Small dogs, like Dachshunds, need plenty of walkies too! (Image: Getty)
A dog trainer has revealed some of the biggest mistakes people make when adopting a rescue dog based on common canine myths that simply aren’t true.
She says the most common misconception and number one myth surrounding dogs is thinking that small dogs don’t need daily walks.
In the UK, around 664,000 dogs enter animal shelters each year which means that there are plenty of wonderful pups out there needing new homes.
And while adopting a shelter pet is an ethical way to get a dog, many people make big mistakes when deciding which kind of dog is right for them.
So Jo Middleton, owner and course tutor at the Canine Principles training provider, has shared the much-believed myths that may lead owners to adopt the wrong dog for them entirely and the number one myth involves small dogs.
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She said: “Adopting a new pet is a big responsibility, and while many new owners think they are being responsible, this may be based on misinformation, or believing commonly circulated myths.
“The biggest myth is that small dogs don’t need daily walks. All dogs, regardless of size, have the same needs. Just because you’re a small tea cup terrier doesn’t mean you don’t have energy you need to burn, places to go, things to sniff to keep both your body and mind in tip top condition.”
A second myth surrounding small dogs, Jo says, is that “small dogs don’t need training and discipline”.
She explained: “A small dog may not be physically able to cause the same extent of damage as a Doberman, for example, however, it has the same number of teeth which are capable of causing serious damage.
“Have you ever been out walking your dog to have a tiny terrier come flying at you, teeth bared, hackles up, barking and yapping, showing every indication that this is not a friendly approach, yet the owner is ten fathoms away shouting ‘he’s friendly, he’s only little’. Had this had been the Doberman approaching the terrier in that manner, would that have been acceptable?”
Jo also shares the other common myths about rescue dog ownership that you must read before rescuing a dog.
A dog walker exercises her small charges (Image: Getty)
MYTH: “Anti-social and aggressive dogs can’t be rehabilitated.”
Jo said: “Most dogs can be rehabilitated or managed successfully, but these dogs require commitments. A commitment to understanding them, a commitment to reward based training and likely the financial commitment of providing specialist help, from suitably qualified and experienced positive behaviourists.”
MYTH: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
Jo said: “All dogs have the capacity for learning, regardless of age, however what isn’t taken into consideration when we look at a sweeping statement like this is that all dogs have different learning styles. Older dogs learn differently to young, energetic puppies. Yes, their learning process will be slower, but you certainly can teach an old dog new tricks.”
MYTH: “Love is all dogs need”
Jo said: “It is a common misconception that all a rescue dog needs is love and they will be forever grateful to you for rescuing them. Without question, dogs need love, care and respect, but it doesn’t end there. A rescue dog has the same needs as a non-rescue dog, exercise both physically and mentally, training, socialisation and exposure to the world. We need to look at their minimum needs first, then love.
MYTH: “Dogs do destructive things to get even with you”
Jo said: “It is a slippery slope when we project our emotions onto a dog. Dogs do not have the same emotional maturity as us. It is thought that dogs emotions are roughly at the same level as a two-year-old child. Would a two-year-old child be labelled as getting even with you for damaging a belonging of yours? Dogs generally chew, out of boredom or anxiety, not because they are plotting against us.
MYTH: “I don’t have a big garden, so I can’t have an active dog.”
Jo said: “Gardens don’t exercise dogs, people do, your ability to rehome an active dog is completely dependent on the amount of physical and mental exercise you are willing to provide for him. Many dogs, who do not get sufficient physical exercise or mental stimulation, will find their own entertainment which may come in the form of barking or destructive behaviour.
MYTH: “Smart dogs are easier.”
Jo said: “The majority of breeds labelled as intelligent need an awful lot of work to keep them occupied, both physical, to burn off their energy and mental exercise to tire out the brain. Active breeds revel in sports, such as; canicross, agility, flyball, and need more than a gentle walk around the park every day. Intelligent breeds need to be busy; if they’re not busy they will find a way to entertain themselves which could include anything from destructive behaviours to obsessive compulsive behaviours.
*To find out more about Canine Principles, and access a free course to help you prepare to adopt a rescue dog, go to