First heat
If you’ve got a little female puppy at home, first heat might catch you off guard, so it’s not a bad idea to make some preparations ahead.
Getting your pet from a breeding mill is no longer just a matter of dogs. Nowadays, you are "guaranteed" to be able to purchase cheaply and quickly also cats, various species of rodents or even hedgehogs. What is more, breeding mill owners are increasingly inventive and rely on people's lack of knowledge and carelessness. What to watch out for if you suspect that your pet is from that sort of environment?
Whether it is a puppy, a cat or a rat, their stay in a breeding mill at the start of their life (their most important stage of learning the basics of socialisation) is exactly the same. In the vast majority of cases, animals raised in this way must survive in catastrophic conditions - the premises are unsuitable and often crammed with a large number of animals having to share cages that are way too small.
Breeding mill owners buy the cheapest feeds, which are usually of poor quality, and do not provide any further care to these young animals that could be malnourished. Conditions in terms of hygiene are insufficient because with such a large number of animals the owners have not got enough time to keep all the cages and pens clean. Such traumatising experience, unfortunately, affects the pets in their future life.
Health and behaviour problems
Problems can come as early as two weeks after bringing your new family member home. They can vary from animal to animal. In general, be aware that the original owners did not invest much into the breeding. Breeding mills are a business focusing on a quick profit.
Animals are often not wormed, vaccinated and can suffer from various genetic defects. It is a good idea to take your pet for a check-up to a vet, who can detect some of these problems immediately. You should, however, bear in mind that other veterinary expenses will follow. Your four-legged friend should, for example, have his bones and joints examined as they can be deformed or dislocated due to a poor diet and a lack of movement.
Dogs, but generally all animals in breeding mills, also suffer mentally because there is little interaction with the outside world or other animals and humans. No one really cares for them there or gives them what they need. They feel unloved. That is why they are more scared of their surroundings, they are more aggressive and generally quite dangerous for their new family as they are afraid that their previous experience will repeat.
Be patient
The key is to be patient with such a pet. It is very likely that they are not going to listen to you straight away and it might take time for them to start trusting you and treat you as their friend. Some behavioural problems may still show even after several years of the animal being in your care. However, even though you feel sorry for them, rather than spoiling them start building your relationship from scratch. Otherwise they might gradually become too much for you to handle.
If you’ve got a little female puppy at home, first heat might catch you off guard, so it’s not a bad idea to make some preparations ahead.
Domestic dog is the oldest domesticated animal and it has provided accompaniment to humans for 14 thousand years at the minimum. During this time, it underwent numerous changes and a long development. All the dog breeds of today are a result of human...
With their appearance, the chinchillas just attract cuddling. They look a bit like plush toys and their eyes like beads give them a friendly and a kind-hearted look. But don’t let yourself be fooled! These rodents are definitely no phlegmatic pets with...
I am not much of a horse person, but from time to time, I like to go horse riding. Usually, I leave my fuzzy friends at home. The presence of horses upsets them. When I was getting my dog fellows, I didn’t think about the fact that not all the breeds...
Like master, like dog. You have probably heard before from someone that your dog fits you very well or maybe even, that you look alike. At least to me, it happens very often. However, that dogs sometimes tend to behave like people and they resemble us...
If you take pride in your nicely groomed garden and your dog belongs to the category of the so-called diggers, it probably doesn’t make you very happy. However, frantic digging in earth doesn’t please not even us, who wink at a few holes in the grass....
Calling a dog is without any doubt one of the most important commands that the dog should reliably master at any situation. Most often, we call the dog using the command “come”, but we can also emphasise it with a whistle. It pays off mainly in...
I have always thought, that I know my four-legged fellows to their last hair, but there’s always something that manages to surprise me and there’s always a lot to learn from them. Some of the myths are so deep-rooted, that one doesn’t even fall upon...
Simply put: much better, than us, humans. And cats even hear much better than dogs. But from experience, I can say, that it also depends on what and whom they want to listen to. How is it with dogs?
Does your dog beg for food at the table? Do they beg even from strangers when you’re at a restaurant? Then you should know, that you are one-hundredth percent guilty of this yourself. If a dog learns to beg for human food, it is an educational mistake....
When the weather is lovely rather for ducks than dogs for a longer period of time and long walks don’t come into question, my fluffy friends are getting get bored at home and start with their shenanigans. I always try to think of a home activity to...
Recently, my friend has bought a puppy of a Staffordshire bull terrier. It didn’t take long for her to find out, how much energy is hidden in this tiny bitch. And not even several hours long walks weren’t enough to tire her. And that’s precisely what...