Tues 11th May: Putting a dog's needs first

Percy

Hopefully the second set of "P" puppies will pass their adoption interview taking place this week, and if all goes according to plan that will leave just two from the litter still available, Pringle and Percy, so if you'd like to be the lucky family that will take one or both of these little boys home please contact Cindy to arrange a meeting at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.  I'd love to set a record by having another double adoption, which would make it the first time that an entire litter went home in pairs. 

Pringle

Joshua had his surgery today to remove what was left of one front leg so he's gone to a foster home for the recovery period, while Jilly will also be heading for her post-sugery foster home on Wednesday.  The last of that group of six that came together is terrier Johnnie, a gorgeous young boy who loves playing.  

Johnnie is estimated to be 2 years old

Along with the "T" litter of smaller-sized puppies, Percy, Pringle and Johnnie are also small-medium size, however that doesn't mean they don't need proper exercise. As I've said before, that's like saying tall people are more energetic than short people, which is obviously not the case, and the only size-related truth in the dog world is that giant breeds take up more space but need less exercise than standard types.

The "T" puppies back at the Homing Centre

It's often very difficult to explain that to potential adopters, as many equate small size with small needs, but even chihuahuas love to get out for walks, playing and even hiking. 

The need for a large living space is obviously less for a small dog than a big one, but at the same time many Hong Kong homes are so small that once you have the basics of a bathroom, bedroom (or even just a bed), kitchen or cooking area and furniture, there's not much space left for a dog.

It should always be remembered that no matter how much we love our dogs and treat them as family members, they will always still be dogs and never humans.  They have to adapt to living in a human world and many do so quite happily, while others find the confines of a small home and the heavy traffic of urban areas extremely stressful.  If there's no place in a home for a dog to have some privacy and quiet, especially if there are children, then it puts an enormous amount of pressure on the dog.  I know this to be true, not only because of my experience of living with so many dogs for so many years, but because of the surrender requests that we get which indicate that the family dog is suffering from stress and anxiety  and is exhibiting fear behaviour as a result. 

Many times I struggle with trying to balance the need for homes with the needs of the dogs in terms of the size of the apartment, the location and surrounding environment.  I believe there are minimum requirements for a quality of life for any dog which extend beyond having food and shelter, and companionship of course, and I'm sure we get it wrong sometimes but our priority will always be the welfare and happiness of the dogs.