Darlington Shih Tzu becomes 8000th to join groundbreaking dog welfare study

Dogs Trust is celebrating a major milestone in welcoming its 8,000^th dog to their innovative Generation Pup study.

The 8,000^th dog to enrol in the study is an adorable 12-week-old Shih Tzu named Daphne Rose based in Darlington. Generation Pup is believed to be the first longitudinal study to include all breeds/crossbreeds of dogs and includes behaviour as well as health problems.

The study, founded in 2016, follows dogs through their lifetime, from under 16 weeks to adulthood. By collecting information from each puppy; ranging from health, environment, behavioural experiences, the study aims to discover whether early life experiences, genetics and environmental factors influence the health, welfare and behaviour of dogs.

Amber, Daphne Rose’s owner, has expressed her excitement about being part of the study, stating: “I had seen Generation Pup pop up on social media platforms. The fact that the reputable name of Dogs Trust were working alongside Bristol University gave me the confidence to sign up. Daphne has brought boundless joy and happiness to our family, if you are a dog lover, then what better way to improve outcomes and give advice to future owners.”

The study hopes to reach their target of recruiting 10,000 dogs by the end of 2024 and is urging owners to sign-up.

Dr Jane Murray, Deputy Head of Research, Welfare Projects & Grants, at Dogs Trust states: “We are very proud to have welcomed our 8,000^th puppy into the Generation Pup study. This incredible achievement could not have been done without the help of the committed owners and their wonderful dogs. We are so close to reaching our landmark goal of recruiting 10,000 puppies, and we are urging for owners to sign up. The more puppies enrolled into this study, the more likely we are to have a better understanding of our furry canine friends.”

The study is open to all dog breeds under 16 weeks of age across the UK and Republic of Ireland. If dog owners choose to take part in the study, it is at their discretion to how immersed they would like to be in the research.

To find out more about the Generation Pup study, please visit  https://generationpup.ac.uk/.

To find out more information about our dog school, please visit www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk/