All the new puppies...

[Melange99]

My DH and I would love a dog but can't get one due to current living/working issues. But we always look out for dogs in the street and parks etc.

Yesterday we went for a walk in local park and we saw a few cute puppies. Later that night my DH said to me, have you noticed that there are suddenly lots of puppies around, and where are they getting them from. He said surely there aren't that many breeders who have all these puppies for sale at one go, so how come there are so many?

Also on Instagram you see that celebs have got new puppies, generally poo crosses of some description.

Are these likely to be from puppy farms? I know not all of them will be but it seems like there are more puppies around than you would expect to be available. So, while I coo, and say, aah sweet, at the same time I feel a bit uneasy.

Yep, sadly lots of puppies are from puppy farms and backyard breeders. With COVID, demand went through the roof and lots of people don't care where they get their dog from - they just want a cute puppy and they want it now.

As long as they get their cute pup, what does it matter that the mum is stuck in a cycle of breeding endless litters until they're either dumped in rescue or more likely, "disposed of" (ie. abandoned on the street or killed).

It's horrible but very little is being done to stop it and it's practically impossible to police too. As long as people continue to buy puppies off dodgy men in carparks, the whole business will go on and on.

We had planned to get a puppy in 2020 anyway so had asked our friend back in 2018 that if she ever bred from her dog to get one of her puppies (which happened to be 2020).

We've actually had a few nasty comments out and about about fuelling trade etc and some glances from people in a sort of 'another person who has just got a puppy for lockdown' but actually it was long planned for!

So I wouldn't tar everyone with the same brush.

The issue will be when offices reopen and suddenly people need to be back at work and they can't be at home because I'm not sure everyone has thought through their full time care.

A lot of the slebs seem to be taking dogs from abroad. I shudder to think how these foreign rescues are sourcing those dogs :(.

Yes. Puppy farmers are living the dream.

Yes, I fear they must be. It is really quite noticeable.

SOOO many puppies at school pick up now where I work as a nanny (west London) is be overjoyed if my boss got a dog (I adore them and have lots of experience) but I feel sorry for a lot of the nannies who’ve had a needy puppy dumped on them as part of their duties!

Some will be puppy farms but lots will be just regular breeders who’ve never spayed their dogs and know they can make a lot of money from it. My friend has a little black cockapoo and she’s gorgeous but the reason her mum had a litter (in fact she’s had 3!) was because she ‘was so maternal’, which sounds bollocks to me, and the latest was very well timed for Christmas puppies

Yes lots of puppy farmers taking advantage. We had been talking about getting a dog for a couple of years to help fill our family as we are childless. We started seriously hunting at the start of March and then lockdown hit.. it was just bad timing for us. Because we had already been researching we were aware of puppy farms and did lots of research on each pup we looked at... we eventually were lucky to be accepted for a puppy from the RSPCA that was born there... we absolutely refused to buy a puppy from a breeder who we couldn't be 100% sure was an ethical breeder.
He now 5 months old and he's the most amazing addition to our life! However there has definitely been a boom as things have been selling out.. for example large dog crates seem to have recently sold out everywhere!

@HappyThursdays I had the same thoughts about the rescue dogs from abroad... I know a few people with the very best of intentions have rescued dogs from Romania... I haven't looked into the charities enough but it did cross my mind that it'd be a good front for puppy farmers and taking advantage of people trying to do a good thing. I just hope the people having these dogs are doing a lot of research and digging first.

Dogs aren't maternal.
@SmidgenofaPigeong I've heard that a lot too from friends who say it's the dog's right to have one litter (then another and another when the puppies sell for the best part of £1k each)

A friend of mine just got a puppy, during lockdown 1, he's now back at work and is out of the house 7:30 - 18:30. His DW is WFH at the moment and they just had a major row about how much work said puppy is and how it can't be left. She will be back to work in due course and works full time. ...and the puppy, or dog by then, who knows.

It's nearly impossible to adopt a shelter animal if you have children under 8 or 12. - latter where I am. Therefore if you want a dog, it has to be from a breeder, whether legit or not.

I had rescue animals in the past and never imagined I'd be looking at breeders, but there's simply no other option if you have children.

The 'dogs are maternal' like me is such a load of rubbish and I hate it. Where I am it's very common for people to let their dog have a litter before spaying as they think it's a nice thing to do. Disgusting attitude.

We got a puppy in September after losing our rescue dog last December at age 15, because we both work (DH from home twice a week and I’ll go back part time when this is over) rescues won’t help, also we have small grandchildren so I was unsure on a rescue. We bought our pup from a friend who has bred her dogs a few times, for money obviously but her dogs are loved and well looked after.

I imagine some are from puppy farms though and because of the demand at the moment dog thefts are a huge thing.