Bad behaviour blamed as 18,000 dogs put up for adoption
Dog's Trust says one in three cases of people wanting to give up their pets is because of "unwanted behaviours"
Dogs Trust says it has received more than 18,000 requests to take in unwanted family pets since the start of 2023.
The animal charity says in one in three cases, it was because the dog was showing unwanted behaviour.
It's the latest insight seen by our Take the Lead investigation that appears to show the growth in dog ownership in recent years, combined with lack of socialisation and training in an animal's early years are causing major issues for owners.
READ: Vets report rise in aggressive behaviour from "pandemic puppies"
This is especially true of “pandemic pups”, adopted or purchased during COVID lockdowns, when access to all important socialisation and training was very limited.
Data from the National Dog Survey – which harnessed the views of nearly 350,000 respondents in 2021 – shows a quarter of respondents were worried they didn’t have the patience to deal with their dog’s behaviour and almost a fifth (18%) admit they didn’t have time to train their new pup.
Cost of living also a factor in dog's behaviour
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is also impacting the welfare of our beloved four-legged friends as more than 1 in 10 (12%) owners said they hadn’t invested in training with experts because they couldn’t afford it.
Sadly, as dogs acquired during the on-again off-again lockdowns of 2020-2022 adjust to their once ever-present owners returning to office work – either full or part-time - the impact is now being felt at the charity’s helpline and website.
EXCLUSIVE: Three children treated in hospital every day for serious injuries caused by dogs
A new, free, Behavioural Support Line has been set up to help owners who are struggling, as well as services to support dogs through the cost of living crisis.
Staffed by specialist Behaviour Support Line Officers equipped with a range of behaviour qualifications and expertise – including animal behaviour degrees, dog behaviour accreditations, and hands-on experience – the support line has already helped thousands of owners and their previously problematic pups.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says: “Too often we hear from families who feel they have no other option but to give up their dogs due to problems that could have been prevented early on with the right interventions.
“Last year, over 350,000 people responded to our first National Dog Survey, giving us a real insight into how people care for their dogs here in the UK.
“We’ve since used all that we learnt to launch new services providing tangible support to dogs and their owners, including our Behaviour Support Line, helping them to tackle behaviour-related issues before they turn into real problems.
“What owners tell us through the National Dog Survey this year will again shape the future services provided by Dogs Trust so we can continue to support the nation’s dogs and their owners.”
The second National Dog Survey is open now until 7th June, to help Dogs Trust continue to better understand the UK’s 12.5 million-strong pooch population and develop more of these much-needed tailored support programmes.