To think that lockdown is not the time to get a pet

[BeyondMymymymyCorona]

"as I'm home for the next however long, I decided it was a good time to get a puppy"

This is a friend of mine, and I've seen multiple others who have decided now is the time to get a smaller cage/viv-living pet.

The one who just got the puppy is in the shielding group, so not supposed to leave the house at all. How they plan on walking it, I have no idea. Nor how they plan to feed it given they have had so much trouble getting food for themselves.

I realise the animals have to go somewhere if nobody buys them, so I don't know what the answer is. But AIBU to think that - on a household level - now is a bad time to get a new pet?

I thought about getting a puppy stroller is we did get her. That way we can all go out for a long walk and take her with us, we have a garden so she can roam about in there.

Ultimately it's not my decision. The breeder will decide based on all available advice and rules. Ahhhhhh she's so damned cute though! (The dog I mean )

Maybe it's easier if the decision is taken out of your hands. Good luck when you finally get her.

Thank you

Definitely not a good time for any new pet, especially on a whim. What about the vets? Puppy classes? Groomers? Picky eaters? Socialising? I’d be so worried if I had already planned it and was due to pick a puppy up right now

We were going to get a kitten in April but due were told we can pick up just before lockdown, otherwise not sure when! So we rushed and picked him up.
The best time ever - the kitten gets all the cuddles. He wouldn't get we much if DC were at school and I was at work. It keeps all of us happy and is brilliant stress reliever.
Really happy that we have him now.

We do dog showing and were on the waiting list for a new puppy in our breed since before the bitch even got pregnant. Pup is ready in 2 weeks and we are worrying about socialisation, lack of dog classes and ringcraft, lack of exposure to (normally) everyday things, no vaccine so no walking :( really bad start for a puppy

But with the breed we’re in if we don’t get this pup now we will not get another chance for years. And we have everything prepped and ready. Annual leave taken from work too (key worker but AL is still okayed). Bad timing for it but will try and go ahead!

YANBU! I’m a vet and this past week at work has been my worst ever in 10 years of practice due to the way I’ve been treated by the public. We aren’t allowed to do vaccinations (rightly so) and I have been harassed, bullied, and threatened by all the new puppy owners demanding their puppy be seen. I’ve been lied to and deceived as well and ended up seeing animals that were emergencies, putting my and my colleagues’ health at risk for nothing. Puppies won’t be able to go outside their own garden or socialise for months and likely turn into frightened, anxious, poorly behaved adult dogs.

The pups may “already be there” but buying them encourages the breeders to keep breeding despite lockdown. If breeders couldn’t sell their puppies at least they could keep them and they’d be able to socialise a bit with the rest of the litter.

*WEREN’T emergencies

We got our pup 5 weeks ago, my daughter was suicidal and I had agreed a leave of absence from work. We already had 1 dog and had wanted another but didn’t have the time. Dog walker etc... already in place.

We have been very lucky as have most of the puppy vaccinations done, only missing 1 final set to allow it to go into water. So we can do the short walk it needs as 1 person’s ‘exercise’.

He has been such a benefit to our household, especially my daughter. However, I don’t think I would do the same now, lack of vaccinations would really worry me.

Picking up your pet is not essential. Shelters can't and shouldn't do viewings.
I maintain this is not the right time to get a pet.

But you don't know that people didn't?

Because to get a dog from a decent breeder means weeks of waiting. Several visits to the breeder so they can talk to you and get to know you. You can't do any of that during lockdown.

Our breeder (our dog is now two) has puppies ready to go and has decided to keep them as they feel rehoming them at the moment would be irresponsible. A decent breeder would have plans in place in the event a litter cannot be sold.

If you're able to just go out and buy a puppy on a whim at the moment, the person you're buying from is not reputable.

What are these people going to do about vaccinations? Socialising? Getting the dog being used to being left alone?

I walk a giant breed dog who is reactive to cars and it's bloody scary when she lunges and barks and pulls at them. Imagine a dog doing that at every little thing it meets because it's formative months have been spent stuck in four walls?

The vast vast majority of people would not want to raise an unsocialised dog.

If she has always wanted to get a puppy then I can understand why now would be a great time.

We got our puppy to coincide with me being off work for a few weeks so that I would have the time to spend with him so I can see why now would seem like a good time.

Although I don't agree with people just thinking it's something to do so why not. It's a big commitment so whilst I can see why someone might take up the opportunity now whilst at home, I'd have expected them to have wanted to do so for a while, researched it, considered pros/cons etc ...

If she has always wanted to get a puppy then I can understand why now would be a great time.

But it's not a great time - for so many reasons.

No vaccinations are available so how are you going to take the pup out for walks?

Everything is shut and group meet ups are banned so socialisation is pretty much impossible - how will you socialise a dog to be used to roaring traffic, trains, other dogs, people, wheelchairs, motorbikes etc. when the streets are deserted and you can only go out once a day?

No puppy classes so if you've never had a dog before how are you going to train it?

How can you get a dog used to being left alone if everyone is around 24/7 for the first few crucial weeks of its life? A teenage dog being left alone for the first time once this is over is a recipe for disaster.

Dog walkers and daycares are pretty much all closed so if you're still going to work who will look after your dog? And when they reopen many won't take unvaccinated or un-neutered dogs.

People really need to think this through. Being at home for a few weeks is not a good reason to get a puppy!

I’m in Ireland and vets are still doing vaccinations as they are considered essential as otherwise dogs who are already here may get more serious illnesses that require emergency care down the line without them. It seems a bit short sighted of the Uk to stop them. As this continues they may need to start doing them again as I think there is a certain window to do them in? Otherwise you will have a whole group of unvaccinated dogs!

You are also not thinking about those of us who have bonded with, prepared for and paid for their dogs!! Yes it's a really bad time and we absolutely know this it's heartbreaking. We need solutions not being told "don't get the dog it's irresponsible" These dogs are already here!

I'm not referring to people who have planned and this is just bad timing @supadupapupascupa.

I'm talking about people who want a dog because they're bored at home for a few weeks.

Meh, I don't see the problem with a small cage/viv pet. The value of a little company and watching them is priceless in this stressful time. We got two new tarantulas last week - to be fair, they do come through the post though so no trip out required.

Well, unless this is something that has been arranged with a responsible breeder for months, anyone buying a puppy on a whim at the moment is going to be buying from a puppy farm.

What happens, if you're new puppy gets sick with parvovirus, as frequently happens with puppies bought from puppy farms, or when you can't get your puppy vaccinated?

And, of course, you won't be able to socialise your puppy properly, because at the stage when you should be taking it out and about to let it see the world, you're going to be confined to your house and, anyway, the puppy won't be vaccinated so you'll have missed the socialisation window.

Like most people who buy puppies on a whim, people who think this is a good time to get a puppy, clearly know nothing about dogs.

They're not cute toys you buy to keep you amused, they're living breathing creatures that needs care and training.

If people are that desperate for something cute, go online and buy a stuffed toy dog.

I can imagine puppy farms must be rubbing their hands.

The dog rescues though, will just be thinking about all the unwanted dogs that will be brought into them, when people realise they actually didn't want an untrained, unsocialised dog after all.

We all know the Dogs' Trust 'a dog isn't just for Christmas' message. Well, neither is a dog just for the Coronavirus epidemic.

The Kennel Club has actually said it is against the new law/guidance to collect a puppy during lockdown. It does not consititute ‘essential travel’ and is not covered by any of the 4 domains laid out in the legislation.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/pdfs/uksi_20200350_en.pdf (health protection regulations in respect to coronavirus, part 6 refers to movement)

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/breeders-and-coronavirus-covid-19-faqs/print KC announcement re breeders, including puppy collections (screenshot included, relevant bit highlighted in red)

@maddiemookins16mum no not CHAT Yorkshire Cat rescue

So, I’d be questioning the ethics of even a reputable breeder willing to flout the regulations for a pre-corona planned collection.

We got an (adult) rescue dog 9 years ago. He hadn’t been socialised with other dogs when he was a puppy. It’s left him with lifelong social issues. Perfect at the moment as people don’t even try to get close, but during normal time’s its a PITA.
All these people getting puppies now, how do they plan to socialise them so they don’t have issue like my old boy?

Of course no reputable breeder will be homing puppies at the moment.

The same with rescues they are shut as well.

No animals should be moved anywhere, which is why the only people selling puppies at the moment will be puppy farms.

I know the world is going mad but has anyone read anything about what it is expected to happen to all puppies between 0-2 months old? If puppies can’t be collected or vaccinated and their breeders are social isolating under lockdown then these dogs could have their entire socialisation period of 0-16 weeks spent without any interaction bar the breeder - no kids,cars,people etc. Are we going to just see hundreds of puppies being put down in a few months time as they have zero socialisation and no vaccinations?

I know the point of this thread is it’s irresponsible to get one but it also seems pretty irresponsible to not let anyone get one if it’s planned and to not do any vaccinations. Are any vets or dogs trusts flagging this?