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The doghouse

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Original poster

What did puppy purchasers think would happen after lockdown?

34 replies

copernicium · 01/09/2021 15:14

Did people think that they would stay at home forever? Did people think that after a year at home, puppy would wave you off for ten hours a day and sit happily at home? Did people not think about a year in advance?

Obviously, everything is getting back to normal, offices are opening, people are being more sociable ... have the poor dogs just been forgotten?!

I'm not against dogs or their owners. In fact, I purchased a dog last summer. However, this had been planned for a very long time, I had been on a couple of breeders lists pre covid, waiting and hoping, and if anything lockdown slowed things for us, not made our decision. I am at home 95% of the time and this absolutely won't ever change, but I've still trained the dog to be happy alone for short periods (and have a camera to confirm).

Sitting here now, I can hear approx five different puppies yapping/barking/crying away, one has been howling and crying since 5:30am. From what I know of the area they were new puppies during lockdown and one was only purchased in the last few weeks (saw neighbour showing it off).

I just don't get what people were thinking...I feel cross at such selfish owners and I feel so sad for these babies. Plus, a fair bit of rage when woken by barking at 6am on Bank Holiday!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 01/09/2021 15:16

They didn’t care. They just wanted something to fill the time they were at home.

Sisisimone · 01/09/2021 15:30

Oh right so you bought a lockdown puppy but everyone else who bought one made an inconsidered and selfish choice?

The type of people who would leave a puppy home all day whilst at work would do it whether lockdown happened or not. I know of a few people in my office pre-lockdown that did exactly this.

We got a puppy in lockdown, we'd been planning to for years and took advantage of us being home 24/7 for all the intensive puppy training and toilet training needed in the first few months. If we had to have gone back to the office there's such a thing as doggy daycare. As it stands I will not be going back in. Large financial institution now committed to home working. I like WFH so if I lost this job I would get another remote working job, there's alot of them around.
I find it hard to believe you can hear 5 different puppies howling and crying tbh

icedcoffees · 01/09/2021 15:32

In my experience (as a dog walker) most owners have been doing their best to train and work with their dogs - the dogs certainly haven't been forgotten and the owners certainly do care!

Yes, some people will be in for a massive shock but that would be the case regardless of when they got their pups. It's nothing to do with lockdown.

Original poster

copernicium · 01/09/2021 15:35

@Sisisimone if you read my full post, I may have brought my puppy during lockdown but it had been planned before people even had heard of covid and I have no office to return to ever...

OP posts:

Tinkerbellfluffyboots79 · 01/09/2021 15:37

My puppy is still at home with me, he is 1
We chose to get him pre covid/lockdown with plans in place. Not everyone just leaves their dog all day. He will quite happily stay at home for a couple of hours, not that we really leave him often but then we knew working hours pre covid and had a plan. Other people will sort it out and yes it’s cruel to leave a puppy at home all day now people have gone back to work. Address that with your neighbours as clearly you are annoyed by them. Whinge at them

Sisisimone · 01/09/2021 15:45

[quote copernicium]@Sisisimone if you read my full post, I may have brought my puppy during lockdown but it had been planned before people even had heard of covid and I have no office to return to ever...[/quote]
Yes as will many others who bought puppies during lockdown. What makes you think your situation is unique? If you had been planning to get a puppy for a long time then of course taking advantage of being there 24/7 in those early months makes sense. And of course there is always the possibility of going back to work. Pre covid millions of people went to work and had a dog. Not every dog owner has to be at home all day. People make the necessary arrangements for their own situation- take dog to work, doggy daycare, dog walkers, family help, split shifts with partners etc etc. I dont think there are many people who would get a job with no thought whatsoever as to who would look after it when they were not there

Concernedaboutgranny · 01/09/2021 15:47

Oh right so you bought a lockdown puppy but everyone else who bought one made an inconsidered and selfish choice? grin

Well quite!

rookiemere · 01/09/2021 15:48

I agree OP. It's heartbreaking if you go on sites like Petsathome or Gumtree (not sure why I do it) and people selling dogs less than one year old because they have to go back to the office, although of course this may be subtext for dog required training and dog walking when I'm not around so couldn't be bothered.

GuyFawkesDay · 01/09/2021 15:53

Ours howls sometimes....not because he's alone but because he doesn't like it if I'm in a different room!

DH is working from home on every day apart from my days off so there's always someone here with him but we will train him to be on his own too.

Not everyone is feckless.

BiteyShark · 01/09/2021 15:55

I am at home 95% of the time and this absolutely won't ever change

I don't think you can ever assume something won't happen which causes you to have to work or not be in the house.

Ironically my dog was bought when I worked in the office more than at home. He went to daycare and still does despite being at home since covid started with no sign of going back.

I think a lot of people have their own reason for getting a dog just like you have. Some will be responsible and some won't as they were pre covid.

Missfelipe · 01/09/2021 15:57

Not everyone who got a ‘lockdown’ puppy/dog was/has been irresponsible however I’m currently trying to manage people in my team back to the office and have several people who didn’t think this through and are having trouble making arrangements (walker/daycare) and one who doesn’t want to come back because the dog ‘needs them’. I wish I was joking.

Sisisimone · 01/09/2021 16:00

people selling dogs less than one year old because they have to go back to the office, although of course this may be subtext for dog required training and dog walking

Exactly. Good excuse when they wouldn't be able to sell and recoup losses if they told the truth about why they wanted to re-home. Used to see alot of 're-selling due to child's allergies' prior to this.

Darthwader · 01/09/2021 16:01

Yes, everybody else is a shit dog owner but you. Well done!

Original poster

copernicium · 01/09/2021 16:04

@Missfelipe this is what I mean. Obviously with everything in the world, there are good and bad people...but comments like this, adverts of dogs for sale, endless dogs barking...people genuinely seem to not know what to do now they are back at work. Literally like they thought they'd be at home forever.

OP posts:

LadyCatStark · 01/09/2021 16:04

DH and I both work flexibly and on the rare occasions when we would have to leave him for more than a couple of hours, he’ll come to work with me. And if that wasn’t possible we have 2 neighbours who’ve offered to have him. Is that acceptable to you?

BiteyShark · 01/09/2021 16:09

The people I know who got lockdown puppies did it because they knew they would be home during that 'puppy hell training time' and then someone would be around mostly if and when they need to return to the office. If covid had happened when I got mine it would have massively helped so I can see the benefits.

And a lot of people are trying to find excuses not to return to the office based on the threads on MN I can't wait to return so using the dog is a good of an excuse as any

TerrierOrTerror · 01/09/2021 16:10

We have a lockdown puppy - and I freely admit that whilst we had planned to get a dog for many years, a puppy wasn't necessarily the plan until Covid happened.

We have used daycare and walkers since she was four months old, even though I am yet to return to the office. However I am constantly looking at other options and so, so many are full.

Also one thing to consider is companies have backtracked on their home working commitments. I was expecting to go back a maximum of three days a week eventually (a policy which was announced pre covid!), but am now being pushed to do more. If that had been the case a year ago I may not have gotten our pup, but we did, she's now part of the family and unless if was for her own good we would never rehome, we'll make it work.

Anonaymoose · 01/09/2021 16:10

YANBU. Over 25% of new pet owners have regrets. Puppy imports to the Uk increased by 94% last year and over 4 million new dogs were purchased.
A friend of mine who has a business has a member of staff refusing to return for this reason. Not sure why anyone though they'd be working from home for the next 15 years
Oh and the veterinary profession is at crisis point. There are nowhere near enough vets and nurses for the number of pets in the UK. The staff that are left behind are leaving in their droves due to burnout. All bar I think one practice in my home city has closed its books to new clients. I foresee trouble ahead.

1forAll74 · 01/09/2021 16:11

There are a few new puppy owners in my village, all lockdown puppies for their children. Several times a week now, there are messages on the community FB thing, asking for puppy sitters and puppy walkers, and puppy trainers etc. It's an unreal situation really, to my way of thinking of being a dog owner.

Shirleyphallus · 01/09/2021 16:12

I’m also dubious of the claim that you can hear 5 puppies howling and crying right now

I bought a lockdown puppy because my husband and I continue to WFH part time.

Original poster

copernicium · 01/09/2021 16:25

@TerrierOrTerror we know the neighbours quite well and most work in hospitality so I can't imagine they were hoping for home working...

Of course there are going to be good owners who are making good plans, but so many haven't.

Love how everyone is telling me what I can hear

OP posts:

SpiderinaWingMirror · 01/09/2021 16:26

We have a lockdown puppy. We got him cos had wanted a dog for years. But couldn't be at home for a long enough block of time to cater for a puppy.
Always had a plan for dog day care. Looks like that won't be needed.

ramarama · 01/09/2021 16:26

I am one of the humans benefiting from this trend - my boss bought a new puppy during lockdown and has now declared he will not be enforcing any particular number of days in the office for his own team - because he wants to be at home with his new dog. So I get to WFH :-)

Original poster

copernicium · 01/09/2021 16:34

@ramarama haha love it! You could get a puppy now 😉

OP posts:

rocketpower · 01/09/2021 16:35

To be honest, and please take this the right way, you are going to have to let lots of dog-related stuff go because people around you are always going to do things with their dog a different way to the way you do it. So I know it might be cathartic to rant about all the lockdown puppies on an anonymous forum but you're just winding yourself up. You either need to let it go or actually get out there and engage with these people in a friendly, non-judgemental way and help educate them - and that's if they're even open to that (unlikely).

I met a man with a tiny puppy last week. A poodle I think. He told me it had separation anxiety. Separation anxiety! It's a tiny puppy, it's not got SA, it's just a baby, right? But if I'd have said that he'd have shut down and gone away feeling crap. So I told him about some resources that had info on SA and puppies on general. He didn't sound particularly keen on checking them out but I tried and that's all you can do.

I met another man with a reactive rescue like mine. I moved out of his way to help both of us and we chatted briefly. He told me she needed "a very firm hand" and proceeded to yank the lead to tighten the collar as a "correction". I don't agree with that method. I don't think it will help. But he didn't ask for my advice or my opinion so I wished him good luck and on we went.

Not everyone will treat their dog right and the sooner you come to terms with that the better. Offer friendly non-judgemental help when it's appropriate and other than that just let it go. It's a bit like bad food on a restaurant. Either complain or get on with it, but don't grumble about it under your breath and then tell the waiter everything is fine.

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