Pet Advice: ‘Extreme’ fears over pet ownership boom of dogs and cats
More Aussies than ever before are becoming proud pet owners but there are growing concerns over what this means for the animals themselves.
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More than a third of Aussies have welcomed a new pet into their homes over the past year as demand for companion animals tripled, amid growing concerns over the ‘extremes’ of pet ownership.
Prices for pets have also boomed accordingly as Australians seek stronger companionship at home and a greater connection to their local communities during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the three month gestation period of both dogs and cats, the incredible increase in pet ownership is only just now being realised, as demand for pets in much of March through June last year would have come from the pre-Covid-19 period.
That lag in demand is only now catching up.
According to the Australian National Kennel Council and its state member bodies, interest in and demand for dogs from their breeders has boomed by around 300 per cent, with Dogs NSW suggesting that figure could even be conservative.
“Many ANKC members Australia-wide have mentioned that before they might have been getting one or two emails a day, they are now getting eight to 10 requests for information daily,” Dogs NSW treasurer Rebecca Rafton said.
“Some breeders are getting interest even double that, so that 300 per cent rise may be conservative.”
That spike in demand for dogs has been mirrored across the pet spectrum.
According to new research from Finder, Australia’s most visited comparison website: 36 per cent of Australians welcomed a new pet into the family over the last 12 months so that 42 per cent of Aussies now have at least one dog and 30 per cent have at least one cat.
The increased attractive of pets has resulted in a spike in the number of serious dog bites to owners and also concerns about the extremes of ownership approaches said Channel 10
pet behaviourist, trainer and nutritionist Lara Shannon.
“There needs to be more balance,” she said.
“There is a lot of spoiling, especially in terms of feeding them human food. But there are also those owners who say ‘it’s just a dog, who cares, leave it in the backyard’.
“Dogs need shelter, love and companionship but they also need leadership and boundaries.
“There needs to be a greater balance of dog ownership. There needs to be greater education and understand in how to achieve that.”
Lawyer El Leverington and insurance broker Freddie Evans, both 28, live in an apartment with their Kelpie Gemma but make sure she is well looked after.
“No matter how much we’ve had to drink the night before or how little sleep we’ve had, we take Gem out every morning,” Ms Leverington said.
“And that’s generally enough for her to want to curl up and sleep most of the day.”
Mr Evans works one day from home, plus Gemma goes out with a dog walker a few times a week, and a friend visits regularly to spend the day. And above all, she’s a contented dog that doesn’t chew the furnishings or annoy the neighbours.
“Gemma is the calmest dog in the world and doesn’t bark so she works pretty well for an apartment,” Mr Evans said.
Ms Rafton said it was important to always consider your pet’s needs.
“The aim of pet ownership is about your health and welfare but also that of the dog,” she said.
“They are such a comfort, such a part of the family but you need to treat them like that. You need to spend time with them, enjoy outings with them and keep them active.”
Australia’s favourite dog breeds “under one woof”
WHO IS PET BEHAVIOURIST LARA SHANNON?
After 20 years championing the cause of Borneo’s endangered Orangutans, Lara
Shannon turned her hand to her love of dogs to become one of the country’s foremost canine experts.
The creator and host of Network Ten’s lifestyle show Pooches at Play, and author of the book Eat, Play, Love (your dog) with another on the way, Lara is an uber passionate dog lover with the credentials to prove it - as a certified dog behaviourist, trainer and nutritionist.
“What fascinates me about dogs is the way they behave,” she said.
“I love understanding and trying to understand what dogs do and why they do it. And it’s often not for the reasons we think.”
The extremes of dog ownership worries her.
“There needs to be more balance,” she said.
“There is a lot of spoiling, especially in terms of feeding them human food. But there are also those owners who say ‘it’s just a dog, who cares, leave it in the backyard’. Dogs need shelter, love and companionship but they also need leadership and boundaries. There needs to be a greater balance of dog ownership and hopefully I can play my role in helping owners to understand that and achieve that.”
Who: Pet Behaviourist Lara Shannon.
Where: Pet-friendly apartment in inner-city Melbourne with Darcy and Vindi.
Favourite thing: Darcy and Vindi. They are basically my little boys. They make me smile every day and give me a reason to get up and get moving. They are an essential part of the business, they are my TV co-hosts and they make my home a real home.
Inspiration: All dogs, big and small.
Home is: Where my dogs are!
AT HOME WITH LARA SHANNON
Babushka Dolls
Every time I would see a set of Babushka Dolls I would think how lovely they were. I always wanted some as a kid but for some reason never got them or never must have mentioned it.
I mentioned it once to my partner JC and then for my birthday they turned up in the post. I was seriously like a child when I opened the box. I get childish enjoyment out of them.
Himalyan Rock Salt Lamps
I just adore them. I have them in my lounge, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. They create such peaceful Zen space.
Essential Oil Diffusers
I use different oils to help me concentrate and work, feel uplifted de-stress and sleep. I have different ones in my lounge, bedroom and office/spare room.
‘Fido’
My dog ’teddy bear’ given to me as a gift from my grandparents when I was a child. While I am not one for holding on to much and have donated most of my toys to charity over the years, this is one toy that I will never let go of. I remember thinking this was the best gift I had ever received at the time - clearly I have always loved dogs and must have been destined for forging a career based around them.
Pizza maker
I love pizza, so after seeing one at my friend’s place and how you could make ‘healthy’ pita bread pizzas in just a few minutes I was ’sold’. We use it for our on-set lunches for Pooches at Play filming all the time and all the crew love it too!
Swarovski dog
I’m not much into trinkets but my mum bought me this last year. My mum thought it was cute. and it’s a dog so of course I love it!
Outdoor table and chair setting
I’d been trying to figure out what kind of outdoor setting I wanted for my backyard for a while and hadn’t gotten around to finding anything that I wanted to buy, when one day I was walking the dogs and saw this setting on the pavement that said ‘free to a good home’. I had no way of getting it home and was quite upset as it was perfect in a used kind of way. A guy pulled into a driveway in his ute a few streets down so I
asked if he’d lend me a hand to get the setting home.
He piled me and dogs into his ute, along with the setting, and even carried it all into the yard for me. Now many people might say that was dangerous but I knew he was a good egg as he had two lovely dogs and to this day we still stop and say hi when walking on by.
Mother in law’s tongue
I’m not much of a green thumb so I’m very pleased with all the plants I have around the home that have hung in there through thick and thin. I particularly love this plant in my bedroom as it cleans the toxins from the air as I sleep. A natural wonder!
Darcy & Vindi picture
This is the first drawn picture of my two adopted ‘boys’ together that they received for their recent joint birthday. I wasn’t really looking to get another dog, but sometimes dogs just have a way of finding you, as both Vindi and Darcy did at different times, so some of Darcy’s insta-buddies banded together to get them this as a gift for their birthday.
Darcy hadn’t had party in all of his 8 years (sorry buddy) and we were away filming during Vindi’s 1st birthday so it was a special day and a special memento.
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Originally published as Pet Advice: ‘Extreme’ fears over pet ownership boom of dogs and cats
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