Puppy during lockdown

[Whathewhatnow]

We were planning on getting a puppy later this year when we have moved house.
Thinking lab pup but not massively committed to any particular purebreed. Do not want so-called designer breeds like cockapoo, labradoodle, etc.

I'm now home for 12 weeks. It strikes me this is a very good time to settle in a new pup.

But... how would you get any puppy home?? Would any decent breeder/rehome consider a video survey of the home and whatsapp interview? Do puppies need to socialise with other puppies or will other grown dogs do just as well (and providing vaccination can be done).

I'm a single parent who is not retired/ at home all day/ independently wealthy so I will never ever be able to be home for 12 weeks again until I am 68. And having grown up with dogs I am not of the opinion that well-socialised dogs need a stay at home person, 24/7 any more than kids do, if suitable care arrangements are made.

I see KC are saying no moving of puppies to new homes and I can see this if it involved car travel but if it was a very local transaction with no human contact, could this work??

I'm donning my hard hat...

You do not get a puppy during lockdown. It's quite simple.

What are the practical obstacles??

I'm thinking:

Vaccination
Travel to collect
Socialisation

I'm not sure any of these are wholly insurmountable but then I am a tough old non-conformist bird. Not when it comes to lockdown restrictions or animal welfare but there are ways around many many things. Maybe this is one area where the obstacles are insurmountable. I dont know yet.

I’m just wondering where you would find such a puppy right now?

Apart from logistics of collecting the puppy I'd be worried about missing the key socialisation window due to lockdown. Not being able to have vaccinations and therefore being unable to mix with dogs and walk on the ground outside.

You can't travel except for essential journeys. Breeders aren't ( or shouldn't ) be releasing them. Rescues aren't rehousing animals. Not all Vets are vaccinating . It may seem like a good time because you will be home but the practicalities make it impossible. You can't socialise them. You can't take to puppy classes

Quote from kennel club Website which is following government advice

"I have a litter of puppies due. What is the advice about visiting families?

Government advice is to stay at home and away from others unless absolutely necessary, so if you already have a litter of puppies, keep in contact with and update new owners by phone, email, video calls, and sending photos – not visits to your home.

As the government measures only allow absolutely essential travel – and this can now be enforced – new owners will not be able to pick up puppies during the current lockdown. You can find a list of the current permitted reasons to leave your home from the government here (section 6) and while this is not an exclusive list, the examples give a good steer on the scale of what is deemed to be a legal reason to leave your house."

Not a puppy, but I am about to foster a retired greyhound because the rescue is in crisis because funding has disappeared. Vetting has been via trusted contacts. They are desperate for placements.

(I am very excited!)

Thanks that is helpful @HarrietBasset.

Logistically it may be hard getting a puppy if KC and legit rehomers arent in operation.

And I fully see the vaccination thing. But what do the breeders with young puppies do?? Keep them inside/in gardens?? Surelynif they stay with their litter.mates a bit longer than usual this would get them on a good footing re socialisation. I dont care about the fluff stage, I'm just thinking practically about having time.to put into training and settling etc.

We got our dpuppy just before any sign of CV..
It's a nightmare now.
Trying to amuse dc is bad enough without a hyper dpuppy and minimum walks.

Stillsmallvoice interesting... Can you PM me details?? Greyhound was the other breed we considered.

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/breeders-and-coronavirus-covid-19-faqs/?&utm_source=kc-website&utm_medium=whats-new&utm_campaign=coronavirusbreeders&fbclid=IwAR3zvcdyCbxxJKtpRKzUnZxGrds2EaYTOoZpz9m0rCEArgrSOJRqB022jts

No reputable breeder will sell or allow puppy hand-overs during this lockdown. Kennel Club have made a statement (above) re puppies. They clearly state that puppy hand-overs should not be happening during lockdown as it doesn’t constitute ‘essential travel’ as laid out in the government legislation.

Mainly because we had a lengthy chat with a lovely chap from greyhound rescue (NOT the one that fences dogs from racetracks) and he thought a greyhound might work for us. We arent completely naive. Have been looking into doggy things for a while now.

Maybe it is the ideal time to rehome an older dog then? Or even foster a dog for people being shielded etc? Although giving it back .... :(

Okay appreciate KC and other breeders unlikely to be rehoming now. Recieved and understood.

our 6 month old lab pup is thriving during lockdown.....6 adults in the house all wanting exercise....bored so lots of playing with him in the garden

he says hello on walks with other dogs while humans keep their distance

vets open for emergencies but any pup you take will be vaccinated already i'm sure? see what happens with lockdown

Breeders will have to keep litters for much longer than they intended. If this lockdown continues for 12+weeks then some of the puppies could be 20+weeks old. In-home breeders (even responsible, ethical ones) could very soon find themselves struggling for space with 6,7,8,9+ adolescent puppies running about the place. Which of course can’t be helped but there we go. Potential new puppy families may well be worried about bonding and missing those key early weeks of bonding, training and socialisation (potentially leading to behavioural issues later on), so may well pull out of the purchases.

Some rescues are doing fosters but it’s to known and experienced homes, as far as I know.

Leave puppies with their litters whilst they can't socialise with other dogs and puppies. If you take one home now, it won't be able to spend time with other dogs, learning how to be a dog.

There will be breeders who have puppies who bred before CV kicked off. Some of these will be reputable breeders who have found themselves with a litter of puppies they can’t home because of CV. Having a litter of puppies now or in the next few weeks doesn’t mean they aren’t a reputable breeder, it means this escalated much quicker than anyone anticipated. However, government guidelines aren’t that you can’t pick up a puppy during lockdown. Those breeders are facing increased care costs for a litter of puppies, some of whom may be facing financial issues due to CV at the moment (breeders can often be self employed in the dog business, groomers, day care, dog walkers) or facing issues related to key workers (others may be farmers). To me, breeders will take this opportunity to vet people via video call because they have a litter of puppies to home when restrictions are lessened. Given the popular thought is that we will have 6 months of stricter and looser restrictions, you should be able to pick a pup up within 6 months by following social distancing. It does come with problems, you can’t assess the dog’s temperament first hand and if you visit when the pups are older you will see an adult dog with them and be told it’s their mother with no way of knowing for sure. So I think it’s probably worth approaching breeders and witnessing the pups via video link for now, seeing them with their mother whilst they are still young. Socialisation will also be an issue but that is going to be an issue for these pups anyway. They can’t help when they were born. There are a few posts out there about socialising your pup during lockdown and social distancing. Yes, you will need to keep your pup entertained but honestly you need to do that anyway. Pups can only walk for 5 mins per month old they - 4 months old they can do 20 minutes of exercise but they have big bursts of energy that are a lot more than 20 minutes a day. Keeping a pup entertained and out of trouble isn’t just a hazard of lockdown, it’s a hazard of owning a puppy.

Whatthewhatnow

I am shielding. DH can take the dog for a walk. The current arrangement is that we are fostering. I couldn't under normal circumstances adopt a dog because I work full time, but at the moment this is a good arrangement all round. (I am very excited, though having been through a Labrador puppy in the past am not completely unaware of what is about to hit us)

No breeder that isn't a puppy farmer would give a puppy away at this time. Also dangerous for you and your family. Reassess in a month or so. I have sympathy we were oooking for a puppy for this period anyway as DH had 3 weeks off but we've called off the search for the foreseeable. HOWEVER you can look for litters due soon which would leave in June time

I would think an older dog already in rescue would be a better option.

If a puppy, what are your plans for a 5/6 month old puppy once you return to work?

picking up a puppy is in no way shape or form essential travel ( unless I'm guessing it's a therapy dog).

I googled a few well known rescues ( as anyone can do) and they are all closed and not rehorming during the lockdown. You can express an interest in an animal but you cannot regime it because they are closed. Because rehiring is not essential ( sad but true).

Some but not all rescues are still taking in animals if it's an emergency and are prioritising NHS staff ( who may be unable to care for their pets)

So you cannot have a puppy until the rules change

In the nicest possible way you seem a bit clueless about what is involved in puppy socialization.

There is a socialization window which closes at 14 weeks and which allows the puppy to get used to things without being fearful. That means that the weeks between collecting the puppy from the breeder (8-10 weeks old) and 14 weeks have to be packed with activities. The puppy should meet as many people as possible, babies, children, young, old, with beards, wearing hats, holding umbrellas, etc as many different people as possible. The puppy should also meet other animals, cats, rabbits, cows, horses, sheep, etc. It should experience the city, with cars, buses, trains, etc. and the countryside. It should see the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine, the children's toys and the lawn mower. There are lists of things to tick off on the internet, but the vast majority of these things cannot be done under lockdown.

The puppy also needs puppy socialization classes where it gets to play with many other different breed puppies and dog training classes to learn the basics. All these are currently suspended.

Puppies who stay longer with their litter mates during this period are not getting extra socialization, the opposite. They are not exposed to the outside world and risk developing litter mate syndrome - google that as well.

On the whole, I think you need to look into what is involved in dog ownership before you make a decision that will affect you for the next 15 years.

vets open for emergencies but any pup you take will be vaccinated already i'm sure? see what happens with lockdown

The dog will need further vaccinations! How's that going to work out in lockdown? This is bad advice you've offered.