Lockdown puppy boom may see a busy autumn for dog-and-cat homes – Susan Morrison

There’s nothing like seeing a bounding hound on the sand raise the spirits. Chuck a stick at the seaside for an enthusiastic mutt and you’ve got a friend for life, a four-legged personal trainer who’s probably improving your mental health as well.

Reality always kicks in quickly, though. I’ve never actually owned or trained a dog. There was a family dog called Whisky. He was a Border collie crossed with something else, possibly a Vulcan. Smart dog. We did not train Whisky. It was very much the other way around.

How would I start training a dog? At least there are puppy schools now. Years ago we had Barbara Woodhouse. She frightened me, never mind the dogs.

Apparently, you needed a commanding air, a tweed skirt and a horrible choking lead around the dog’s throat. I’m too short for that Englishwoman commandeering type and I don’t suit tweed. And the chain thing just looked cruel.

Dogs need a lot of looking after, unlike our cat Gertie. We don’t look after her. She tolerates us, as long as we make with the kitty nibbles and the ear tickles.

Also, she’s also one part black cat and nine parts psychopath. I’m not sure how she’d take to a puppy. No, scratch that, I know exactly how she’d react and it does involve those sharp claws.

So I sigh, and just enjoy the sight of a red setter doing a handbrake turn on the beach. And, of course, coo over the astonishing number of puppies on the Prom these days.

Cruella de Ville would re-think her plans for a Dalmation coat if she saw the 101 puppies at Porty. Little Dachshunds, French Bulldogs and tiny terriers all bundles of shiny fur, twinkly eyes and button noses.

We can guess why the puppy population boom. It’s lockdown, let's get a dog. And gosh, they are cute. But when the puppies grow up and lockdown ends, what happens then?

The Dog and Cat home might be busy in the autumn.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.