Lockdown puppies! Here we go again..

[Prancingponies]

Except we don't, sort of. Totally not an AIBU, but posting here for traffic.

Yesterday I did a rare thing and shared a post put out by our local police force - County Durham as it happens. It was a post suggesting that people who had gotten lockdown puppies and had realised they could 'no longer cope' (my apostrophes, not theirs) could contact the force and they would look at training them to be police dogs, in all sorts of roles.

Pups of up to 2 years considered, working type dogs preferred, but not necessary.

I think it's an absolutely brilliant idea. Shame most of the people who bought them 'want their money back'. Lets just hope when they don't get it they might consider this.

If you look out the window and count seven (well, eight) cars driving by, do you conclude there are only seven cars in your area?

This is such a weak argument.

I could spend the next few hours checking all the ads on Gumtree for lockdown puppies but what it would reveal is that there just isn't that many.

People spout things like 'shelters are full of lockdown puppies' and 'Gumtree is full of lockdown puppies' because it makes a better story but the reality doesn't seem to be there.

I check my local rescue centre fairly to often to see if it’s overrun with lockdown puppies. It isn’t,

That’s because these scumbags want money so they’re selling them online, not giving them away to rescue centres. The dogs have served their purpose of providing entertainment during lockdown so now these dickheads want their money back. Of course they’re all ‘heartbroken at having to rehome’ but ‘due to having to go back to work’ it’s ‘unavoidable’ ......

People spout things like 'shelters are full of lockdown puppies' and 'Gumtree is full of lockdown puppies' because it makes a better story but the reality doesn't seem to be there.

Pets4homes has loads within a 20 mile radius of me. More boys than girls it seems, maybe the girls can make some serious cash for them. Bastards.

But there were even more last year when more people had been furloughed and went back to work.

The thing is jesus it’s really hard to say. Gumtree is definitely full of non reputable breeders though. It’s very

But this idea that out of say every 100 people who bought a puppy over lockdown, maybe 80 will be rehomed I would argue with. Let’s say normal years 10 people buy a puppy, one is an arsehole. In lockdown 100 people buy puppies, 10 are arseholes. So more arseholes due to more dogs.

Plus IME arseholes don’t tend to spend thousands on a dog and arseholes don’t tend to wait until the times right. Arseholes go ‘oh it’s Christmas / the kids want one / puppies can be left.’

My DH WFH ft now. He works for a big company so from that alone that’s a good 300 home workers. If 50 of them have always wanted a dog but couldn’t as they were in the office Monday to Friday tbh why does that make them likely to be an arsehole dog owner?

@KaleSlayer

But there were even more last year when more people had been furloughed and went back to work.

Problem is no one can get a rescue dog for love nor money (any number of threads about this on MN alone in the last fourteen months) so sure conceded many may have tried to resell privately but I’m not convinced it’s most or even some.

Problem is no one can get a rescue dog for love nor money (any number of threads about this on MN alone in the last fourteen months) so sure conceded many may have tried to resell privately but I’m not convinced it’s most or even some.

Well after furlough, if you’d have looked, there were huge amounts of them. There’s still lots, but not as many as now, when I search near me.

I know someone who works in the complaints department for one of these online animal selling sites and they had loads of complaints about the listings. Obviously nothing they could do as people can sell their pets.

Seriously, where!?

I’m not being difficult - which rescue centres had loads?

@PegPeople

It's a lovely idea in theory but I honestly cannot see how a lockdown puppy which is most likely being rehomed because it's owners couldn't be bothered to train it or put the effort in would make a suitable candidate to become a police dog.

I wondered that . Also don't they usually restrict themselves to German shepherds and Springer spaniels? Can't see a maltipoo or yorkipoo being a police dog, though I could be wrong

I’m not being difficult - which rescue centres had loads?

Sorry, just realised that confusion. I mean there were loads on selling sites, not rescues. That was in response to you saying:

so sure conceded many may have tried to resell privately but I’m not convinced it’s most or even some.

As I took that to mean you were saying people were not reselling them when they were. Selling sites were definitely full of lockdown pups that people had had for just a few months.

Our local rescue centre stopped homing any animals for much of last year due to a combination of restrictions and concerns over owners commitment.

Ah, got you. No, not disputing there are arseholes, it’s just I don’t think there are any more or less than normal.

There are always arseholes around, unfortunately.

@bunniesanddaisies

Thing is gappy it’s been

Just wait until summer

Just wait until schools go back

Just wait until people are back at the office

Just wait.

Until there are more cockerpoos on Dogs Trust than Staffies I think I’ll assume that while there are some arseholes most dog owners are actually OK human beings.

Because absolutely no one thought this was going to drag on for over a year

So I’m sure when people said ‘just wait until summer’, they meant ‘just wait until summer when we are all back in the office and planning our holidays’
And that summer hasn’t actually come yet

Same with schools and offices

But this idea that out of say every 100 people who bought a puppy over lockdown, maybe 80 will be rehomed I would argue with. Let’s say normal years 10 people buy a puppy, one is an arsehole. In lockdown 100 people buy puppies, 10 are arseholes. So more arseholes due to more dogs.

I agree that some people who bought puppies over lockdown will kekeep them, and hopefully prove to be decent, responsible owners. The thing is, some people seem to be claiming there isn't (and won't be) any increase in the number of dogs rehomed.

I don't know what proportion of people rehome their dogs in normal times, but it's safe to say that it will be at least that percentage in the coming months, and very likely more, because so many more will have been bought on impulse.

It's not just MNers who are worried about this - RSPCA and Dogs Trust are concerned too.

I found a BBC News article from 12 March (can't link on my shite tablet) which said that 3.2 million households had acquired a pet of some kind in lockdown, and 5% of them had already given them up. It would be amazing if it stopped there, but it won't.

Well, let’s hope not! I do know a lot of people who have got dogs recently but they definitely aren’t arseholes!

Plus IME arseholes don’t tend to spend thousands on a dog

Arseholes with money or a credit card do. I walk my dog daily and I've certainly seen a few arseholes yanking their puppies around on the lead, shouting at them etc.

These puppies/dogs turning up in dog homes and on gumtree and running riot around parks are not "lockdown puppies", they are puppies/dogs of irresponsible owners. I know plenty who got a dog in lockdown, me included, and my dog is a happy, well behaved part of our family.

@bunniesanddaisies

Well, let’s hope not! I do know a lot of people who have got dogs recently but they definitely aren’t arseholes!

Me too, and I do think that a lot of people will end up keeping them even if they get a bit more than they bargained for. Unfortunately though, it won't take much of an increase for shelters to start struggling.

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I’m cynical but I’d wonder if that was some sort of elaborate scam.

That was what I thought too, but then I assumed it would have been taken down almost immediately?

Sounds like a ridiculous idea to me. The vast majority of those dogs won't be socialised etc & will need a LOT of 1:1 & individual care & rehabilitation.

@Serin

Wonder if they would take a 13 year old, spoilt, lazy Lhasa Apso who thinks he is a rottweiler and only eats home cooked meals?

Doesn't hurt to ask

🤣🤣🤣

I'm getting a labrador puppy next week. Lockdown dog in that I wouldn't have dreamt 2 years ago that I'd be in the position to get one.

However, I'm an experienced dog owner, and have had it confirmed by our CEO that we won't be working from an office again. So, its my (permanent) change in circumstances due to lockdown that have made it possible for me to get a dog, not lockdown itself per se.

Like previous posters, I've spent nearly a year looking for rescue dogs that are good with cats and a tween. The last dog I applied for had more than 500 applications within 48 hours. I've never bought a puppy before, I've always rescued or rehomed. There may well be a tsunami of dogs being given up, but they aren't available to people like me.

@bunniesanddaisies

See sunshine I don’t doubt a few people were idiots but I think most people had their lifestyle change and got a dog. How does that make them an ‘idiot’?

Because only an idiot wouldn't think past the next couple of months!!

A few people might have had major life changing events that means their situation is radically different, but the vast majority will just be idiots.

I think more people than you might think have had their life changed dramatically.

@PegPeople

It's a lovely idea in theory but I honestly cannot see how a lockdown puppy which is most likely being rehomed because it's owners couldn't be bothered to train it or put the effort in would make a suitable candidate to become a police dog.

You'd be surprised then. Many agencies trawl rescues and unwanted pets looking for the right candidates. If the dog has the intelligence and temperament, then a young dog can easily be turned to working, and can be utterly delighted at its new life. My current dog is five, and learns new things every single day. You would struggle to find a happier and more engaged dog. Many working dogs don't start as puppies or even really well trained.

@Toomuchleopard

I check my local rescue centre fairly to often to see if it’s overrun with lockdown puppies. It isn’t, the only dogs there are older pit bull, bull mastiff, Staffies etc with behaviour problems.

Most of them aren't being listed to protect them. People looking to rehome pre Covid are being contacted, fostered are keeping them longer & people are contacting the rescues via email etc

My dog walker works for a police force as a trainer.

All police dogs go to a trainer like her for "basic training" first before being assessed to see where they are most suited based on their skills/tendencies. Any dog up to 2 years old is still young enough to be trained!

Once they are assessed they get matched to a police dog handler and go to "police dog academy" so to speak.

In some cases at the end of that they don't make the grade and so are rehomed, with the trainer usually given first shout. But even the ones rehomed are better trained/behaved than your average household pet because of the rigorous training they've gone through.

I think it's a fab idea Durham have come up with!