Do you really need that dog?

It’s been three months since Dadar-based remedial teacher Shraddha Prabhu was forced to rehome her pet dog, Angel. Bring up the subject today and Prabhu is remorseful. A year ago, Prabhu and her family adopted a then one-month old Angel from a Pune-based dog lover who saved the puppy from getting crushed under a tractor.

Prabhu prepared herself for her pet’s arrival but was taken by surprise when Angel arrived because she was unusually aggressive. “The dog bit my husband and son, that too severely. She liked my maid, the watchman and the newspaper boy who were associated with ‘going out’. But whenever we called out her name, she used to snarl,” Prabhu recalls.

Out of desperation, the family approached a pet counsellor who delivered the stunning news: Angel is a hound dog, a breed with very high levels of energy (her one hour morning and evening walks were futile), and is not wired for a life in a flat. “There was so much that we didn’t know about the dog. Angel and my family were so frustrated. After talking to the counsellor, we decided to rehome her,” she says. After a pause Prabhu adds, “But what happened to me happens to only one in hundreds of people.”

Sadly, Prabhu is wrong. Taronish P Bulsara, founder, World For All Animal Care and Adoptions, says his organisation rescues 13-14 dogs (like Great Danes and Labradors with behavioural issues) from all over Mumbai every day. “People who never had pets do not know what they are getting into in terms of behavioural issues, when they decide to get one,” he explains.

That’s where pre-pet counselling comes in.

Meet the professionals
Pune-based professional dog trainer Meera Thosar’s website, Happy Tails, poses a list of serious questions to potential pet-owners. “Why are you getting a dog? Is an adult pet or puppy best suited for you?” asks the pre-pet counselling page of the website. “What breed will best suit your family?” and “Identify the right breeder?” are some of the other questions asked in the website to help people realise that their decision to adopt a pet is the beginning of a life-long commitment.

Thosar’s been offering pre-pet counselling services for almost seven years now. When a family approaches her for a session, the canine behaviour expert insists on meeting the entire family. “Generally, women are not fond of having a dog in the family. Kids may look after the pet the first week but when they get busy with school, the responsibility falls on the mother. I ask the family to think about it only when everyone’s ready for a pet.”

She further explains that when a family goes out to choose a puppy, they must do so with an empty wallet at least the first few times. “Buying a pet must not be an impulsive decision,” she cautions. On the few occasions that Thosar accompanies a family on such visits, she runs a quick ‘temperament test’ by petting the puppy and observing his/her reaction to being at close quarters with humans. This helps her assess the pup’s behavioural traits.

Time for homework
Pre-pet counsellors and canine behaviourists agree that Indians’ knowledge of dog breeds and their behavioural traits is inadequate, if not poor. “Now, many people get the Siberian Husky, which is a sled dog, that has a high level of energy. They cannot get used to living in cities like Mumbai and Pune,” says an incredulous Thosar. “Some people opt for the friendly Labradors and demand that it be trained as a guard dog!”

Prajakta Kakade, a Mumbai-based canine trainer and behaviour counsellor, advises potential pet owners check the behavioural traits of the pup’s parents. “If the mother is
aggressive, the pup can be too,” she says.

Kakade remembers the surge in the popularity of pugs following the Vodaphone advertisements. “But most of these owners are not aware of the health issues that pugs have, like heart diseases,” says Kakade. “When a family approaches me I ask them where they see themselves in five years. If they have plans to relocate, I ask them who will take care of the dog,” she adds.

Shirin Merchant, internationally accredited canine trainer, behaviourist and editor of Woof! magazine, narrates instances of clients breaking down while asking for help. “If pet dogs cannot get used to their new families, owners tend to feel guilty and depressed. They even have nervous breakdowns.”

Dogs that don’t get along with their families are usually rehomed in factories or bungalows in Alibaug and Lonvala, says Merchant. Thosar agrees that an unsuitable pet dog can cause emotional upheaval. “Sometimes, buying a pet without being fully prepared can even end a marriage,” she warns.