This question is for breeders, do you allow your puppies to go to smoking homes?  We have a litter due in a couple of weeks and it just occurred to me that I would really prefer them to go to non-smoking homes. What do you think?

It is entirely up to you, but I think there are far more important aspects to home vetting than if any of the family smoke.

I don't smoke, my kids have smoked over the last couple of years, and I now have an OH who does.

I would love my pups to go to non smoking homes.. but.. if the best home for them has a smoker.. its still the best home...

I smoke.. and when I was hand rearing a litter of 10 2 years ago.. smoking helped keep me awake through the night... there are worse things in life .. its a disgusting habit.. but it doesnt make a poor owner...

As an ex smoker, and always having kept dogs, I would say that I didn't send any to a premature grave, so assume that it did them no harm.  I am much more interested in pups going to knowledgeable homes - first timers are asked to read The Perfect Puppy before proceeding.  I want to know about how long a pup will be left alone, what they know about basic training.  If they have a safe garden, and if the pet will be insured.  The last thing I want is a pup not to get vet attention just because the owner doesn't have the money.  Lots more criteria, obviously, but, as my vet says, "It's your prerogative to set your criteria."  If you have a million rules, not many folk will fit the bill.  If all other aspects are ideal, I wouldn't deny a precious pup a super home just because the owner smokes.

Obviously there are many more factors to a good potential owner (I have a good waiting list and want a pup myself) but it was something that I was just thinking about. It's not something a dog can get away from in their home environment and the fact that their noses are so incredibly sensitive I wondered what effect it may have to them long term.

> I don't know why it says on my original post that my children and OH smoke, they don't

I think Barbara may have edited the wrong post :-D

ROFL!!!!!

Must admit that is one of the questions I ask but then I've bred and handreared parrots so it was a part of my home checks for those guys as it really does serious damage to them causing an early death if they're lucky.

So if I thought about it I'd have to say yes it does matter to me as I've not excluded it from my puppy questioning.

Oh dear te he he he he he he he he he Barbara!!!!!!! :D
My look on it is, Dogs have an average life span of 10-15 years. Cancers seem to take about that long to manifest themselves in smokers.
So you will not be reducing their lives :)
But it is each to their own :)
Lea :)

I think it is much more important that the new owners are caring, responsible dog lovers.  Some people that smoke do not even smoke in their own home nowadays (i am one that stands outside whatever the weather and wouldn't inflict my habit on anyone else including my much loved dogs).  So even if you are against smoking you also need to ask the question - Do they smoke indoors?

>It's not something a dog can get away from in their home environment and the fact that their noses are so incredibly sensitive I wondered what effect it may have to them long term.

There is a lot about this if you do a Google search. One of our Dobermanns got nasal cancer. It developed very rapidly and was a horrible thing to witness in her final few days. She grew up spending most evenings on the couch in the lounge where my mum smoked. Whether there was a link or not I don't know, but I won't have my current boy in the same room as anyone smoking (I don't smoke myself so it's an easy thing to avoid).

http://www.livescience.com/animals/070831_pets_smoking.html

http://www.smokefreesociety.org/newsclip/Pets-1.html

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a783689847~db=ai~order=page

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Can-Smoking-Increase-Your-Dogs-Risk-of-Cancer.96085

Yep girls and boys, sorry I did a boob!!! 

LOL!! :-P

i could understand how you feel if it were human babies you were selling but its not, me and my partner smoke and none of our dogs have had any smoking related illnesses so i really cant see where you are coming from

> i could understand how you feel if it were human babies you were selling

If someone was attempting to sell human babies I would be reporting them to the relevant authorities!

lol me too!

My father and his father smoked and used to a lot around their dogs. It made no difference to the dogs in any way shape or form.

Its up the the individual breeder as to what they want to set their criteria in selling their pups.

I don't breed but if i did i would much prefer selling a pup to an educated owner who has already had dogs for years who smokes than one who has never owned a pup and has no idea about raising them who is a non smoker.
It could be a factor in where you let your pups go, but imo i wouldn't make it a huge one, i think there are more important things to be looking at.

If you go to the shows there are a huge amount of owners and breeders who smoke and you see standing outside the show halls puffing away

Having had three dogs die of Lung Cancer(a rare condition in dogs other than the Beagles used in the research done) who lived with two heavy smokers, who also had one of their own dogs die of Lung Cancer-I would not sell a puppy to someone who smoked in their home when the dogs were present

How's this for hypercritical.....I will not have anyone smoke near my dogs, (including me) it's banned in the house, banned in the cars and I hate it in enclosed spaces, and I smoke, not much mind but I do smoke.

I've often wondered about the effects of passive smoking on our animals too...............personally I can't see that it can be unharmful to their health, but I admit to sitting on the fence as to wether it is something that would prevent me from selling a puppy to smoking owners.

I detest smoking and do not allow it in my home, I'm overjoyed at being able to enter a pub and not walk out smelling like an ashtray, and now even though all the smokers gather outside hall doors at shows etc, the stench still wafts in, yuk!

Thanks for some great replies, but I do notice that it is the smokers that can see no harm in it! Each to their own but I would prefer to let the pups go to non-smoking, knowledgable homes. I don't think it is neccessary to compromise on the caring knowledgable aspect in preference to non smoking, why not have both!  I wouldn't expose my kids to it so why should the pups be any different?    I have nothing against smokers, just smoking.

http://www.livescience.com/animals/070831_pets_smoking.html

I was about to post this then saw Zaraah had already posted it further up but it seems to have escaped attention. It says that there is an increased risk of certain cancers in pets exposed to tobacco smoke.

I don't breed but if I was deciding between 2 potential owners the non-smoker would get it.  My dog has a sneezing fit everytime anyone walks past her with a cigarette.  It would be horrible for her to have to live in that environment.

It's not something I have ever thought about. I don't think it would bother me too much though.

I don't smoke, never have smoked, but I do have family members who smoke. My grandmother died of lung cancer to heavy (read that as chain ;-) ) smoking as have a couple of aunts and cousins, but it still never crossed my mind.

>I do notice that it is the smokers that can see no harm in it!

Errrr....nope, as you can see from my previous post, I will not have smoking near my dogs and yet I smoke.  Whether it causes harm or not, I don't know but until there is evidence out there that says it doesn't beyond reasonable doubt, my dogs stay in a smoke free zone.  Just my personal preference.

My post also states that i do not smoke near my dogs!  if i harm myself it is up to me but do not inflict my smoke on my dogs or other people.

It's funny isn't it, I don't smoke, my parents, my brothers or any family members that I know of either, (only my grandfather who stopped years ago) I have a few friends who have, but most have given it up, and I can honestly say I have never, ever even thought about smoking with animals, it has never been a question I have asked or even thought of. (In my smokeless bubble :-D )

Mind you, the thought is there now! :-)

I've been trying to think really hard too, many of my puppy visitors have been in my home for hours and never once has anyone asked to smoke, I know I would not allow it near the pups though, mind you I wouldn't allow it in the house, but how strange it has never crossed my mind or path.

I guess with the rules of chance some of my pups may well have gone to owners who smoke, but to be honest even so I wouldn't change the homes of any of my pups, they have all gone to fabulous owners, so perhaps it would not be on my list of immediate priorities even now, though if someone was a very heavy smoker it probably would make me think twice. I think perhaps after the highlighting of this it would be a good idea to slip in a brochure of smoking and the effects on animals to go with everthing else in a puppy pack.  :-).

I like that idea.