The first was from a frustrated ex- Cavalier owner who has been waiting over 12 months to get a Golden Retriever puppy. According to the breeders she’s talking to, she’s not even any closer.

The second was from the owner of a new (second) Golden Retriever puppy. She said that due to unprecedented demand, her breeder is only selling to people she’s sold to before. 

Clearly, these two observations are flip sides of the same problem. So before I give you some suggestions, let’s look at what’s happening.

Why Are Puppies So Hard To Get In Australia?

There appear to be three reasons why puppies are in short supply.

First: The Pandemic

Everyone blames COVID, and they’re not completely wrong. As lockdowns hit across Australia in 2020, many families simultaneously decided it would be the perfect time to get a puppy. This led to a sharp increase in demand, but no way to increase supply as quickly.

However, this can’t be the whole explanation or we would have fixed it by now. And in fact, vets had noticed puppy prices rising rapidly for several years before COVID.

Second: A Reduced Puppy Supply

This relates to the disappearance of backyard breeders. Now this must be a good thing because everyone knows that backyard breeders are bad, right?

Right?

In fact, not so fast. In my privileged inner city bubble, I saw very few bad, and lots of very good backyard breeders. Families who wanted to do it just once, or others with just one pair who had a litter every one to two years. They took our advice, weren’t trying to get rich, and brought lots of healthy and well-balanced dogs into the world.

They’re almost all gone now. That’s thanks to some well-intentioned rules on who can breed dogs plus an increasingly judgemental tone especially on social media. But even this isn’t the whole story.

Third: Changing Breeders

Go to any dog show and look at the age of dog breeders. I experienced this personally in 2010 when I wanted to get a second Border Terrier and found that Tinker’s breeder had died. With him went his kennels.

The older breeders who did it for the love of the breed are now a rare breed themselves. There are still good younger breeders coming through, but seemingly not in the same numbers.

Getting A Puppy in 2021 & Beyond

So what to do?

Well, the worst thing would be to fall into the arms of pet stores. The few remaining have benefited greatly from the nationwide puppy shortage and they don’t need any more help. No matter the marketing, their puppies mostly come from places we describe as puppy farms.

As I said before, you need to consider the long term consequences of a pet shop puppy very carefully.

You also need to watch out for the scammers. Visit this regularly updated page to see how bad it is with Cavoodles and you’ll also get some idea of what to look out for.

What I advised the frustrated Golden Retriever seeker to do was to think again. They wanted a Golden Retriever because their friends had one, and they’d fallen in love with it. That is a great reason to choose a breed, but it also shows you something else.

There are many other breeds you will fall in love with if you meet them too. And like I always say, within a day of getting to know any dog, it won’t matter what they look like. You will love them for who they are.

So What Are The Best Dog Breeds In Australia?

There’s not just one breed for each dog owner, but you also need to know what it is you want. For this, I have prepared you a gift.

Visit this page and you’ll find I’ve assembled a list of only 130 dog breeds. Why 130 when there are there are probably 450? Because these ones are everyday dog breeds you can probably own yourself. Most have breeders right here in SA.

You’ll see that I’ve sorted them into categories.

For example, I like dogs who are:

• low maintenance
• small
• full of attitude

Therefore, I can choose from almost any of the Terriers & Schnauzers and the smaller Spitz breeds.

Many people want dogs that don’t shed. They should look at the Low-Shedding Breeds, and so on.

No matter what you want, you will find that there are at least five or ten breeds that all seem OK. So how do you make the final decision? Three ways.

First, Ask Your Vet

Please don’t ask your vet to choose you a breed from the whole list. That’s impossible. But if you email with only five or ten on a shortlist, your vet is likely to be only too happy to help.

They’re going to talk about things like temperament, health and lifestyle differences.

You’ll find this causes your suitable breed list to shrink even further. Now it’s time to throw out the net…

Second, Dog Shows

Another way to broaden your horizons is to visit the local dog shows. This is especially effective on the ‘best of breeds’ day if there are multiple days like the Royal Adelaide Show. It’s one of my favourite treats of the year. I get to see all the breeds assembled in one place and talk to the breeders, who always seem eager to discuss their dogs.

Third, Contact The Breeders

Now using the breeds you’ve shortlisted, go to your breed association and get the contact details of all the registered breeders. You can find SA details here.

Send a friendly email or make a call asking about upcoming litters. Be warned that some may have puppies right now and you’ll need to have thought about your timing in advance.

Even if you get a positive response, you’re not done yet. You need to go out and meet the breeders and their adult dogs to make absolutely sure that this is the dog for you. Don’t be offended if the breeders spend as much time making sure you’re the right owner for their dogs! That’s a good sign.

Then spend your waiting period learning all you can about them. The result of all this is that you may end up with a breed you’d not even heard of before you started looking. But I almost guarantee that you’ll get a lot of satisfaction from going that extra mile.

You Might Also Like: Monthly Costs Of Dog Breeds | 21 Long-Lived & Low-Cost Breeds | List of Good Family Dogs

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

That risk isn’t evenly spread either. Some dogs are much more likely to tear an ACL than others. Two of those four risks are under your control.

Risk Factors For ACL Injuries In Dogs

Let’s take a tour through what we know. I’ll start with the risks you can’t control.

1. Breed

Every vet knows that some breeds are more likely to ‘do a cruciate’ than others. We don’t understand the mechanism, but it’s probably related to the shape of their joints and their tendency for arthritis.

This is a good time to explode a particular myth about dog ACLs. They almost never tear during sporting activities. Most dog cruciate ligaments which rupture have been slowly degenerating for some time until they finally go ‘pop’. This might happen on a walk or a trip to the toilet.

When many owners of affected dogs look back, their dog has been getting little twinges for some time before the failure occurs. The reason for this is that there has been something wrong with the joint for a while. It’s rare for me to operate on a cruciate ligament and not to see pre-existing arthritis for example.

Breeds At Higher Risk Of A Torn ACL

So what are those breeds? The following table comes from a recent Swedish study. Although it’s missing the common Australian breeds, my impressions are that these breeds are rarely affected anyway.

2. Age

The average age for a dog to rupture a cruciate ligament is seven. In other words, they are neither young nor old. But this average hides important differences between breeds too.

There are those that go early.

And those that go late.

Of course, there’s nothing you can do about this once you’ve chosen a dog. The next two are where you can really make a difference.

3. Body Condition

Excess body condition has a significant effect on the risk of cruciate rupture. In the study referenced below, a dog with a torn ACL was around twice as likely to be overweight as an average member of the same breed.

It’s hard to say what this means for the risk of tearing the ACL in the first place, but it also probably also doubles.

Body condition is not the same as body weight. Within a breed, dogs of different sizes but the same body condition do not have a different risk.

4. Desexing Age

The most recently understood risk factor is the age at which a dog is desexed or neutered. Neutering itself does not increase the risk as long as the right time is chosen.

The big message to come out of 2020 is that this risk is unpredictable, and varies greatly between dogs (those pesky breeds again!).

You can imagine my mood when I read the paper and realised I had to write 40 web pages to properly explain the risk for each breed. Let’s just say that you get to reap the benefit and I’m glad it’s over.

There are also some general guidelines for dogs of different sizes. Personally, I would also delay desexing for any of the higher risk breeds shown above.

What About Exercise?

What doesn’t increase the risk is the type of activity of your dog. This fits with my experience; we almost never see Greyhounds with ruptured cruciates for example.

When a dog tears their ACL it’s usually no one’s fault. Not even their own!

If this has happened to your dog, don’t despair. Repair techniques only get better, and after the recovery, a normal life awaits.

You might also like: How To Fix A Torn ACL In Dogs

References

Engdahl, K., Emanuelson, U., Höglund, O., Bergström, A., & Hanson, J. (2021). The epidemiology of cruciate ligament rupture in an insured Swedish dog population. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-11

Lampman, T. J., Lund, E. M., & Lipowitz, A. J. (2003). Cranial cruciate disease: current status of diagnosis, surgery, and risk for disease. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 16(03), 122-126

Terhaar, H. M., Muir, P., Baker, L. A., Binversie, E. E., Chi, J., & Sample, S. J. (2020). Contribution of habitual activity to cruciate ligament rupture in Labrador Retrievers. Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology: VCOT, 33(2), 82

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Nearly any online guide only contains the positive information. A breeder only gives more of the same. As far as everyone is concerned, Scottish Folds are adorable and live long, healthy lives. That’s why so many good, kind people get them.

What Vets Say

My golly they are adorable, but that’s far from the whole story. Ask any vet who’s seen a lot of the breed, and especially any feline specialist. They’ll tell you that most Scottish Folds live in chronic pain, all because their looks have been given priority over their health.

The fact that there’s a debate at all speaks volumes about how bad we are at seeing pain in animals. There’s no doubt that just like I was once, many breeders don’t know what chronic pain looks like. Not the “ow, you stepped on my toe” of acute pain, the slow ache of joints that hurt to move.

The pain we’re talking about manifests as cats that just stay put. They don’t move as much or as far. They don’t even complain in any way you can tell.

Why Scottish Folds Have Health Problems

Folds develop joint pain and stiffness due to a genetic disease called osteochondrodysplasia. It causes the visible folding of ear cartilage, but also invisible abnormalities of cartilage and bone throughout the body. This is especially severe in the elbow and hock joints.

The picture at the start shows the typical appearance of the hocks (i.e. ankles) of a middle-aged cat. You can see severe arthritis, and thickened bone around the hock joint. The elbows look very similar.

Problems start early if recognised by astute owners. Just the other day I saw a Fold barely over one year old who had already become quiet and less active. Some may consider that normal for the breed but of course it shouldn’t be.

Just look at all the pictures of Folds in abnormal postures like here. We need to stop seeing this as cute and see it for what it really is.

These problems lead to others. Folds are truly lovely cats, but as a vet I’ll tell you they rarely tolerate blood sampling, probably because it hurts to hold their legs. They are also known as high shedders, which I suspect is due to their grooming being uncomfortable or difficult.

Can Scottish Folds Be Bred Ethically?

Cat breeders often say that all we need to do is breed a fold to a non-fold cat, so that the offspring have only one abnormal gene. This is false. As long as a cat has a folded ear, by definition the defect is active.

The genetic mutation is autosomal dominant, and so carriers of one gene are still affected. The only benefit of such a pairing is that some kittens will not carry the mutated gene at all. These have normal ears and are often called Scottish Shorthair.

Due to the abnormality being much more than just visual, the Scottish Fold is banned by the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the Fédération Internationale Féline. I never saw it in the UK, but it has taken off in Asia, the USA and Australia where no such restrictions occur. This is despite the clear stance of the RSPCA:

RSPCA Australia believes it is unethical to breed from animals with a genetic mutation that is known to cause painful deformities and disease.

Source: What are the health problems with Scottish Fold cats?

Treatment Of Scottish Fold Problems

Quality of life for most Scottish Folds improves dramatically with treatment. Therefore, do not despair or feel guilty. Instead, seek your vet’s advice.

They may see your cat and say everything’s OK. However, if a discussion reveals your cat to be less active than expected, treatment is likely to bring benefit.

Most Folds I see do extremely well on a very simple and inexpensive anti-inflammatory called meloxicam. It’s easy to give and usually well-tolerated. Once we start, we like to keep an eye on the liver and kidneys, however the most common problem is a gastrointestinal upset.

I know that in the USA meloxicam is only licensed for short-term use, but vets in Australia and elsewhere can use it for far longer periods. I have kept many Scottish Folds on it trouble free from youth through to old age. Not because I wanted to, but because they were clearly happier when I did.

If this isn’t possible there are other treatments that can work, listed here. It’s worth persisting simply because the results can be so good. Controlling a cat’s weight is important too. The Fold pictured here is distressingly overweight and once again I have to ask: ‘is this posture cute or troubling?’

Yes, I’m frustrated at how the breed is promoted, but I won’t take it out on you. Together, we can make your Scottish Fold live a life that’s just as happy as any other cat’s.

Related: My Views On The Munchkin Breed & Grumpy Cat

(And just a little update: the young Fold I mentioned earlier came back 2 weeks later a whole new cat. He was happy, back to his old self again, and would even let us hold his leg to take a second blood sample without complaint!)

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Blue dogs have lots of skin problems

I have heard this said about white dogs in the past, but blue was new. But never being one to assume hearsay is wrong, I did a bit of research. I looked at papers which studied the risk factors for dermatitis in dogs.

Like in all these stories, there’s a grain of truth. So let’s dig it out.

Do Blue Dogs Get Skin Problems?

Firstly, if we’re talking about the most common and troublesome skin disease of dogs, the answer is no. Atopic dermatitis, the skin allergy I see all day every day, is no more common in any blue dog.

Since this is what people seem to be talking about in the dog parks, owners of blue dogs can relax. But where has the idea come from? There are two answers:

Firstly, just think about the common dog breeds with a blue coat colour: French Bulldogs and Staffies. I would estimate that members of these breeds have a 50% risk of suffering from atopic dermatitis. So both being blue and being itchy are breed-related, one doesn’t cause the other.

This mistake is even made in supposedly good science, like saying tortoiseshell cats are more likely to be aggressive. The confounding factor here is gender, and you can follow the link to learn more.

Secondly, the grain of truth is that there is a skin disease of blue dogs. It’s called Colour Dilution Alopecia.

What Is Colour Dilution Alopecia?

Dogs with dilute coat colours, especially blue and fawn, are at risk of a genetic fault in hair growth. It starts between 6 months and 3 years of age, and causes the hair to gradually fall out. Sometimes, secondary bacterial infection can cause the skin to be itchy or scaly, but most of the time it’s only a cosmetic issue.

Colour dilution alopecia is seen mainly in blue Dobermans, but it has also been seen in Chow Chows, Whippets, Poodles, Great Danes, Chihuahuas and Dachshunds. No mention at all of Staffies and Frenchies.

It is a very rare genetic disease. Being blue or fawn may be a risk, but virtually all dogs of these colours are unaffected. In fact, it’s so rare that I’ve never seen it. But it’s probably behind the story that blue dogs get skin problems.

Now let’s get on to colour number two…

Do White Dogs Get Skin Problems?

It’s always been said that dogs with a white coat are more likely to get dermatitis. And just like the blue story, there’s a bit of myth and a bit of truth to it.

The myth is exactly the same as with blue dogs. Three of the most severely affected dog breeds are white: West Highland White terriers, Jack Russell terriers and Dalmatians. They aren’t affected because they’re white, they’re affected because they have a genetic fault.

The truth appears to be in the Bull terrier. In this breed, it does appear that dogs with white hair coats are more likely to have atopic dermatitis. But even here, there are plenty of white Bullies without a problem.

So Are Dog Parks Full Of Myths?

No. The information that’s found at the dog park is nearly always a benefit to dogs and their owners. Yes, I’ve seen some cases of ‘thin-shaming‘ but mostly what’s being shared is going to lead to better dog care.

In fact, I really hope you keep bringing me these snippets. They not only keep me in the loop, they often highlight something worth knowing. And they aren’t always wrong, either.

Sometimes I am. Just read Fact Check #2 and you’ll see what I mean.

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Twenty years ago, Purina demonstrated a two year reduction in lifespan in Labradors kept in a laboratory setting. Now a recent large study in the US has for the first time looked at common dog breeds in the home environment.

Here is what they found, in graphic form.

Weight vs Lifespan Chart

Fascinating isn’t it? I’ve ranked the breeds from smaller to larger, and there’s a clear trend. Smaller breeds suffer the most from being overweight with the same average loss of two years of life. Large breeds have from half to one year taken from their lifespan.

Here’s the same data in tabular form so you can see the numbers.

Weight & Life Span In Dogs

Why Do Small Breeds Lose More?

So let’s come up with some theories for what we see. You are welcome to add your own below. Mine are:

1. Small dogs are allowed to get much more overweight than big dogs. I regularly see small dogs who are 30% above their target weight but for big dogs that number might be 15% before the same people act on it.
2. Small breeds are living longer, so they have more to lose (read here though why I don’t see this in my clinic)
3. Big dogs might have more other diseases limiting their lifespan, especially arthritis and osteosarcoma.

But whatever the reason, it’s a new and striking finding.

Let’s also not forget that it’s not just about how long they live. Several studies have also shown that overweight dogs have reduced quality of life. So now let’s help them live their longest and best lives.

A Positive Conclusion

I know how hard it is for many people. However, it frustrates me when a dog owner says it’s hopeless and they can’t do it. Because they absolutely can.

That’s why I built a whole page devoted to helping you reduce your dog’s weight without blame or judgement. Here’s what a recent reviewer said about it:

Thanks a lot for this comprehensive guide to how to help dogs lose weight. It’s been the most helpful I found on the Web.

Ruth

Here it is, plus some other pages you might like:

• How You CAN Help Your Dog To Lose Weight
• Lifespans of >100 Dog Breeds
• Helping Cats Lose Weight

Reference: Association between life span and body condition in neutered client‐owned dogs

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Grumpy Cat will always be the queen of memes, and perhaps the most famous cat of our time. Until now, I’ve refrained from talking about her death. But hopefully enough time has passed, because there’s a story in it about the future of cats. 

How She Passed Away

It starts with how she died. In the statement posted by her owner at the time, two unusual things stood out:

• She lived to only 7 years of age
• She died of a kidney infection

Why are these things so strange to a vet? 

Cats have an average lifespan of 14 years, so dying at seven is extremely unusual. It’s even more unusual for a cat under veterinary care to die of a kidney infection.

What does this all mean? It’s safe to say that given her worth, she must have received better veterinary care than almost any other cat on the planet. Yet somehow her death looks like she wasn’t cared for at all.

I have a theory based on my experience that has more to do with her special issues than the care she received. To me, Grumpy Cat’s unusual death is best explained by her genetic disease.

What Made Her Special

Grumpy Cat was famous because the shape of her face gave the impression of a permanent frown. She was also much smaller than other cats. Both of these are due to her being affected by feline dwarfism. As was a brother from the same litter.

Her condition was probably the result of a single mutation in the DNA that governed cartilage and bone growth. Dwarfism in cats is incredibly rare, but when you look at it in other species you can see the harm it causes. The mutation is often associated with more widespread defects around the body, and a shortened lifespan. 

The Origins Of Breeds

We can be grateful to Grumpy Cat’s owners that they never took the opportunity to turn her defect into a new breed. Because that’s my point: nearly all new cat breeds come from mutations just like hers.

Traditional cat breeds, like say the Burmese, come from cats in one area evolving different characteristics over a long time, maybe thousands of years. What makes them who they are is the net result of countless small genetic variations. 

New breeds are either crosses of other breeds, or more commonly, the deliberate selection of a new trait. Which often starts as a mutation in a litter just like Grumpy Cat’s.

Breeds Formed By Mutations

Here’s a list of such breeds. With the exception of the Munchkin, all of these were exhibited right here at the Royal Adelaide Show last month.

All of these breeds are formed by a single genetic mutation. In fact, I’m in the privileged position of owning one of them, the Devon Rex. So what I say next will have the ring of hypocrisy about it.

Not all these breeds should exist.

The Effect Of Mutated Genes

The mutations we choose for cosmetic reasons almost always have greater unintended consequences.

Coat mutations affect a cat’s heat regulation and skin health. Cats like the Devon Rex suffer if their owners don’t provide extra heat sources, or insulated areas. Sphynx cats need special skin care.

The American Curl has ears that curl back and inwards, but appears otherwise healthy. That’s in contrast to the Scottish Fold, which suffers painful skeletal abnormalities that I talk about here. Just for the sake of cuteness.

However, even that is small cheese compared with the last group.

The Lethal Genes

Lethal genes are those that are incompatible with life. If a kitten carries two copies, they die before birth. Therefore, these breeds are known to have smaller litter sizes. But that’s not all. Even one copy isn’t safe.

The Manx and the Cymric have a tail-less gene, but what this really means is a ‘spinal deformity’ gene. It doesn’t always confine itself to just the last part.

I have seen Manx kittens unable to urinate and defaecate due to the same spinal defect. There’s no alternative except to euthanase a young kitten who might have only been with the family a month. These are events you never forget.

Munchkins have a lethal form of dwarfism that makes oh-so-cute stubby legs. Their popularity with the public is in complete contrast with their pariah status in the veterinary profession. So far not enough work has been done to document what else might be going wrong.

The Future

The Manx would never be considered ethical today, but exists solely by virtue of its history. Munchkins, I am pleased to say, are still a rare breed in Australia, but we must fight to keep it that way.

We must also fight our natural attraction to novelty. Cats like Grumpy Cat remind us not only that mutations appear all the time, but that they can have very cute results. She was adorable, but she wasn’t all she seemed.

One cat dying like this is very sad. A whole breed is a tragedy.

Related: The Cuteness Trap

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Image: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This final thought comes from Wikipedia and needs no further comment: “The Munchkin has been crossed with the curly-coated LaPerm to create the Skookum, the hairless Sphynx to create the Minskin and Bambino, another curly-coated Selkirk Rex to create the Lambkin, the Persian breed group (which includes Himalayans and Exotic Shorthair) to create the Napoleon, the curled-eared American Curl to create the Kinkalow, the folded-eared Scottish Fold to create the Scottish Kilts, and also with the Bengal to create the Genetta.”

Tardar Sauce  (Grumpy Cat) April 4, 2012 – May 14, 2019

Of course, I would say that, wouldn’t I? I’m a vet after all.

Here’s the problem: if you go and Google “healthiest dog breeds,” those lists you get are just opinions. When I read them, my experience makes me wonder at some of the choices.

Here’s what I’ve done instead: I’ve tried to use the available evidence. That gets me off the hook of being accused of bias and hopefully closer to the truth. I’ve used two different indicators:

1. Dog Breed Health Costs

I’ve used online insurance quotes and plugged in every breed we see in Adelaide. The trick here is simple: insurance companies charge different amounts for different breeds, based on their expected payouts.

I assume (and it’s a safe assumption if a company doesn’t want to go broke) that their costs reflect actual costs at the vet, and therefore health.  Using one insurance company, I selected only the 42 breeds that cost less than $65 a month to insure.

2. Dog Lifespan Studies

For my second indicator, I’ve used the three latest studies on how long dogs live. I’ve averaged them and selected only the 42 breeds that lived 12.5 years or over. These numbers are lower than your dog’s expected lifespan as they start from birth, but they are useful for comparison purposes.

Both these charts can be found below. For my final step, I selected only the 21 dog breeds that appear on both charts. I call this…

The Healthiest Dog Breed List

Interesting list isn’t it! You could do a lot worse than choosing one of these dog breeds. I don’t disagree with any of the selections, but I do think quite a few other good ones are missing.

Read more about each one on our Dog Breeds guide.

Problems With This List

I can immediately see three problems with this list:

• It biases against larger breeds as they are more expensive at the vet for the same health problems. You can look up how they scored individually using the links found below.
• It’s unfair to American Staffordshire, Australian Terrier, Chihuahua, Irish Terrier, Japanese Spitz, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Schnauzer, Shiba Inu, and Tenterfield Terrier. All were under $65 to insure but didn’t appear in any of the lifespan studies. I think they would have qualified.
• ‘Cross Breed’ is a very generic concept that includes Poodle crosses as well as mongrels and rescue dogs. Lifespans should be higher than average but health will depend on the specific crosses involved.

Why Breed Choice Matters

In the midst of sad moments, I often find myself saying, “pet ownership shouldn’t be like this.” Too many dreams of a perfect family pet are shattered by chronic health problems. Some of that could be avoided by using the knowledge of vets.

I dream of a time when a part of everyone’s breed selection process is to ask the local vet for advice. Most will happily give this for free. It won’t be perfect, but it’s the best there is.

Related: Do Large Breeds Live Shorter Lives?

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Appendix

You can view the whole table of 145 dog breed costs here and an explanation of pet insurance here.

Again, you can read the whole table of dog lifespans here.

These are what greyhound adopters reported in a recent study, and I’m not surprised. I see tremendous levels of satisfaction among greyhound owners. They are a genuine alternative for new dog owners.

Like all dog breeds, there are good points and also things you need to know. This is your evidence-based guide to what to expect from an adopted Greyhound. Let’s start with the good things.

What’s Great About Greyhounds

1. They’re quiet: studies show lower levels of nuisance barking than average dogs
2. They have low aggression towards people: this was one of the key findings from the Howell study
3. They are good with children: the same study also showed that they can be considered a family-friendly dog
4. They are good on lead: studies show this but you’ve no doubt also seen how gentle they are on walks
5. They don’t need lots of exercise: They love a run, and still need a daily walk, but nothing too strenuous- weird, huh?
6. They’re healthy: have a look at their inbreeding coefficient and you might just guess why

Plus you get a warm, fuzzy feeling from knowing you saved one. I don’t want to depress you with the numbers but they aren’t good.

Choosing A Greyhound

All breeds have pros and cons, and Greyhounds are no different. However, before I list potential issues, let me say this: choose your Greyhound rescue organisation carefully and you’ll benefit later. Look for a standardised behavioural assessment of:

• Acceptance of handling
• Resource guarding
• Response to new situations
• Prey drive towards small dogs and cats, both on and off the lead

With so many needing adoptions, it’s better for everyone to apply strict selection criteria at the start. And it shows in the figures. The reported failure rates of 3.2% after 1 month and  7% after 6 months are as low as it gets.

Do Greyhounds Need Muzzles?

The rules on greyhound muzzling vary from state to state. Muzzles are not required to be worn in Victoria, whereas in NSW a retraining program is required first. In South Australia, there are three ways to get a muzzle exemption:

• Greyhounds adopted through the GAP program can be awarded the numbered green collar that entitles them to go without a muzzle
• GAP can also organise (for a fee) the assessment of Greyhounds who weren’t acquired through the program
• Private assessment is also possible by qualified and approved persons (see us for recommendations in Adelaide)

In each case, once a dog has passed their assessment, the owner/adopter sends the signed paperwork away to receive a license card that they then carry at all times when out without a muzzle.

Other Greyhounds must be muzzled when not on your property. It’s not as bad as it sounds- their lightweight wire muzzles aren’t a major problem either in looks or use. Greyhounds must also be on a leash at all times when in public. Recently South Australia has been trialing greyhound days at certain off leash dog parks but you need to book these quickly as demand is high.

Possible Problems With Greyhounds

Medically, Greyhounds are a healthy breed and you can expect few problems. Three notable exceptions are:

• Periodontal disease is worse than average
• Bone cancer is common, on a par with other large breed dogs
• Atopic dermatitis may be more common too

This table shows the more common behaviour problems reported in two major studies. If the figures seem exaggerated, it’s worth noting that I combined ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ and ‘always’ to get these numbers. I’ll explain them afterwards.

So we have two main issues:

1. Predation and aggression towards small or unfamiliar animals
2. Anxiety and fear in a range of situations

The Australia-New Zealand study was done only one month after adoption, which I think explains the much higher rate of destruction and separation anxiety.  This fact also gives hope that these behaviours will settle down.

You can read more about anxiety post-adoption here.

To me, the bigger potential issue is predation and aggression towards cats, small dogs, and unfamiliar animals. While common in theory, in practical terms it’s almost never a problem. Greyhounds should have been pre-assessed before adoption, and especially if they are screened for a muzzle exemption.

If you own a cat, care is still advisable, especially at the beginning. Even if you are not required to use a muzzle in public it is sensible to use one at home until you know things are OK.

The various anxiety-related behaviours probably come from the deprived environments these dogs lived in before adoption. They seem to improve with time, except for one.

You may just have to get used to having a quiet and gentle shadow around the house. It’s a small price to pay for rescuing such a beautiful animal from oblivion.

Further Reading

Elliott, R., Toribio, J. A. L., & Wigney, D. (2010). The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) in Australia and New Zealand: A survey of owners’ experiences with their greyhounds one month after adoption. Applied animal behaviour science, 124(3-4), 121-135.

Howell, T. J., Mongillo, P., Giacomini, G., & Marinelli, L. (2018). A survey of undesirable behaviors expressed by ex-racing greyhounds adopted in Italy. Journal of Veterinary Behavior.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Problems with breed lifespan data

1. The figures quoted are median lifespans. Juvenile deaths are included which lower the median. For example, a six-year-old dog having already survived that long will therefore expect a higher median lifespan than these figures suggest for all dogs from puppyhood. The ages should still be valid as a comparison between breeds.
2. Studies use self-reported data and often get response rates of only one in four. This will tend to create reporting bias where people are more likely to send back data for atypical results such as early deaths. The data below doesn’t include breeds with very low numbers or response rates.
3. These studies use old data. All three studies use data for dogs who died before the study date and therefore didn’t have access to many recent advances in veterinary care. This may mean modern lifespans are generally older but it may also explain the idea (myth?) that large dogs die sooner. Look at this recent data from our clinic on 800 living patients. If you can see any difference between large and small dog lifespans you’re doing better than me. Read why I think old dogs now live longer than they used to.

Dog Breed Lifespan Chart

Dog breed longevity in the table below comes from three UK studies, which are the most recent and probably most similar to Australian dogs. View each dog breed here.

*very low numbers, Corgis merged

Also, visit our page on the genetic diseases of different dog breeds.

Related: How to compare dog and human ages | How to give your dog a longer life

References & Comments

Adams, V. J., Evans, K. M., Sampson, J., & Wood, J. L. N. (2010). Methods and mortality results of a health survey of purebred dogs in the UK. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 51(10), 512-524. This study used data from questionnaires sent to members of breed clubs in the UK. Breeds were only included when the response rate was at least 15%. Cross breeds were not included.

Michell, A. R. “Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationships with sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease.” The Veterinary Record 145.22 (1999): 625-629. Data came from questionnaires sent to owners of UK dogs insured with a large pet insurance company.

O’Neill, D. G., Church, D. B., McGreevy, P. D., Thomson, P. C., & Brodbelt, D. C. (2013). Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. The Veterinary Journal, 198(3), 638-643. This study accessed UK veterinary clinic databases.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

“Whoa, please don’t do that, it hurts.”

So I was probably already in the bad books when the owner, with an unreadable smile, asked me: “What breed do you think these puppies are?”

“Pit Bull Terriers” I said.

All hell broke loose for the next two hours like I have never seen before. Police were involved.

Before I explain why, let me say one important thing that may shock you. It’s not that I don’t like Pit Bulls. I have known a lot of them and I think they are fine dogs if raised properly. These were lovely puppies too.

Pit Bulls, like many breeds such as my Jack Russell Terrier, are probably more prone to aggression towards other dogs. That’s a common and preventable problem. Apart from that, with good owners, they are just great.

The problem I see with Pit Bulls is that the wrong sort of people are attracted to them. People who encourage and value the sort of dog behaviour that as a society we are trying to eliminate. People who are unlikely to train using appropriate methods.

Take this owner for example. At one point he asked me what dogs I had and I told him about my two terriers. “I’ll bet they’re desexed, just like their owner”. Yep- we all withstood two hours of this sort of thing. To people like this it’s useless to point out the proven link between entire male dogs and injuries to children.

So what happened? I walked into a trap. Unknown to me, he had spent a good deal of time at the front desk getting a new breed name entered on our system. He knew they were Pit Bulls, and knew I did too. But he was intent on creating an elaborate fiction about their identity.

Why? Because breeding and selling Pit Bulls is illegal.

Here’s how it goes:

• Horrific dog attack is reported in the media
• Media identify the dog as a Pit Bull (usually it’s not, by the way)
• Politicians promise to do ‘something’ about it
• Specific legislation is created targeting the breed (usually without expert advice)

It’s nice in theory: by banning the breeding or sale of a certain breed it should slowly disappear by natural attrition. In the meantime to keep the public safe, heavy penalties apply if the breed is not restrained, identified and desexed. But…

There are major problems with this sort of Breed Specific Legislation:

1. It’s so easy to get around.

Take this owner for example. He’s well known to the police but they can’t easily get him for breeding Pit Bulls. There is no proven way to identify a Pit Bull, and most DNA dog breed tests either don’t include it in their profiles or say it isn’t a legal proof.

All there is is my opinion against someone else’s. If I’m called to court to state that they are Pit Bulls, another expert will be easily found with a different view.

2. It’s not the dog, it’s the person

Yes, breeds do vary in their potential danger to people and dogs. Read my top 20 dogs for children here. However, the big differences in aggression come from not who they are but how these dogs are raised.

In this case, even if his Pit Bulls are removed, he’ll just find another dog of the same general type and raise it the same.

3. It doesn’t protect children

Breed specific legislation is designed to make the public feel safe. However, most dog bites don’t happen on the street or in the park, they happen at home. And serious dog bites happen a lot more to children.

What about the future?

There’s hope with the new Dog and Cat Miscellaneous Amendment Bill. It must be only months away. The requirement for compulsory breeder registration could act as a barrier, especially as the Dog & Cat Management Board has the right to refuse registration on any grounds it sees fit.

The only workable solution is to target the person, not the dog.

We can only hope that dramas like this don’t happen in the future. Just imagine where those puppies end up! Sadly it’s not just the puppies; the nurse, vet student and other clients at the time all copped their share of abuse. I am truly sorry to have started it.

Featured image by Wimbows (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.