麻豆社

In the UK, almost anybody can breed and sell dogs. At any time, thousands of them are for sale online.

Each year, more than 100,000 strays are collected by councils and more than 7000 of them are put to sleep.

Winifred Robinson looks at why the market for dogs is producing so many unwanted animals.

Winifred visits Dogs Trust Manchester to see how stray animals are assessed and judged to be safe for rehoming. Author and animal behaviour expert John Bradshaw explains what dogs need from humans, and how science has changed our understanding of successful training.

Editor of Dogs Today, Beverley Cuddy, explains how breeding and selling could be improved, and how other countries approach dog welfare. We also hear from the founders of the Open Paw training programme in Berkeley, California.

And Winifred visits Ralph, a lurcher who survived a fire at Manchester Dogs Home in September 2014, to see how he's getting on with his new family.

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Joel Moors

(Photo: Dawn Bishop from Dogs Trust Manchester, Winifred Robinson, Gypsy the poodle).