Dogs Trust and University of Glasgow study on the lookout for littermate puppies for research
Published: 18 August 2025
Owners of at least two puppies from the same litter, are being asked to sign up to Dogs Trust’s Generation Pup study to take part in a groundbreaking project run in collaboration with the University of Glasgow.
Owners of at least two puppies from the same litter, are being asked to sign up to Dogs Trust’s Generation Pup study to take part in a groundbreaking project run in collaboration with the University of Glasgow. While owners can sign up both of their puppies, it is only necessary to sign up one puppy to Generation Pup to take part in the University of Glasgow project.
Generation Pup, funded and operated by Dogs Trust, which has rehoming centres in Glasgow and West Calder, has almost reached the milestone of recruiting 10,000 puppies and is on the hunt for puppies from the same litter to take part. The University of Glasgow study will explore how early social life environments – such as staying with littermates, joining multi-dog households or moving into single dog homes may shape puppies’ development.
Owners who have at least two puppies from the same litter, aged under 16 weeks old, are being asked to sign one or more of their puppies up to Generation Pup, the most comprehensive study into UK dog health and welfare of a generation. The study has already identified key information to help with dog health and behaviour.
Chih Hsin Kuo from University of Glasgow said: “The first year of a dog’s life is critical for development and learning. Experiences during this period have the potential to shape a dog’s behaviour, stress resilience and wellbeing. Working in collaboration with Generation Pup over the course of dogs’ first year of life, we hope to understand whether being raised with other dogs influences the activity of the stress response systems and aspects of behaviour. Through this research, we aim to provide evidence-based recommendations for breeding, training and caring for puppies, ultimately improving our understanding of and promoting dog welfare.”
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 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.
Jane Murray, Welfare Project and Grants Deputy Head of Research at Dogs Trust said: “Generation Pup is important research which 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.”
Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk
First published: 18 August 2025