Shocked at number of rescue pugs out there....

[Wally & Crew]

does everybody there treat their pets grand? Do you not see poor dogs chained up to 3 ft. chains in the back yard with a tiny dog house and no shade? do you not see abuse cases of any sort? do most families have dogs or is it a novelty sort of thing? do young families have dogs or mostly single folks or older folks? just curious do many folks have more than one dog, or is one dog/house more common? I cannot believe more folks aren't breeding their pets if it is uncommon to spay and neuter there. here you can look in the paper at any time and go out that day and buy whatever breed you are wanting. in pretty much every city it is like that really. folks looking to make an extra buck all the time.

[Mopsomaniac]

Danes can't be different that any other group of people. I'm sure there are some people here that don't treat their pets well, as there are som cases of child abuse here too.

Social norms are a bit different here. Society is very organized (for good and bad), and population density is high. Many people don't have yards and those who do don't just leave their dogs out - neighbors would complain. Most people with dogs have one (they are expensve and in over 90% of Danish families both people work - don't worry neighbors or dog sitters come by at lunch time), but some have two or more. All agegroups of people have dogs here.

I can't really figure out why people don't spay and neuter here - owners just "watch out" when the bitch is in heat, and male dog owners have their hands full in the spring! Most see it as an unnecessary operation unless their dog or the owner is emotionally or physically troubled by the dog being "whole". It is very uncommon to breed here. With both people at work, it is very hard to arrange.
Dogs here are on a leash at all times, or loose at the owners side. In the 25 years I have lived here I have really never seen a dog without the owner. It is quite amazing.

DK has a 2 year warranty on all goods purchased and that includes dogs. So for 2 years the buyer can ask for their money back, new dog, or a portion of their money back, if the puppy turns out to have hereditary health problems, etc.
Msybe that makes for more responsible dog breeding??

There is though, a new sad trend the last few years. Young girls, or young couples without children, that live in the city have started to want dogs - fashion dogs. Since the waiting list for dogs here is so great, some people (probably people with the same mentality as your BYBs) have started to import puppies fra Poland. They sell them as "raised in our own home" but in fact the puppies are shipped in from bad conditions in Poland. Many dogs have health problems, but when the breeder is contacted, they are suddenly "gone" (false address, false telefon number, etc.) Luckily, there has been a storm about it in the media, and the police have been cracking down on there operations.

[Heike]

Danes can't be different that any other group of people. I'm sure there are some people here that don't treat their pets well, as there are som cases of child abuse here too.

Social norms are a bit different here. Society is very organized (for good and bad), and population density is high. Many people don't have yards and those who do don't just leave their dogs out - neighbors would complain. Most people with dogs have one (they are expensve and in over 90% of Danish families both people work - don't worry neighbors or dog sitters come by at lunch time), but some have two or more. All agegroups of people have dogs here.

I can't really figure out why people don't spay and neuter here - owners just "watch out" when the bitch is in heat, and male dog owners have their hands full in the spring! Most see it as an unnecessary operation unless their dog or the owner is emotionally or physically troubled by the dog being "whole". It is very uncommon to breed here. With both people at work, it is very hard to arrange.
Dogs here are on a leash at all times, or loose at the owners side. In the 25 years I have lived here I have really never seen a dog without the owner. It is quite amazing.

DK has a 2 year warranty on all goods purchased and that includes dogs. So for 2 years the buyer can ask for their money back, new dog, or a portion of their money back, if the puppy turns out to have hereditary health problems, etc.
Msybe that makes for more responsible dog breeding??

There is though, a new sad trend the last few years. Young girls, or young couples without children, that live in the city have started to want dogs - fashion dogs. Since the waiting list for dogs here is so great, some people (probably people with the same mentality as your BYBs) have started to import puppies fra Poland. They sell them as "raised in our own home" but in fact the puppies are shipped in from bad conditions in Poland. Many dogs have health problems, but when the breeder is contacted, they are suddenly "gone" (false address, false telefon number, etc.) Luckily, there has been a storm about it in the media, and the police have been cracking down on there operations.

growing up in germany i don't recall dogs living outside like they do here. dogs at the shelter also don't get put down. you are required to register your dog with the city and you have to pay "Hundesteuer" (dog taxes).
my brother bought a appenzeller Sennenhund mixed with .... (i forgot what) for over 400 Euro. when my mom told me, i thought she was kidding. after 2 years i finally was able to talk them into getting paula fixed.
when i went to visit earlier this year, we had to go and visit the local pharmacist. she adopted fridolin from the local county shelter. absolutely gorgeous. fridolin is not fixed. he also has a bed behind the counter. i don't think she would be allowed to do this here. same with restaurants. dogs can go to the restaurant with you.
somehow people take more responsibility in the central/ northern european countries.

i did not know the 2 year warranty also goes for dogs. i thought it was only stuff like shoes. returned old shoes once when they broke and got a refund lol

[Mopsomaniac]

We have dog taxes here too. And vets only treat pets/dogs that are chipped/registered.
A dog is sold here with 3 x worm cure, 2 x vaccinations, EU passport, pedigree, registration in the Danish Kennel Klub, health book, and usually food, toys, blanket from home, etc. as well as the 2 year warranty. I thought it was strange too - the warranty, but it's a great thing.

[Wally & Crew]

so there aren't any restrictions about where you can take your pet? They can go anywhere? Do people take their pets to work all the time also? That might play a part, as here it is very restricted where your pet can go.
Personally I prefer fixed dogs. You don't have to deal with heats and the mess of that in your house and you don't have studly boy dogs strutting around peeing everywhere. Females at least only come into heat every so often, but males. I think a nice neutered male is so much nicer than an intact male especially in the house. As much as dogs are in public and going with their owner's there, you would think there would be a lot of concern over behavior and females in heat and marking males, ect...

interesting conversation.

[Mopsomaniac]

Dogs don't go to work with owners here - only service dogs or service dogs in training. People here work so much that most people with dogs and or children choose to work flex hours. So one leaves early and comes home early and another leases late and comes home late. That way kids can be dropped off at scholl/kiddy care and dogs can be seen to. Even then, a neighbor ot dog sitter is usually involved if there goes more than 5 hours where the dog is alone.

Most dogs start obedience classes soon after they arrive in their new homes. Females in heat are on a leash at all times in that period and males are taught not to mark through obedience training. My daughter has a French Bulldog male that is 1½ years and he only marks (or pees) when she gives the command. She wouldn't dream of neutering him (unless problems arise) and is not planning to breed him. Maybe it's an insurance issue here too. All dogs must have dog insurance and the owner that does not have control over their dog (not on leash) must pay all expenses of whelping (vet, operations, medicine, finding homes, shots for puppies, worming, food, etc.)if accidents of nature occur. The insurance covers the expence and then claims it from the "guilty party".

[Stazz]

Yep, exactly. I walk the pugs early morning, and late in the evening. Mornings are difficult, but without the sun late at night, its actually not that bad, we go on longer walks at night, and have fun :)

Dogs are very popular here despite their price, but then everything is expensive in Denmark ;)

I've often wondered how pugs kan manage in such hot places as Dubai. Do they go out only at night and in the early morning? As for them being abandoned in that way, there's just no excuse for it. I really have a hard time imagining what people think sometimes....unfortunately.

[KismetPuggies]

We have dog taxes here too. And vets only treat pets/dogs that are chipped/registered.
A dog is sold here with 3 x worm cure, 2 x vaccinations, EU passport, pedigree, registration in the Danish Kennel Klub, health book, and usually food, toys, blanket from home, etc. as well as the 2 year warranty. I thought it was strange too - the warranty, but it's a great thing.

In my ever so humble opinion.. ALL breeders, regardless of the country they live in, should have their pups chipped, de-wormed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks old, vaccinate at 8 weeks and again at 12 if they are kept that long, and go home with a blanket, toy, food, parental pedigrees and paperwork for the country's kennel club puppy registration, and an entire folder of information on that dog specifically and the breed in general. They should also go home with a weight chart tracking the puppy from birth on, and the breeder should be available for the life of the puppy in case the owners have questions or concerns, and take the dog back at any time if there is a genetic problem, not just for two years. I know I'm a snob about this, but it's what I do and it's what I expect when I am buying a new breeder for my kennels. I do not want to go to some "breeder" who does not de-worm, who does not remove dew claws, who doesn't take that puppy to the vet even one time all because it "costs too much" and eats into their profits.. that infuriates me and I would prefer not to deal with back yard breeders. ~steps down off my soapbox~

[evfc]

I don't think a lot of people think enough before they decide on getting a pet. They react emotionally when they make the decision and then when the reality of long term care kicks in, they lose interest. It's sad.

[Mopsomaniac]

I totally agreee with Kaytee, but not all buyers stop to think and check up as they should. Tehy fall in love with a puppy in a pet shop or ad in the paper and then they are sold. If conditions are bad at the breeders, many feel they ar "rescueing" the pup, instead of providing the breeder with incentive to continue.
Kaytee, it's great that there are really decent breeders that care aobut their pups forever. You sound like the breeder I bought Effie from here. She called the whole litter in on their 1st birthday and paid for total vet check up, head to toe. Effies brother has a slight problem with his back leg, and to be sure she has now offered to x-ray the entire litter for HD and Patella Luxation plus back x-rays. All this is at her expense and not required by law here. She wants to make sure she is creating healthy offspring.