Behaviour and Research Department, Dogs Trust, London, UK
Behaviour and Research Department, Dogs Trust, London, UK.
Vet Rec. 2020 Aug 8;187(3):112. doi: 10.1136/vr.105789.
Puppy acquisition decisions may impact upon the health and behaviour of these dogs in later life. It is widely recommended by welfare organisations and veterinary bodies that puppies should not leave maternal care until at least eight weeks (56 days) of age, and that when acquiring a puppy it should be viewed with its mother.
Owner-reported prospective data were used to explore risk factors for puppy acquisition age, and whether the mother was viewed during acquisition, within a cohort of dog owners participating in an ongoing longitudinal project.
A quarter (461/1844) of puppies were acquired under eight weeks of age and 8.1 per cent were obtained without viewing the mother (n=149). Only 1.6 per cent of puppies were obtained under eight weeks of age and without the mother being seen (n=30). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that owners who intended their puppy to be a working dog, visited their puppy prior to acquisition, and/or obtained a puppy of unknown breed composition had increased odds of acquiring a puppy under eight weeks of age. The odds also increased as the number of dogs in the household increased but decreased as annual income rose. Owners who visited their puppy prior to acquisition, obtained a Kennel Club registered puppy, viewed the puppy's father, and/or collected their puppy from the breeder's home had decreased odds of acquiring a puppy without viewing the mother.
Targeting interventions towards identified owners who are more likely to acquire a puppy against current recommendations could help reduce these types of acquisitions.
幼犬的获取决定可能会影响它们日后的健康和行为。福利组织和兽医机构普遍建议，幼犬至少要到 8 周（56 天）大才能离开母犬的照顾，而且在获取幼犬时，应该与母犬一起观察。
利用主人报告的前瞻性数据，在一个正在进行的纵向项目中，对参与研究的犬主人队列进行了探索，以了解幼犬获取年龄的风险因素，以及是否在获取幼犬时观察其母犬。
四分之一（461/1844）的幼犬在 8 周龄以下被获取，8.1%（n=149）是在未观察到母犬的情况下获取的。只有 1.6%（n=30）的幼犬在 8 周龄以下且未观察到母犬的情况下被获取。多变量逻辑回归分析显示，那些打算让幼犬成为工作犬的、在获取幼犬之前就去看望过幼犬的、或获取的幼犬未知品种组成的主人，他们在 8 周龄以下获取幼犬的可能性更大。随着家庭中狗的数量增加，这种可能性也会增加，但随着年收入的增加而减少。那些在获取幼犬之前就去看望过幼犬的、获取了英国养犬俱乐部注册的幼犬的、观察了幼犬的父亲的、或从饲养者家中获取幼犬的主人，他们获取未观察母犬的幼犬的可能性降低。
针对那些更有可能违反当前建议获取幼犬的特定主人进行干预，可能有助于减少这种类型的获取。
