Mr. Eoin Ryan:

It is widely accepted that socialisation is critical for dogs and there is a critical period, when they are puppies, when they need to mix with other puppies, but also with people and have other stimuli. If that window is missed, one can end up with quite a fearful and nervous dog, and anybody who is familiar with dogs will understand that. One of the benefits of having animal welfare research is that we do not just have to rely on anecdotes or our own knowledge, and we can refer to published research that supports that. That is one of the reasons it is important to promote responsible dog breeding and not the less savoury types that we talk about.

It is an issue that people, sometimes with the best will in the world, are not aware that the dog they get has not been socialised, particularly if they are not that familiar with dogs or might not be as interested in this as some of us are. That is why it is critical to promote this issue. Responsible pet ownership is not just about one area, and it is also about what to look for when getting a puppy and to be aware of what the puppy needs. I know many of the stakeholders already carry out awareness campaigns and many NGOs are quite active in this area, so there is no shortage of information. The question is how, collectively, we can convey that information to people in an effective way so they will take it on board. That is the challenge. That is why we are hopeful that between the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare and our working group, we will work out effective ways to do it. I do not think there is a single solution or a magic bullet, and it is probably about general societal change and increased appreciation of the needs of dogs.