Making the most of a dog's life

PETS:If you are looking for a new member of the family but are worried about breeding and bloodlines, a rescued animal is the perfect solution, writes BRIAN O'CONNELL

CAN REMEMBER THE moment I felt we were banjaxed as a country. About six years ago, I was told a friend bought a TV and DVD player “for the dog room”. The fact that he had yet to buy a dog didn’t matter – having a pimped-up canine crib in place was the primary concern.

This was around the same time when the likes of Paris Hilton and other celebrities thought nothing of splashing €1,000 on a poodle to go with a favourite purse. Dogs had gone from being sources of comfort and joy, to just another dispensable commodity. But it seems dogs are once again being reclaimed as family pets, chosen because of their suitability and owner’s ability to cater for them, as opposed to how they take to a blow-dry or whether they look good in Gucci.

Statistics tell us there are somewhere in the region of 1.3 million documented pets in Ireland, and of these 424,000 are dogs. Next weekend, Pet Expo, a two-day showcase event, will host one of the largest ever breeders’ events in Ireland, with more than 50 dog breeders present. Interestingly though, almost as much space is being given to rescued dogs requiring a home, and prospective owners will be able to chat with experts about the pros and cons of taking in a rescued dog, or buying a pedigree.

Conor Dowling, chief inspector with the ISPCA, estimates there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of dogs the society has homed in recent years. It’s a knock-on effect. Some families who bought expensive pedigree dogs are finding they can no longer afford to care for them and these dogs end up in animal shelters. Similarly, breeders are finding less and less demand for the dogs they are producing and some dogs have come from puppy farms into the animal-rescue system.

“The bottom line I suppose is that we have more nice dogs than ever before. We have quite a few pedigree dogs people would recognise, as well as big dogs due to the finances of feeding and caring for them. I noticed a number of Great Danes come through, which would have been very unusual a few years ago.”

One family who went the pet-rescue route successfully are the Dinnigans from Malahide. “About two years ago we got a four-month-old Golden Retriever from Dog’s Aid, a charity in Ballymun,” says Aoibhinn Dinnigan. “We had an eight-month-old at the time plus two other children and we wanted a dog to give the kids something to be responsible for. Then last summer we went to an open day the charity was having and we got another one, a collie cross, as company for the dog. We were very careful. When we got the retriever we were told those breeds were great with kids. They don’t allow you take a dog they don’t know the history of.”

Do your research in advance and make sure the dog knows who is boss from day one, advises Dinnigan. “With a dog you can’t ever trust them. We had to make very strong sentiments towards the children to let the dog know it was at the bottom of the pile in the house. The dog is never fed from the table or until after we have eaten, and the dog never leaves the house before us.”

Pet Expo is at the RDS, October 8th and 9th. petexpo.ie

Dos and don'ts of getting a dog

JIM STEPHENS, pet behaviour counsellor

"Opt for a puppy aged between six and 12 weeks, regardless of whether you go for pedigree or rescue. After 12 weeks they become fearful of new things.

"If opting for a pedigree, go to a reputable breeder via the Irish Kennel Club. They will have already exposed the dog to everyday stimuli and can give you guidance. Ensure you have registration papers, microchip ID and the option of six weeks' free insurance.

"If you are taking a rescue dog, go to a reputable agency where they will know how the dog was treated in the past. Many rescue dogs now arise because good owners have emigrated or lost their job. Opt for a dog that comes to you, or interacts with your family. The cute little ones, which shy away, can often have problems integrating."