Fri 12th Aug: Dogs are social animals, not loners

Sophie and Gretel at school today

Our Education & Training Manager, Cactus, took two of our dogs to assist at an educational talk given to a class of YMCA junior campers today.  The subject was responsible ownership and why dog lovers should adopt rather than buying, with Cactus explaining that little schnauzer Gretel had only recently been rescued from a breeder.  Both dogs behaved brilliantly, and were very calm with the children.

Gretel was the only one from the group of breeder schnauzers that had stayed at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, but we are recalling all of the others who are only in foster

Cactus introducing Sophie

homes so they are available to meet potential adopters over the weekend.  They are all gradually being desexed and I saw three at Acorn today when I was there, still asleep after their surgery.  Dr Andy told me that their uteruses were in a bad condition due to constant breeding, and I can only be thankful that these dogs at least have been saved from the horrors of that kind of life. 

I received a call from one of our adopters today asking for help.  The couple already had two shiba inu, one they had brought over from Australia with them and the second adopted from HKDR, and they had taken in a third when they saw an internet post for a new home needed for a young shiba male, just a year old.  Unfortunately, after six months and despite their best attempts at integrating the new boy it wasn't working due to Roshi's guarding behaviour, so I offered to find the dog a new home.  I have already received a couple of potentially suitable offers (and others totally unsuitable of course) so I'm not asking if anyone can take the shiba, just underlining the reason why we try to be very careful about matching the dog with the home, and why so many potential adopters are turned down.

Shiba inu look cute but they are not easy dogs

The original owner of this particular shiba inu was a flight attendant with an irregular work schedule.  That meant there were periods when the dog had constant company and other times when it was left alone for very long hours. A puppy needs companionship and a routine for even the basics of toilet training.  Socialising a puppy is vital if it is to grow into a dog that can get along with other dogs and be relaxed around strangers, and there is a very good reason why we will not let puppies go to homes where they will be alone for long periods. Although every puppy, whatever the breed or size, needs training, play and socialisation in the formative months, it's even more important for breeds that have a tendency to be aggressive with other dogs, such as French bulldogs, Boston terriers - in fact most terriers - and shibas.  In dogs parks around Hong Kong, when there is a fight you can often find a shiba inu involved, and they are not the easiest of breeds by any standards.

Buying, or even adopting, a puppy when you haven't properly thought it through,  the time and commitment involved and the fact that the whole future of this little life depends on you, is foolish at best but also cruel. Puppies aren't playthings for children or substitutes for babies until the real thing comes along, or "things" that can be left at home while the humans are out at work.  They can't entertain and train themselves, or change the fact that they are animals that would naturally be living in family groups, not in isolation.  You can have a dog in any situation, whether it's a huge mansion or a cardboard box at the side of the road, but you can never change its inherent need to be with others.