What motivates you to bring a dog back home? Is it their unconditional love? Or perhaps their playfulness that always makes you smile? There’s no doubt that having a dog is highly rewarding but it can also be a huge challenge. It’s easy to forget that dogs don’t come with a remote control and they can become a burden. But is the answer giving up your dog?
Dumping Season
Did you know that the animal rescue world refers to the summer and holiday festive seasons as “dumping seasons“? Both dogs and cats are given up every year to shelters.
The cost of dog boarding or at-home dog care is often too high for families who want to go away for the summer holidays and can’t take their dog with them.
Halloween and Christmas then bring the added challenge that dogs are often scared by the noise and lights which can make them misbehave. This is another reason you might find yourself considering giving up your dog.
No one wants to come home to a half-eaten Christmas tree with baubles all over the floor.
So, people bring their dogs back to the shelter. The worst part is that, in many cases, they never come to pick them up again.
Depending on the dog, some either cower in the corner for weeks, barely touching their food because they’re so depressed whilst others, cry for weeks.
I remember one dog who was still crying after a month after his owner had left him at the shelter.
We tried everything from introducing him to friendly groups of dogs in different compounds to taking him for more frequent walks but nothing worked.
Quite simply, he wanted to go home.
Of course, in some cases, something has changed at home that causes a shift in behaviour. For example, an older dog stressed by a new puppy might start becoming more aggressive as he tries to assert himself again.
As you can imagine though, it’s heart-wrenching for dogs and cats to be abandoned in a shelter. Instead, perhaps there are some alternatives to review first although, naturally, a shelter is still a better option than being left out on the streets.
Alternative solutions to consider before giving up your dog:
- Friends, connections and neighbours – dog boarding can be expensive but you can also get creative. Ask for dogsitters in your community or post a request on a school board. There are also an increasing number of websites where people stay for free in your house and in return, they look after it and your pets. One such example is TrustedHouseSitters.
- Training options – it is always possible to train the right behaviour. Moreover, there are multiple websites that give you advice or one-off online classes at reasonable prices.
- Home enrichment – some behavioural issues are due to boredom or depression. One way around this is to leave games to keep your dog entertained when you leave. You’ll then know they’re happy and you don’t have to give up your dog. For instance, hiding treats around the house or filling a kong with treats that take time to remove.
Balancing your Needs and those of your Dog
We all have good days and bad days and we’ve all wished we could just walk away from family. It’s perfectly normal but most of us don’t give up our children.
It can perhaps be tempting to think that a dog is just a dog and therefore they don’t think and feel like we do. Many people believe that they’ll just get on with things but that’s not how it works.
Research shows that dogs and humans experience emotions in very similar ways. In fact, as this article on emotions and dogs shows, dogs feel the same hurt, pain and distress that we do.
Another way to think of it is that a dog is like a toddler who is about 2.5 years old.
Nevertheless, the overwhelm and frustration that some dogs cause is very real. They can’t talk back to us and it takes time to truly understand dogs. That’s why many people find themselves unable to care for their dogs.
Naturally, when things get tough, giving up your dog for adoption might seem like the only solution. Don’t forget though that you can talk to the shelter and get their advice for what you can try at home first.
Do Your Homework
It’s also very important to do your research before you even get a pet to avoid the situation where you want to give up your dog.
They might look cute and manageable when they are puppies but they grow up very quickly. So, make sure you know what type of breed they are and the possible temperament they might have.
Working with ethical breeders can also give you a family history so you can make a better judgement on the potential fit for your dog.
If you’re adopting, responsible shelters will go through an interview process to understand your approach to dogs. They then help you create the best conditions for success.
Working with Behavioural Issues
Happy dogs need lots of exercise, mental stimulation and good quality food, just like us. To encourage the right behaviours and avoid giving up your dog for adoption, there are some things you can add to your routine.
- Positive reinforcement – dogs don’t respond to being told off as you create fear and confusion, very much like with children. To encourage the right behaviours for the long-term, you have to reward the good behaviours. It takes patience and practice but just 10 to 15 minutes a day is enough to create change so you don’t have to give up your dog.
- Dog-proof your house – if things are getting chewed, it can be a sign of boredom or separation anxiety. In that case, you can add toys or use toys and fences in your house to protect certain areas. The ASPCA offers some useful tips for managing certain behaviours but you can also have fun with products like Furbo’s interactive pet camera.
- Online behaviourists – now that everything is online, don’t limit yourself to local options if you need to find something cost effective. There are some very good online resources across the world that don’t cost a fortune.
Final Thoughts on Managing Dogs Despite Overwhelm
The decision to give up your dog is never an easy one. Furthermore, in some extreme cases, it might be the only option. Shelters will never judge you. In fact, they prefer for you to bring your dog to them than leave them in the streets.
Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering the pain and distress abandoning a dog in a shelter causes them just so you can first explore other options.
See if the shelter can help you with some advice before you give up your dog and explore online options for daycare or training support. There are some very affordable alternatives out there.
And don’t forget that a dog is happier at home alone during the day than in a shelter.
In the end, we all want to do the right thing but remember that you are not alone and there is support for finding that solution that’s right for everyone.
