Let’s look at some factors.
Some dog owners may not research due to factors such as the perceived effort involved, a focus on appearance over temperament, a lack of understanding of the commitment required, or the difficulty of identifying a breed's specific needs for a particular lifestyle. Unfortunately, many people choose a dog based solely on its appearance. Still, a lack of research into breeds' innate behaviours and needs can lead to problems for both dogs and owners. Owners can end up getting overwhelmed by the dog, who, in some cases, overpowers them. Some clients contact me, and they are afraid of their own dog.
Outlet’s breed fulfilment.
Some owners don’t know how to tire their dogs out properly with mental and physical stimulation. The number of fetch-obsessed herding breeds that are still bouncing off the walls, or puppies going crazy after spending hours at the dog park or doggie day care, and don’t know how to settle.
But the dog is my baby.
Some owners treat their dogs like human toddlers. Remember, all breeds of dogs were originally bred for jobs they are no longer doing—a pack of dogs with precise skill levels that have nothing to do anymore. Owners are more focused on taking their dogs to the local park, doggie daycare, and social events than on actually having a solid relationship with their own dogs.
Higher Rates of Rehoming
A significant portion of dogs entering shelters are there because owners were unprepared for the commitment, highlighting the consequences of insufficient research into the dog’s specific needs.
Let’s do better by our dogs.
To do better by dogs, you must thoroughly research a breed’s original purpose and temperament to ensure their needs align with your lifestyle, considering factors like your home size environment, the size of the dog, energy levels, have you got time to train your dog, have an understanding of a breeds instincts, such as a Border collies herding drive, or a Dachshunds tendency to dig and bark, this helps you understand their needs and avoid working against their natural behaviours, by owners understanding what your dog was historically bred for, like hunting, herding helps explain their natural behaviours.
Breeders
Any breeder who lets you take two puppies from the same litter should be avoided.
Getting two dogs from the same litter is often discouraged because it can lead to littermate syndrome, a condition where dogs from the same litter exhibit similar behaviours. In this condition, puppies can develop an unhealthy dependency on each other, hindering their individual development and potentially causing separation anxiety, aggression, difficulties with training and socialisation. At the same time, this may not always be the case, especially if you know what you're doing and handle everything separately with the puppies, the risk is significantly reduced. Any professional would recommend one puppy at a time to ensure each dog receives proper attention, training, and individual experiences. This can also be a problem when acquiring two puppies from different litters simultaneously.
Justine Shone
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