Are you buying a working breed for the right reasons?

Since the start of lockdown, I have been getting more and more enquiries about buying puppies. People are asking if I know of any for sale or if I can source a certain breed for them. Many of these enquiries are looking for a working breed. These are the kind of reasons I am hearing for buying a puppy now:

• we go for lots of walks so a working breed that needs a lot of exercise would be good for us
  • you go for lots of walks now but when you go back to work, is that going to continue? Will you be going for long walks when it’s dark and raining? Let’s be honest, how many people are currently walking past your house with their dogs that you have never seen before? It’s likely that these dogs are usually under exercised and in the future, your dog may be too.
• everyone is at home so it’s a good time to introduce a new puppy
  • when everyone goes, back to work or school or uni, that puppy will be spending lots more time alone. This is a huge adjustment when at the start they were surrounded by people and can cause separation anxiety when normal life resumes.
• we have lots of time to train a new puppy
  • yes, you do and that’s great. When you go back to work you will have a lot less time and by then, your working breed will need a lot more training.

I’m not saying don’t buy a puppy, I’m saying think very carefully before you do. Think about the breed and whether you have the time and space for it in your normal, everyday life. If you want to chat about your decision, give me a call.

Posted: May 5, 2020