I know of a dog that is being cruelly treated. Can Dogs Trust help this poor dog?

Whilst we are totally sympathetic and concerned over any dog that is treated cruelly or neglected, sadly we cannot offer any practical help in these situations. This is because we have no legal powers at all. We can only help stop cruelty through our welfare campaigns, advocacy work and education, and of course, to find dogs good new homes through our Rehoming Centres.

Please contact the RSPCA 24 hour national cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999, SSPCA (Scotland) 0870 7377 722, or your local police to report any cruelty.

A neighbour’s dog is left alone every day from 7am to 9.30pm, and often weekends from 10am to midnight in a metal cage with concrete floor and a wooden shed for shelter. The dog is fed and watered, but constantly left alone. What can I do to help this poor dog?

Under the Animal Welfare Act (or the Animal Health and Welfare Act in Scotland) it is now an offence if someone is looking after an animal in a way that does not cater for the animals needs.  Dogs need appropriate exercise, feeding and comoanionship.

Please call your local Police or local authority as they should be able to guide you.

You may want to try the RSPCA (or SSPCA in Scotland) as they are able to prosecute owners and remove animals if they are being mistreated. Please call the RSPCA 24 hour national cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999 or the Scottish SPCA on the following numbers;

Inverness & Highland: 01463 231191

Aberdeen: 01224 581 236

South and Central Belt: 0870 73 77722.

Of course, if the owner decides to give up the dog, we, or another organisation may be able to help with rehoming. If this is the case then please ask the owner to contact their nearest Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre or local alternative for more information.

My dog has started being aggressive to people and/or dogs. Please can you offer some advice?

Whilst we are able to advise on a wide range of behaviour problems by email or telephone, we are unable to offer help with those involving aggression because it is impossible to offer advice without a one-to-one consultation to establish the often complicated cause for the behaviour. Advice given from an inaccurate diagnosis could prove harmful to yourself, your dog or other people and is not a risk that should be taken.

Please seek the advice of your vet to ensure that the problem is not being caused by a medical condition and then ask for a referral to a reputable local pet behaviourist, preferably a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (01386 751151, www.apbc.org.uk) or the UK Registry of Canine Behaviourists (01274 835381, www.ukrcb.co.uk). In the meantime, if appropriate, please consider muzzling your dog in the situations where you or other people and dogs may be at risk from being bitten.
If your dog was adopted from Dogs Trust, please contact the relevant Rehoming Centre as they should be able to offer advice or assistance with your dog.

My dog seems unwell. If I describe to you her symptoms, please could you give me an idea of what may be wrong with her?

Although we are able to give information on general health problems, I am afraid that we are unable to advise on specific cases. This is because it is impossible and unsafe for your dog for anyone to give advice without an actual personal consultation.

Please discuss any aspect of your dog’s medical condition with your vet or vet nurse. If you are not confident of your vet’s abilities or require a second opinion, please ask your vet to refer you to another vet, along with all of your dog‘s medical records.
Once you have a diagnosis, we may be able to help with general information about that condition, but your vet really is the best source of information as far as your dog is concerned.

My family is considering buying or adopting a dog. If I describe our lifestyle and requirements to you, could you recommend a particular breed and/or an individual dog waiting to be adopted from one of your Rehoming Centres?

Please contact your nearest Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre to discuss the type of dog you would like and to find out if we have any dogs that would be suitable for you. You will need to visit the centre at least once to fill out a rehoming questionnaire to help our Canine Carers find you a dog that will most suit your lifestyle and requirements. We do not currently hold a single central register of all of the dogs in our care since the turnover is too fast to keep accurate records and may cause disappointment to potential adopters. Please visit Rehoming for more information about adopting a dog from Dogs Trust.

I suffer from an allergy to most dogs, but would love to have one in my life. Can you tell me what breeds are most suitable for allergy sufferers?

In general, the non-moulting terrier types tend to cause less of a problem to people with allergies and asthma. You may also find that a crossbreed containing one or more of these breeds may also be suitable. For example:

Bedlington Terrier
Bichon Frise
Cairn Terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Miniature and Giant Schnauzer
Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodle
Sealyham Terrier
Welsh Terrier
Chinese Crested
Mexican Hairless
Airedale Terrier
Australian Silky Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Irish Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier
Afghan Hound
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Curly Coated Retriever
Irish Water Spaniel
Greyhounds, Whippets and some Lurchers (particularly Bedlington Terrier/Whippet crosses) can also be tolerated as they tend not to moult very much.

Ideally, try to spend time with your chosen breed before purchasing a puppy, to see how you are affected. If you decide to purchase a pedigree dog, seek advice regarding the breed - i.e. visit a library and research any information available, speak to owners of that breed, ask the advice of your local veterinary surgery and speak to the breed clubs.
If you do buy a pedigree puppy from a breeder, explain your situation to them and ask if they would be willing to take the puppy back should there be a problem. If they say they will, ensure you get this in writing. Alternatively, if you decide to adopt a dog from a Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, we will of course be happy to take the dog back should a problem arise.

Please can you recommend a good boarding kennel, pet sitter or dog walker in my area?

I am afraid that we are unable to recommend individual boarding kennels, pet sitters or dog walkers since we do not have the resources available to make regular checks on standards to be able to recommend somewhere in good faith. However, we do have a factsheet with helpful advice on the subject. Please check out Finding alternative care for your dog for more information.

I’ve just been told that my puppy is deaf by my vet. The breeder recommends that I have her put to sleep. Is there an alternative to this, as I love my puppy and she is perfectly healthy and normal in every other way?

As long as you are prepared to put that bit of extra work and commitment, deaf dogs can have a reasonably normal life and can be trained once the both of you have got the hang of a few basic principles – the most important of which is that you have to train using hand signals instead of verbal commands. In fact, dogs with perfect hearing actually find it easier to learn using hand signals and so being deaf shouldn’t be too much of a disadvantage in most situations (the obvious exception being recalls).

Barry Eaton is a specialist deaf dog trainer and he has a website http://www.deaf-dogs-help.co.uk/ from which you can purchase his book “Hear, hear” on training deaf dogs. He is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and so we would recommend that you contact him if you find that you need any specialist advice.

You can contact him at Pine Cottage, Station Road, Chilbolton, Hants SO20 6AL Email: barry.eaton@clara.co.uk 
Deafness can be hereditary, so we would not advise anyone to breed from a dog that is deaf – especially if the dog is deaf in both ears.

Can Dogs Trust offer any help to cover the costs of my dog’s operation? He is not covered by insurance and I’m having trouble affording the vet’s fees.

Unfortunately Dogs Trust is not often able to help with the financial cost of veterinary care (other than neutering for those receiving means-tested benefits), as we do not have our own clinics. However, we have a Centenary Trust Fund, which can sometimes help with some of the cost of emergency veterinary treatment. Please call the Centenary Trust Fund line on 020 7833 7625 where you will be asked to leave a message including your vet’s details.

We would also advise you to try one or all of the following organisations that are more veterinary based and may be able to help:
Blue Cross - 01993 822651, PDSA - 0800 7312502, RSPCA - 0300 1234 555. You should also try talking to your vet, as they may agree to let you pay the bill by more manageable instalments.

We had our dog microchipped by Dogs Trust but have moved. Who do we notify about our change of address?

Although we put the microchip into the dog, it is Petlog, based at the Kennel Club, which holds and maintains the register of owners’ details. You can contact Petlog to change your details by ringing 0870 6066751. Please note that there may be a small charge to do this – but it is certainly worth it to make sure your dog is returned to you should he stray or become lost.

Can I help Dogs Trust raise money by recycling my printer cartridges or mobile phone?

You certainly can! If you would like to help us by donating your used cartridges or mobile phones, please contact Reclaim-it by phoning 01635 876900 quoting 'Dogs Trust' or by emailing dogstrust@reclaim-it.com . Reclaim-it will send you a freepost envelope for each individual item.

Can I help Dogs Trust raise money by collecting stamps?

We would love to receive stamps from you for fundraising purposes, but please only send in the following: GB pictorial and Christmas stamps, the regional issues (e.g. lions, dragons etc) - Stamps with a face value of 30p or more, and pre-decimal issues - All foreign - Channel Islands - First-day covers, collections and albums.

Please do not send in the small square 1st and 2nd class Queen’s head stamps as we cannot make any money from these and they take a long time to separate from the stamps of value.
Please post your stamps to: Jenny Thomas c/o Dogs Trust, 17 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7RQ

My dog has been accused of biting someone and apparently they’re going to go to the police. I’m desperately worried that she’ll be taken away and possibly destroyed. What can I do?

First of all, if the police come to take your dog away, you do not have to let them in if they do not have a warrant. The best course of action would be to call the Fury Defence Fund on 01395 512384 and/or visit www.doglaw.co.uk. They specialise in helping owners fight Dangerous Dogs Act cases, will be able to give you advice and put you in touch with a dog specialist solicitor, should you require one.

Our dog has just died. We’d like to have him buried in a pet cemetery. Do you have details of one local to me?

Please try the Association of Private Cemeteries and Crematoria for details of your nearest pet cemetery on 01252 844478 or visit www.appcc.org.uk. You may also find it helpful to read our factsheet Coping with the death of your dog.

I am looking to buy a puppy of a particular breed. Can you recommend any good breeders?

Please contact the Kennel Club – 0870 6066750 or visit www.the-kennel-club.org.uk for lists of breeders – but remember, Kennel Club registration is not a guarantee of responsible breeding - you will need to check on them yourselves to make sure that they are doing a good job of breeding and rearing their pups. Try to find a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder if possible. Please read our factsheet Your new puppy for detailed information on this subject and remember that we also have many different breeds and types of puppies waiting for adoption at most of our Rehoming Centres.

I’ve found a stray dog and don’t want to keep him. What should I do?

If you find a dog, you should check to see if the dog is wearing any form of identification that will enable you to return him directly to his owner.
If not you should take the dog straight to the local police station, or take the dog home and contact the local authority dog warden straight away and arrange for him/her to collect the dog.

Please remember that rehoming organisations can only take dogs that have been directly signed over by their rightful owner for rehoming, or those that have been passed to them by the local authority dog warden after being held for 7 days. Rehoming Centres cannot take strays directly off the street or from well-meaning members of the public except under certain emergency situations.

I’ve found a stray dog. He doesn’t have a collar or tag and I’d like to keep him. What should I do?

If you find a stray dog, hand him over to the dog warden and explain that you would be keen to adopt the dog after the seven day period. The dog warden can then pass on your details to the kennels. If they feel you are suitable you will be expected to go through their normal adoption criteria for transfer of ownership (if the owner is not found). Remember to request details from the dog warden of where the dog will be held and liaise with the kennel manager. Maintaining regular contact with the kennels will enable you to check on the dog's progress and reassure the kennels of your commitment.

Alternatively, you can keep the dog in your home, but you must inform both the dog warden and the police. You are then obliged by law to keep the dog for a period of 28 days. After this period you can keep the dog until such time that a person with proof of ownership claims him – in other words legal ownership is not transferred to you and the original owner may demand the dog back at any time, no matter how long you have kept him or how much money you have spent (including any vet’s fees).

However we would not recommend that you do this for the following reasons. Quite often people take in stray dogs without informing the appropriate authorities such as the local police and the dog warden.  It is a legal requirement for you to do this and if you don’t, you could be accused of theft - the intention to permanently deprive the rightful owner of their property (Theft Act 1968). The description of the dog you leave with the local authority or police may not match up to that of the owner looking for their dog, possibly leading to misunderstandings and preventing a bereft owner from getting their much loved pet back. The dog may have a microchip, which will not be scanned unless he goes into the local authority kennel. One of the major disadvantages of keeping the dog yourself is that it is very easy to become emotionally attached to him and handing the dog back to the owner can be very traumatic. If the owner reclaims the dog through the dog warden, this will enable the dog warden to discuss the responsibilities of dog ownership, give advice on identification and follow up the case if necessary.

The loss of a dog often causes great distress on the part of the owner. In our experience, handing the dog over to the police or dog warden will give the owner the greatest chances of being reunited with their much loved companion.

I and my partner work full-time and are out of the house for most of the day, Monday to Friday. We would love to give a dog a home – would this be fair to a dog and would Dogs Trust let us adopt?

We are often asked if it is possible to adopt a dog from Dogs Trust if the prospective owners work full-time and the dog would have to be left alone all day. As a general rule, the answer is usually no.
We do not recommend that a dog should be left alone for longer than four hours at a time. Even if there is a secure outdoors area where they could spend up to 9 hours a day they could become very bored, distressed and possibly destructive.

If you are considering taking on a puppy rather than an older dog, the potential problems can be greatly increased – for instance, if you are trying to housetrain a puppy the process becomes very complicated and drawn out (sometimes impossible) if they are not constantly supervised. Puppies particularly must have human company during the first year in order that they can be socialised and trained correctly to avoid future problems of aggression and/or fear. All too often these puppies grow up and then end up in our Rehoming Centres because their owners cannot cope with them any longer.

There may be some exceptions however, where Rehoming Centres may rehome an older dog (or dogs) to a family where the owners are out all day. This may be when the owners are prepared to employ a dog walker to walk the dog and give him some company during the day, or when one of the owners is able to take him to work, so you may want to consider these options. It may be that just one hour’s walk in the middle of the day may be enough to make the situation more bearable for a dog. This, coupled with things to make him work and keep him occupied during the day such as giving him stuffed ‘Kongs’, hiding his dried food around the house so that he has search to find it etc, will make a big difference.

If you are lucky enough to find two dogs who are very’ bonded’ together and prefer each other’s company to that of humans, then these dogs will be less distressed at being left alone. You will still have to ensure that they do not become bored and make sure that they are able to get out for ‘toilet breaks’. In most cases though, it makes no difference if the dog has the company of another dog, as it is the owner that he/she misses. There are of course individuals that may not mind being left for a long period of time, but it really is impossible to predict if a puppy will end up like this.

If you are out at work all day and are planning to get a dog or puppy without making any provision for its mental and physical welfare during this time, please reconsider carefully. Perhaps it would be better for all concerned, to delay owning a dog until your circumstances have changed. If you are considering adopting a dog from Dogs Trust, please contact your nearest Rehoming Centre directly for more information and advice.

I’m planning on taking my dog abroad. Where can I find up-to-date information on what I have to do?

You can find current information on the Pet Travel Scheme and quarantine by visiting the website of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or by phoning 0870 241 1710 during normal UK office hours. 

We're thinking about adopting a second dog as a friend for our current dog. What type of dog would you recommend and how should we go about introducing them?

There are many things that need to be considered when deciding whether or not to have more than one dog, one of which is whether your present dog would be happy to share his home with another. There is no easy way to tell if he will be happy or unhappy until you actually try it, so taking on a rescue dog on trial that can be returned to the centre should they not get on, is probably a good way to do this. The main point to remember is that all dogs have different personalities and needs, and when it comes to rescue dogs, different histories that will affect these.

Fortunately most Rehoming Centres will have some idea of the history of a dog and should be able to tell you if they will get on with another dog. Rehoming Centres tend to kennel two or more dogs together in their pens and so will have some idea of how ‘dog-sociable’ they are by the time they are adopted.
 
If you are adopting a new dog from a Rehoming Centre, the staff will guide you through the first introductions and the first few weeks. However, here are the basics;

Introduce the two dogs on the lead on neutral territory. Perhaps take them for a long walk together in a park where your dog does not normally go.

Don’t force them to interact. Let them ignore each other if that’s what they want. They may show more interest after a short weighing-up period.

If one of them immediately tries to attack for no apparent reason, separate them and try again later in the day in a different location. If a dog is injured, you will need to proceed with extreme caution and consider that it may be best not to continue.

In the home, make sure you remove any items that they may fight over before bringing them in to the house. Provide them with their own bedding, which may be separated in different rooms, until you know that they are okay together.

Ignore them both at first and try not to give one more attention than the other. Don’t get involved in any small fights as they need to sort themselves out and it is usually just a lot of noise and teeth gnashing. Of course, you must step in if fights start to become severe enough to cause injury. Be very careful you don’t get bitten in the process. Keep leads on them if this is likely, so you can pull them apart without getting too close.

If fights happen over who gets to sit on the sofa or bed for a cuddle, don’t let either of them up.

Remember that there is always a period of adjustment when a new dog becomes part of the family and there may be the odd small scuffle, which you must try to ignore but these should decrease over time.

Until you can be sure that they get along fine, do not feed them in the same room, try not to leave them alone together and make sure that you remove anything that they may fight over.     

Of course, even if you follow all of this advice, problems may still arise, but considering a lot of families do have more than one dog it is certainly possible and rewarding when it goes well.