Tues 18th Dec: A natural way to live

Puppies at our Homing Centres have lots of playmates

There's only one good thing about having so many dogs and puppies at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre right now, and that's that they are all well socialised.    Socialisation when young sets the foundation for a dog's whole life, and in a small country like Hong Kong where there isn't much space it's vital that dogs are able to get along with other dogs when out walking or playing in dogs parks.

Penelope loves her walks but not other dogs she meets

Some breeds have a genetic tendency to be difficult with others, like the French bulldog, and then it's even more important to introduce them to other puppies when they are still young and naturally playful.  We're currently dealing with Frenchie-cross Penelope's lack of manners (to put it mildly) when she's out for a walk and spots another dog, and it makes life very difficult for everyone when you have a dog-reactive dog.  Walking becomes so stressful, and there's no pleasure at all when you're constantly looking out for who might be coming round the corner.

Many of the questionnaires that I receive are from very nice people who really want to adopt a puppy but they are out at work all day.  The first six months of a puppy's experiences are what will set it up for life, so without anyone at home to train it, play with it, walk and socialise it, you end up with an adult that may well be very difficult, shy and awkward with other dogs.   The formative period is so important and it makes me sad to know that many puppies lead solitary and lonely lives with nothing to do and nobody to play with.

Dogs are adaptable animals that are happy to live anywhere, but they aren't by nature solitary and will always live in family groups, or packs.   At the very least if you need to be at work and leave a dog alone for hours at a time there should be a pair so they have each other as company.   An old photo from a few years ago popped up as a Facebook memory and it shows one of my early rescue dogs, Sandy, in the middle of a group of puppies all lying at my feet while I worked at my desk.  Sandy was foster mother to all of the puppies who came to my house,  and this photo shows what's natural behaviour for dogs.

Terrier Sandy with an assortment of puppies