Lockdown pets - a crisis in the making?
Discussion
Seemingly, everyone has bought a dog during lockdown.
In our rural location, the barking at all hours of the day has increased noticeably. When I venture into the suburbs of the nearby city, every teenager and family group has a CockerDoodlePoo on a smart new lead.
Notably, the farmers and people who work locally haven't been the ones buying new puppies. It has been the working people, who formerly used to head off to the office daily. One young lady had two medium-sized dogs that I have seen her walk twice in the five years that she has had them. Lockdown saw her add a third.
It seems likely that we have seen an irreversible tectonic shift in working patterns, but a great many people will still be required to return to their offices, factories and other places of work, that aren't the spare bedroom.
Are we soon to see a great many lockdown pets being left alone for extended periods, and not being looked after properly?
In our rural location, the barking at all hours of the day has increased noticeably. When I venture into the suburbs of the nearby city, every teenager and family group has a CockerDoodlePoo on a smart new lead.
Notably, the farmers and people who work locally haven't been the ones buying new puppies. It has been the working people, who formerly used to head off to the office daily. One young lady had two medium-sized dogs that I have seen her walk twice in the five years that she has had them. Lockdown saw her add a third.
It seems likely that we have seen an irreversible tectonic shift in working patterns, but a great many people will still be required to return to their offices, factories and other places of work, that aren't the spare bedroom.
Are we soon to see a great many lockdown pets being left alone for extended periods, and not being looked after properly?
I read a few days ago that record numbers of dogs are being taken in to rescue centres as people return to the office, realising that they cannot look after their dogs properly or the kids are bored of it etc, many got dogs that had never entertained a dog before, it's a sad situation.
We are on holiday in Cornwall currently, the amount of dogs, mainly Cockerpoo types and Daschunds, is phenomenal.
I said it would happen.
We are on holiday in Cornwall currently, the amount of dogs, mainly Cockerpoo types and Daschunds, is phenomenal.
I said it would happen.
It is a terrible situation and as you say, a disaster waiting to happen, or actually happening.
Breeders have mercilessly taken advantage of the situation, and had their animals pumping out litters over the last 12 months, and we have seen prices of puppies rise to £4000 in some cases.
Long standing dog owners, or those who work with their dogs have found themselves unable to acquire replacement dogs due to the insane prices. I’m a member of a few shooting chat groups, and guys that would normally buy dogs as both pets and to work, have been totally unable to buy anything.
Almost every family I see in the Lakes at the moment seems to have a puppy with them.
This will rapidly turn into a serious crisis of unwanted animals.
Awful.
Breeders have mercilessly taken advantage of the situation, and had their animals pumping out litters over the last 12 months, and we have seen prices of puppies rise to £4000 in some cases.
Long standing dog owners, or those who work with their dogs have found themselves unable to acquire replacement dogs due to the insane prices. I’m a member of a few shooting chat groups, and guys that would normally buy dogs as both pets and to work, have been totally unable to buy anything.
Almost every family I see in the Lakes at the moment seems to have a puppy with them.
This will rapidly turn into a serious crisis of unwanted animals.
Awful.
I agree.
Sadly we lost our greyhound a few years ago and did consider getting another one at the start of lockdown.
However we are still on the newsletter group for the kennels. They broke their re-homing record three months in a row in 2020 and continue to see very high demand to the point they are now running complicated waiting lists an its turning into a bidding war which was never what the owner of the kennel set out to do.
As others have said, its all going to come crumbling down and kennels will struggle to take dogs back.
Sadly we lost our greyhound a few years ago and did consider getting another one at the start of lockdown.
However we are still on the newsletter group for the kennels. They broke their re-homing record three months in a row in 2020 and continue to see very high demand to the point they are now running complicated waiting lists an its turning into a bidding war which was never what the owner of the kennel set out to do.
As others have said, its all going to come crumbling down and kennels will struggle to take dogs back.
You can see it happening, look on gumtree etc.
10 month old puppy for sale.. trying to claw back some cash now they know lockdowns over and work is looming. Had there bit of fun but don't want the full time responsibility now reality has set in and the dogs not a puppy anymore.
Although I seen something the other day I found funny, a woman bought her cavalahasacokerpoo thing.. one of them cross bread fashion dogs. Anyway a year later it turns out it was actually a cross from an Irish wolfhound and the things about as tall as her lol she still loves it though.
10 month old puppy for sale.. trying to claw back some cash now they know lockdowns over and work is looming. Had there bit of fun but don't want the full time responsibility now reality has set in and the dogs not a puppy anymore.
Although I seen something the other day I found funny, a woman bought her cavalahasacokerpoo thing.. one of them cross bread fashion dogs. Anyway a year later it turns out it was actually a cross from an Irish wolfhound and the things about as tall as her lol she still loves it though.
hotchy said:
You can see it happening, look on gumtree etc.
10 month old puppy for sale.. trying to claw back some cash now they know lockdowns over and work is looming. Had there bit of fun but don't want the full time responsibility now reality has set in and the dogs not a puppy anymore.
.
This absolutely disgusts me beyond belief. 10 month old puppy for sale.. trying to claw back some cash now they know lockdowns over and work is looming. Had there bit of fun but don't want the full time responsibility now reality has set in and the dogs not a puppy anymore.
.
We were working owners when we had ours and he just slept all day, but the type of people listed above clearly had no long term vision at all. What id they think was going to happen?!?
New dog owners aren’t all bad though. Yes, lockdown has been the pivotal point for my family in finally deciding to get a dog, but we’ve done our research too. I’ve been researching the right breed for my family for a number of years, working habits have now changed for me and my partner indefinitely and we were aware of the enormous responsibilities that come with dog ownership.
But I agree that not every new dog owner will be able to meet their responsibilities. I noticed a massive increase in dogs this last week in the lakes. What I also noticed was a massive increase in this:
It made me so angry and sad to see. I spent a whole afternoon with a carrier bag picking up other peoples’ crap.
I hope it will all settle down in a year or so but I fear the next twelve months will sadly see a massive increase in unwanted dogs and poor dog ownership.
But I agree that not every new dog owner will be able to meet their responsibilities. I noticed a massive increase in dogs this last week in the lakes. What I also noticed was a massive increase in this:
It made me so angry and sad to see. I spent a whole afternoon with a carrier bag picking up other peoples’ crap.
I hope it will all settle down in a year or so but I fear the next twelve months will sadly see a massive increase in unwanted dogs and poor dog ownership.
Just out of curiosity I had a look on Gumtree for puppies for sale. The number of people selling litters of puppies for c£2-3k each is unbelievable. In one advert, they had a litter of eleven puppies, all for sale at £2,500 each.
I guess people must still be buying them, but I'm staggered supply isn't now massively out-stripping demand.
I guess people must still be buying them, but I'm staggered supply isn't now massively out-stripping demand.
yeager2004 said:
Just out of curiosity I had a look on Gumtree for puppies for sale. The number of people selling litters of puppies for c£2-3k each is unbelievable. In one advert, they had a litter of eleven puppies, all for sale at £2,500 each.
I guess people must still be buying them, but I'm staggered supply isn't now massively out-stripping demand.
I would say we are at peak now and it will drop off a cliff very soon, with many "breeders" stuck with unwanted puppies. I guess people must still be buying them, but I'm staggered supply isn't now massively out-stripping demand.
Far Cough said:
They must be using Gumtree etc to try and sell the dog on as they have not hit the rescue center's yet. Had a look last week at the usual , Battersea & Dogs Trust and unless you want a pit bull , they dont have much.
The dogs are being sold on Facebook/Gumtree etc as the owners are desperately trying to get back some of their £2500, £3000, £4000, etc.They won't be hitting rescue centres at the moment, but soon the tipping point will come where no one wants to buy them anymore, and thousands of people are trying to get rid of them. Then the rescue centres will be bursting at the seams.
We have German Shepherds, and we know them pretty well.
The puppies are lovely for the first 6 months. Then they hit teenage angst and they are really hard work for the next year. If you're really on it, you end up with a wonderful dog. If you're not on it, they're a mess, and really, really hard to change. Worst case, they've had a bad experience and are fearful or aggressive.
If you search for GSDs on Gumtree, there are loads of year old dogs that will need a vast amount of work to make good. Next step will have them in rescues listed as "must be only dog in the house, no pets no children".
The puppies are lovely for the first 6 months. Then they hit teenage angst and they are really hard work for the next year. If you're really on it, you end up with a wonderful dog. If you're not on it, they're a mess, and really, really hard to change. Worst case, they've had a bad experience and are fearful or aggressive.
If you search for GSDs on Gumtree, there are loads of year old dogs that will need a vast amount of work to make good. Next step will have them in rescues listed as "must be only dog in the house, no pets no children".
Have a nearly 5 year old Schnauzer, wife and I had talked about adding another at some point as company for him, was looking to get one about now as I would have retired, but saw the prices that was being asked, and I simply wasn't going to pay 2k plus for a puppy, when our dog only was 800 quid.
Wife was persistant and kept looking, and we found a couple having pups from their own pets, and wanted 1200 quid, which I could stomach, so back in December we brought Alfie home. Now I am retired and they get all the attention they need
Prices are still sky high, and demand is still there, it will end with a hell of a lot of unwanted dogs, and the breeder's seem to have profited greatly over lockdown, when demand falls only then will the prices, but can't see them going back to the level they were.
Wife was persistant and kept looking, and we found a couple having pups from their own pets, and wanted 1200 quid, which I could stomach, so back in December we brought Alfie home. Now I am retired and they get all the attention they need
Prices are still sky high, and demand is still there, it will end with a hell of a lot of unwanted dogs, and the breeder's seem to have profited greatly over lockdown, when demand falls only then will the prices, but can't see them going back to the level they were.
I could see this coming a mile away, I can completely see that people will be trying to recoup some of thier outlay having paid up to 4k for a dog last summer which was obviously stupid money in any sensible persons view, unfortunately they will sell the dogs to the highest bidder not to who is going to be the best owner for the dog, then again it's what a lot of breeders have resorted to too.
Sadly I can imagine when the holidays abroad get going in full swing and new owners see the cost of kennel fees then abandoning the dogs will start to become more common still just to avoid kennel fees.
Sadly I can imagine when the holidays abroad get going in full swing and new owners see the cost of kennel fees then abandoning the dogs will start to become more common still just to avoid kennel fees.
Not just dogs. We have been waiting about a year to move into our house and after a lot of research decided when we do we will get a cat. Finally moving in end of May so looking at cats who will be ready to leave their mother mid to late June. The world has gone crazy! What was a £900 cat is now £1500-2000!!!
Although look at how cute my little Theo is alrwady at just 3 weeks!
The breeders i have been happy to deal with have been very selective and have shown a good level of responsibility of course their have been those who haven’t but I chose not to carry on dealing with these!
Although look at how cute my little Theo is alrwady at just 3 weeks!
The breeders i have been happy to deal with have been very selective and have shown a good level of responsibility of course their have been those who haven’t but I chose not to carry on dealing with these!
I think it's become utterly ridiculous; met a chap today with a posh type of pit bull, he had paid £4500 for it 4 months ago! I seem to recall them as being rather common and cheap in dog shelters... Also, to echo what a previous poster said re GSDs, a chap I know bought a gorgeous GSD pup, smashing dog, well natured, friendly etc. Not seen him for a while and caught up a few weeks ago, dog is now a grown-up and is utterly uncontrollable and nasty with it - bit Chester who used to be his friend.
For reference, Chester is my fat useless Basset who cost me £170 9 years ago, I still think I was mugged...
I take them both to the park every day (Phoebe is now a VERY old lady - 14 - and very infirm so we go to a place where we park and she only has to wall about 30 feet to be in a hedge she can destroy) and every dog it seems is a Cockerpoo or a Labradoodle or some other mongrel with a fancy name and all seem to cost thousands. when I was young(er) these were called 'mutts' and were either given away or cost a fiver at most! The only dogs that actually cost money were proper pedigree hounds and that was because (allegedly) you knew what you were getting rather than potentially some insane mongrel. I was always okay as I like insane mongrels
For reference, Chester is my fat useless Basset who cost me £170 9 years ago, I still think I was mugged...
I take them both to the park every day (Phoebe is now a VERY old lady - 14 - and very infirm so we go to a place where we park and she only has to wall about 30 feet to be in a hedge she can destroy) and every dog it seems is a Cockerpoo or a Labradoodle or some other mongrel with a fancy name and all seem to cost thousands. when I was young(er) these were called 'mutts' and were either given away or cost a fiver at most! The only dogs that actually cost money were proper pedigree hounds and that was because (allegedly) you knew what you were getting rather than potentially some insane mongrel. I was always okay as I like insane mongrels
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