Been thinking of getting a dog?

Every year dogs are bought as presents at Xmas. In itself this is not necessarily a bad thing but only if it is done with the full knowledge of what is involved and definitely only if all members of the family are involved in the decision.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Dec 2015, 06:24 BST
When Borders Pet Rescue look for potential new homes for a dog we look for households where the maximum time left alone would be around four hours.When Borders Pet Rescue look for potential new homes for a dog we look for households where the maximum time left alone would be around four hours.
When Borders Pet Rescue look for potential new homes for a dog we look for households where the maximum time left alone would be around four hours.

Also it is vital that people know that they have the ability to give the dog everything it needs to live a contented and full life and the effects on the pet if they cannot.

If, as a household, your new dog would be left alone for say five hours or more on a regular basis please seriously consider the potential damage you could be doing to it.

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There is no doubt that all dogs and situations are different but, in our experience, not many canines would choose that way of life at all. We have continually developed and bred dogs through the ages to be social and integrated with us and to deny them human company and interaction can lead to serious behavioural issues.

They don’t adapt well to kennel life at the centre and their often stressed state makes them so much harder to re home as a result. Regularly we see peeing and/or pooing in the kennels along with destruction of their bedding. Hyperactivity and excessive excitability around people is also often observed. This can result in a dog that jumps up on people and mouths at hands or clothing. This attention seeking behaviour can be really dangerous especially if the dog is large or powerful and if there are children or the elderly exposed to it. Putting these dogs back into the kennel block following exercise or socialisation can be a dangerous process.

Separation anxiety and lack of socialisation are often linked and are major barriers to developing a fulfilled and well adjusted dog. Before getting your new dog, please stop and think for a moment.

Can you offer it the right environment in which to develop fully and do you have the time or inclination to expose your dog to a wide variety of social situations and life experiences on a daily basis? If you can’t or won’t then please consider getting a dog later on when your circumstances are more favourable. Otherwise your dog may be, at best, unhappy and depressed and, at worst, dangerous and unpredictable to humans and other dogs alike; through no fault of its own!