Weds 22nd Jan: Let's talk about size

These pups came to us on 9th January

It happens all the time, we have a dog or puppy at the Homing Centre for weeks and we're wondering how come nobody has shown any particular interest, then all of a sudden multiple homes are offered and there's a rush to adopt.  It happened with puppy Kit, and now it's his sister Tinker who's Miss Popular, but initially nobody asked about her.  I know gorgeous fuzzy-faced Gabby will be next, but so far there hasn't been any real interest in the other sibling Lottie.  I suspect it's because she doesn't look like a small-sized puppy, but she is.   Anyway with puppies that we know will grow into smaller-sized adults there's no pressure on us to find homes because even as older pups they will be easy so we'll wait.

Lexi going home for the New Year 

Lexi also had a lot of interest suddenly, and she was adopted this morning so obviously no longer available.

Which brings me to the question we get asked all the time, and I really do mean at every Whiskers N Paws afternoon and with every puppy:  how big will it be?  Unless the puppy is a known breed the answer is always we really don't know.  With litters like the four just mentioned we know they will be small as adults, medium at most, because they have short legs. 

Freddie from a previous litter looks so much like Gabby

We've also taken in and homed many similar puppies and have seen them as adults so I can pretty much guarantee the final size.  However with most mixed breeds there's no way of telling what they will grow up to look like or what their size will be, and it's only when they're a few months old that you can make a rough estimate.  Even then, there's a second growth period which takes place between eight months and a year, so when it looks as though a teenage puppy is done with growing, suddenly a few more inches appear.

The thing is, does it really matter what the ultimate size is unless you're looking for a very small dog?The difference between twenty and thirty kilos only makes a difference if the dog is out of control and being walked by someone who can't handle it, and that's down to training and using a harness like an Easywalker which is specifically designed to prevent pulling.

In this video taken by volunteer Claudia last Saturday https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/videos/1021810948176595/?eid=ARDNaNtAlchjEX3FA7vXfyeu9OT_zQgPT0yiu9wOznZPyz9HSSJn3qYVk0wD4jM1XKX8foG3c80ArYyr&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=560806777&fref=tag, you can see that small puppy Wilf has a huge personality and is very bold, while large puppy Tiger is calm and gentle.  Adele is halfway between, being medium-sized (I think) and very active and playful but also a sweet and loving girl. Size really isn't the deciding factor when choosing a puppy unless you really have a small home.  It also isn't true that small dogs need less exercise than large ones because some small dogs are really energetic (like terriers and poodles), while giants like Great Danes are more couch potatoes.

Regarding the space at home and whether it's fair to keep dogs in apartments, I can say without hesitation that a dog doesn't care as long as it has its family.  The only thing you need to provide is adequate exercise and the opportunity for the dog to run and play with other dogs, and to experience life outside of the home.   The only drawback to living in an apartment is that the initial toilet training (to go outside) can be more of a challenge, especially if you live in a highrise and there's a long wait for the elevator.  As an adult though, a dog should be able to hold everything in until you get outside.

My dogs snoozing until I take them outside

An outside space or garden is definitely a bonus, but in Hong Kong it's a luxury and it doesn't mean you can't adopt a dog if you don't have one.  I have a large outside garden for my Lamma dogs and they are free to come and go as they please, but if I'm inside, the dogs want to be inside with me too.

There was very sad news this morning as we heard that Scarlet's baby was found dead by the foster parent, so in the end both Cara and Scarlet ended up losing their puppies.  The only consolation is that both dogs can now get on with their lives without having to wait until their pups are weaned, and Cara has already had several offers for when she's ready to leave hospital.  As a rescue organsation it's never our desire or intention that any of our dogs have puppies, but sometimes it's out of our control.