Puppies needed for ground-breaking research in the South West

• Owners of puppies under 16 weeks old are being asked to sign up to a one-of-a-kind research study. 

• Dogs Trust's Generation Pup is the most comprehensive study into UK dog health and welfare of a generation. 

• The research has already identified key information to help with dog health and behaviour. 

Residents in the South West, who have recently bought or adopted a puppy are being asked to sign up to the first ever study to follow dogs of all breeds throughout their lives to help us understand contributing factors to dogs' health and behaviour. 

Generation Pup, funded and operated by Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, which has rehoming centres in Ilfracombe and Salisbury, has almost reached the milestone of recruiting 10,000 puppies and is on the hunt for the final few hundred pooches under 16 weeks to join the project. 

By collecting information about puppies such as their environment, family, health, behaviour and experiences, the charity can build a picture of a whole generation of dogs across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. This means that researchers can investigate whether aspects such as environment, social interaction, diet, exercise or daily routine may be important in the development of a range of health and behaviour conditions which impact on the welfare of our dogs. 

The latest peer-reviewed paper to be published as part of the Generation Pup research is Owner-Perceived Undesirable Behaviours in Young Dogs and Changes with Age, which examined data submitted by owners when their dogs were 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months old. The study found that the highest proportion of dogs showing one or more undesirable behaviour was for the 12-month-old dogs, with barking, recall issues, pulling on the lead and jumping up the most frequently reported behaviours, signalling that this is the 'sassy teenager' age. 

Jane Murray, Welfare Project and Grants Deputy Head of Research at Dogs Trust said, "This important research study aims to deepen our understanding of how early life experiences influence the health and behaviour of dogs throughout their lives. Your participation will make a valuable contribution to improving the welfare of dogs now and in the future." 

For more information and to sign up please visit www.generationpup.ac.uk