This is the dog you should never adopt

Why adopt a dog and not buy?

A compelling reason to adopt is social responsibility and the love of giving these dogs a second chance at a free and happy life.

Unadoptable dogs are known as invisible dogs

Of the 168,000 dogs that were collected in Spain, during the year 2021 according to the latest study published by the Affinity Foundation, 3,500 dogs were not adopted or rehoused in a home , being locked up in a kennel. These are the so-called invisible dogs, dogs that nobody wants to adopt.

The 3 main reasons why dogs are abandoned are:

1. Coexistence problems due to the behavior of the animal and a lack of education.
2. Economic problems : A dog supposes €800 of annual expense.
3. Unwanted litters from non-sterilized animals.

What happens when you adopt a dog?

• It affects your money: you will have to invest money if you want to have your dog well taken care of. Food, hygiene, veterinary expenses, nursery and education.
• It affects your time: you must dedicate time to it. A dog needs to go outside, not only to relieve himself, but also to socialize and play.
• It affects your behavior: you become responsible for a living being and therefore you must attend to its needs. Yes or yes, you will have to adapt to life with a dog. This often involves modeling your personality traits, like impatience, or polishing routines, like sleeping late or giving up certain activities.

The invisible dogs: dogs that are hardly adopted

People want puppies, healthy and good-natured dogs.

On the contrary, the least adopted are:

• Senior Dogs – People don’t want to adopt a dog that apparently won’t live long.
• Large dogs: Most people think that they need more space if the dog is larger.
• Non-breed dogs – These are less popular, and people often come with a breed already in mind.
• Sick dogs : they are the ones that have it more complicated, due to the special care they may need.

What should I look for in a dog before adopting:

1. The physique of the animal: It may seem superficial. However, it is important to get an idea of our ability to meet the hygiene needs of the adopted dog and I must attend to:
   1. His hair: a dog whose coat requires professional attention to look healthy is not the same as a short-haired one that I can brush at home regularly to keep its hair and skin in good condition. The time and money spent varies based on this and I need to keep that in mind.
   2. Their ears: dogs that drag their ears when they sniff, such as the Beagle or Basset Hund breed, will need time dedicated to hygiene after every walk.
   3. Their eyes: for example, pug-type dogs, whose selection has been directed towards rounder and bulging eyes, tend to have a higher risk of eye infections and properly maintaining eye hygiene is also important and will take us a daily time in the attention of our dog.
   4. Other aspects related to good hygiene: nails, anal glands, etc. 

2. The age of the animal:
   1. Puppy: from 2 to 4 months: they do not go outside because they have not finished the vaccination period , and they do not control their sphincters either. You will need constant supervision, or set up a special area at home if you don’t want to end up with bad smells and pee everywhere.
   2. Adolescent: from 4 months to a year or more : they have a lot of energy and need to destroy your furniture if you don’t give them the activity they need, which in many cases is a lot.
   3. Adult – It takes a little longer to gain his trust and you will need to be patient until the bond is strong and you can safely release him. You will know its size and character in advance.
   4. Grandpa – Older dogs need special attention and more frequent visits to the vet. They are calm and affectionate dogs that make anyone smile.

3. The health of the animal: dogs with pathologies or diseases need more visits to the veterinarian or even rehabilitation. This supposes a greater economic outlay in addition to adapting its activities to your particular situation. 

4. The daily needs of the animal: both physical, mental or social. Each dog is different and you must make sure that adapting to it does not mean giving up anything that is non-negotiable for you, because in this case the adoption will be doomed to failure.

5. The character of the animal: dogs learn and for the most part they are what we teach them, but we cannot forget that there is an intrinsic part that they are born with that we cannot change, such as the fact that they are dogs. As a reference you must make sure that your character is truly compatible with life with dogs. Especially with life with the dog that calls your attention to adopt.

The key is to look at yourself

It is important to anticipate that the animal you adopt today will be another tomorrow. I mean, that dog will evolve and its needs and energy will change over the years, just like people do, but on a much shorter time scale.

You should not adopt the dog that, although you can take care of it today, will not be like that tomorrow.

If today you want an active dog to go out in the field with, but in 10 years you will not be able to care for a geriatric dog that is easily disoriented or cannot hold his sphincters. So, drop the idea of adopting immediately.

What happens if they don’t adopt a dog?

The ideal life of a dog is not to spend his time in a shelter.

However, before they suffer a new abandonment due to a hasty decision, it is preferable that they wait for a truly responsible adoption in the shelter.

Adopting requires time, money and a lot of commitment

If you are looking for a dog to adopt, and because of a photo on social networks or a visit to a shelter, it turns out that “you fall in love”. Stand up for a second and give it a head.

Get to know each other slowly and honestly, assuming if that dog, which seems so beautiful to you today, will be your ideal companion for the next 10-15 years. Think about whether you will be able to serve him as he deserves every day of his life. It rains, you are sick or, directly, you have another plan.

Given that the main cause of abandonment of dogs is the behavior of the animal or the inability to attend to its needs , when finding that these are more than expected, without a doubt the first thing before going to adopt an animal is to be trained and informed realistically about the aftermath of this beautiful action.

References:

Study of abandonment and adoption of dogs and cats in Spain 2022 (affinity Foundation)