Not all dogs want to be friends with other dogs, and learning to read your dog’s body language is going to help you make that decision. Sadly, the lack of ability to read a dog’s body language appears to be a very common problem. I have seen more near-misses with fights of dogs on the beach this summer than I have the whole time I have lived here.
Dogs are picking up on our stress, and not enough people are reading that in them to prevent this escalating.
Lead(ership) skills
While the aforementioned two points may seem frivolous, there is a final harsh truth in the evidence I have seen. This glut of puppies seems to be owned by people who do not understand that a dog lead is not just a way to vaguely have some control of your dog.
The dog lead is an important and key communication line between you and your pet. It is not to be used to create wave-like forms hitting down the dog’s back; it is not to be an extended lead with your new charge five metres away from you, tangling itself round every post it sees, eyes darting in every direction except at you.
To have any hope of having an enjoyable exercise session with your dog, basic handling skills are needed. I can’t recall a time we have ever seen so many dogs in public with an owner whose actions make me cringe.
Ill-fitting, yet fashionably cute collars and leads seem to be very in for autumn winter 20/21. I must let Vogue know.
I know many of you will be at the forefront of the fallout from this, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there. I hope the many articles written about lockdown puppies will get people to research fully before buying or adopting a pet in the future.
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