How to choose a dog to rehome

According to Dog’s Trust Stray Dogs Survey, 126,176 dogs were picked up as strays by Local Authorities in 2011, over 6% (7,121) of these were euthanized. If you’re considering getting a dog, why not think about rehoming one? Shelters are struggling to cope with the number of dogs without homes which are brought to them every day. You could find the pet of your dreams and give a dog a second chance of having a loving home and family.

Remember though, it’s still important to choose a dog which is suitable for your circumstances. Just as you would think carefully about picking a particular breed from a breeder, consider what kind of dog you would need from a shelter. The animal rescue centre will work with you to choose a dog which will be compatible with you and your lifestyle.

Puppy or Adult?

Once you’ve made the decision to rehome a dog, then you need to decide if you’d like to take in a puppy or an adult dog. While older dogs often get passed by in favour of puppies, they can make wonderfully rewarding pets and will very often suit certain lifestyles and people better than a puppy would. However, both puppies and dogs have their own individual perks.

Should you choose to get a puppy you’ll experience the whole breadth of the experience of owning and raising a dog. It can be incredible to watch your pet grow and mature from a mischievous puppy to a relaxed, well behaved adult. Rehoming a puppy is a good option for people with plenty of time, flexibility and patience for training and housebreaking. Many people will relish the opportunity to train a puppy from scratch. On the downside, rehoming a puppy can be unpredictable. As there is no way of knowing about the puppy’s parents, breed or family history you may not be able to predict its size, temperament or character once he is more developed.

Many older dogs face a great struggle when they are in a shelter as most people pass them by for younger dogs or puppies. Shelters can find it very difficult to rehome adult dogs, but there are some wonderful pros to taking in an older dog. For a start, you get to do a good deed and give a second chance to a dog that is down on its luck. Many older shelter dogs are already well trained and they are far past that naughty puppy phase. If you chose to rehome an adult dog you can skip the extra hard work involved in raising and training a young pup. Adult dogs are ideal for people with children or older people who might not have the necessary energy for a puppy, but would appreciate a more relaxed, stable and mature dog. Although adult dogs can be set in their ways, they tend to be adaptable if you have patience with them. However, rehoming an adult or elderly dog may mean they are only in your life for a few years before they pass away which some people might find difficult to cope with.