Dogs Trust celebrates 9,000th puppy in welfare study
Digby's life experiences will be recorded by Dogs Trust as he grows.
Dogs Trust has welcomed a golden retriever as its 9,000th puppy in its Generation Pup welfare study.
Digby, an 18-week-old golden retriever from the New Forest, marks a milestone for the welfare charity, as it seeks to recruit 10,000 puppies before the end of 2024.
Generation Pup recruits puppies when they are under 16-weeks-old, and then follows their development throughout their lifetime. Researchers record health and lifestyle information from the dog, including their environment and behavioural experiences.
It aims to uncover the impacts of early life experiences, genetics and environmental factors as the puppy goes through life, establishing how these factors may influence the dog’s health, welfare and behaviour.
The study has been running since 2016, and is considered to be the first longitudinal study of its kind to investigate all breeds and cross-breeds in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The data is often used to inform other studies conducted by Dogs Trust and its partners.
Recently, data collected as part of Generation Pup supported experts as they studied the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on puppy socialisation.
The research found that COVID-19 lockdown had a smaller impact on puppy socialisation than first expected. However it will be the continued data from Generation Pup participants that allows them to examine how it affects behaviour as the puppies become adults.
Dogs Trust says that welcoming new dogs, like Digby, to the study will ensure a better future for canine welfare. As it moves nearer to its 10,000 puppy goal, the charity is urging other puppy owners to get involved with its study.
Jane Murray, deputy head of research, welfare projects and grants at Dogs Trust, said: “Not only has Digby impacted the lives of his new family, he’s helping the future of dog welfare.
“We are so close to reaching our landmark goal of recruiting 10,000 puppies, and we are asking owners to sign up. The more puppies enrolled into this study, the more likely we are to have a better understanding of our canine friends.”
Image © Dogs Trust
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