Months of lock down in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic has lead to a high demand in dogs. It’s great that more Brits are now wanting to taking in our four legged friends to be part of their families but is there a flip side to this surge in demand? We at the Smug Pooch decided to write this blog to inform readers of our findings and offer our advice to you, should you be considering to become a dog owner. Please remember that all advice we provide is based on the best interest of the dog.
Dogs In High Demand
There is no doubt that the UK currently faces a shortage in puppies and it can be directly related to the lock downs and stay at home orders. It’s only natural for people to seek companionship from dogs to help them through these tough times.
According to the Kennel Club, their puppy portal inquiries have increased by 140 percent in April 2020 when compared with 2019.
Breeders are struggling to meet the spike in demand since the beginning of UK lock down. Puppy waiting lists have increased from 100 to a staggering 400 people now. As a result, prices for new puppies have also doubled in some cases.
The Dogs Trust have also seen a spike in interest for pooches through their website, reporting that people looking for dogs have more than doubled during the coronavirus lock downs.
The Concerns During The Pandemic
Right now when most of us are still confined to our homes, it can be seen as a good thing for our dogs because they are not being left alone at home while their owners are at work.
However, there are still concerns for the well being of dogs and puppies that are being sold to homes particularly from unregistered breeders.
The shortage of supply in UK, as mentioned earlier, has resulted in nefarious profit hungry operations generally set up by criminal gangs. We are already seeing increased activities in smuggling of pregnant and non-pregnant dogs from outside of the UK, to be sold here for huge profits.
Typically dog rescue centers have strict criteria for eligible adopters and therefore, people living in homes that maybe unsuitable for dogs (such as small apartments) will look for private sellers. Also there will be many buyers who do not want to be stuck on long waiting lists with registered breeders.
There are two main issues with this. Firstly the dog’s health and well being maybe at risk due to the incompatibility of the home and the lack of experience with the new owner. Secondly, the sellers may not be registered responsible breeders and therefore profits will be more important to them instead of the dog’s health. This escalates concerns for increased puppy farming operations which involves breeding in large quantities with no regards whatsoever to for the conditions in which the dogs are kept. These breeders are criminals who are only interested in making money and do not care about the health of the puppies they produce.
What Happens After The Lock down?
We have two main concerns about what’s going to happen when people get back to the norm – going back to work, socialising again with friends and family.
The first concern is the high volume of dogs being returned and being put up for sale again due to the owner no longer having the time to care for them. This is highly likely for owners from single households – young professionals with busy work and social lifestyles. Lets face it, if somebody has paid around £3000 for a French Bulldog puppy, they will try to recoup the investment rather than handing the pup over to a re-homing center. Being treated as a commodity is not always best for the dog. There are many cases in the UK showing negative effects on the health of dogs due to being passed around from home to home.
We could also end up with a spike in homeless dogs and over populated rescue homes across the country.
The second concern is the possible development of separation anxiety of dogs in cases where owners decide to keep them after the lock downs. We have pups that have enjoyed the company of their owner during months of lock down and suddenly they are now being left alone at home during the day when their owner is back in work. Separation anxiety is one of the most common causes of distress and behavior problems in dogs. When a dog misbehaves, this can lead to distress in the owner and things can turn bad in the relationship causing more complications.
Are You Considering Owning A Dog?
We urge you to do your homework and think more about the long term future of the dog and your circumstances. Remember that a dog is for life and not just for lockdown.
Please do not be selfish but instead think about what will be best for the dog. Is your home suitable for the dog? Can you commit to being a responsible dog owner for the rest of it’s life?
We caution you to carefully consider what we’ve discussed in this blog – do you really want to end up funding criminal gangs by buying from a puppy farm?
If you still have your heart set on becoming a dog owner, then please make sure you made the choice because you genuinely love dogs and have always wanted one. Not just because you are finding it difficult to cope with lock downs.
Also search around and find a breed that will fit your lifestyle – during and out of lock down.