A recent survey revealed that in 2005, there were 101,586 stray dogs in Britain and 7,743 dogs were destroyed for want of a home.[1]  Adopting an unwanted dog from an animal shelter will help to make a small dent in these figures, and it can be a good option for many people who want a dog.  

However, some prospective dog owners are put off the idea because they believe these canines are difficult animals, that they were only abandoned because of behavioural difficulties.  Not all rescue centre dogs are ‘problem dogs’.  The most common reasons for dogs being re-homed include; owners not having enough time for the dog, owners unable to pay for veterinary care following an illness or injury, the owner dying or is admitted into a nursing home, or the owners have divorced and neither party can keep the dog.[2]  Often dogs in these instances have some rudimentary training and are older, which means they are out of their juvenile stage where teething, chewing and toilet training can be a major issue.

This is not to say that all rescue dogs come with perfect manners and are wholly socialised and housebroken.  In 1991, the Blue Cross commissioned a survey to find out why people gave up their dogs for re-homing.  They found the number of dogs given up for “being too destructive, noisy or dirty in the house” was small.  They were less than 8% of the intake and not all of these were severe cases.[3]

Some rescue dogs do have behavioural problems as a result of inadequate training, loving and attention.  These can manifest themselves in a number of ways; the most common problem one can expect is separation anxiety – the fear or dislike of isolation.[4](p.126) 

A recent study from the Dog’s Trust shows that 45% of dogs re-homed by the charity suffers from separation problems post-adoption.[5]  This backs research from the American Veterinary Medical Association who claim dogs ‘found’ or adopted from a rescue centre more commonly develop separation anxiety than dogs sourced from a breeder, friend or pet shop.[6](p460)

Causes of separation anxiety involve early negative experiences (e.g.) when the dog was alone, a change in family or environment, as well as a genetic predisposition (dogs are bred to be socially dependent, devoted and infantile).  Dogs suffering with separation anxiety may display one or more behaviours.  These can include scratching, digging at doors and windows in an attempt to follow their owners, chewing on household objects, soiling inside the home, whining, howling or barking for an extended period.  In some cases dogs will get depressed and not eat or drink while their owner is gone.  In rare cases dogs will have diarrhoea, vomit or cause themselves harm through self mutilation.  Most affected dogs will then engage in an unusually prolonged greeting when the owner returns home.  

Because rescue dogs carry with them learnt behaviours from the past, some dogs may have phobias of people, animals or certain situations caused by an experience involving a severe punishment or a trauma.  Often where there is a history of abuse or lack of training, the dog will display nervous or aggressive behaviour.  Neglect is one of the leading causes of fear aggression.  It is therefore important to spend time with a puppy and introduce it to new people and animals (after its vaccinations), to help them settle into their new home and be properly socialised.  If the puppy is never exposed to children or strangers nor taken from its home, it can develop ‘fearful-aggressive’ tendencies.  When a small, active child finally corners such a dog, or a stranger reaches for the collar, the dog will often bite out of fear.[7]  

An example of fearful aggression is illustrated in Jan Fennell’s ‘The Practical Dog Listener’.  She sites the case of Spike, a Boarder Collie, who had a fear of crossing over water and would display aggressive behaviour when near water.  This was a major problem for his owners who lived near the coast and several bridges.  Spike’s phobia lay in his past, as a pup he was thrown off a bridge into the freezing water.  By establishing themselves as the alpha leaders in their pack, using various training techniques, Spike’s owners were able to gain his trust and eventually coax him across water after a period of several months.  He was taught to no longer fear water through positive association (reward-based training).[8](p140) 

Some rescue dogs display aggressive behaviour towards people or animals as a result of reinforcement.  For example, although illegal, dog fighting still takes place in the U.K. and as a result some dogs that have been rescued from such a life can be highly aggressive towards other dogs, having been trained and rewarded for such behaviour.  America also suffers from this disturbing problem and many family dogs are being stolen and used in bloody training exercises by dog fighting rings.  According to the animal welfare groups, these dogs are used as ‘bait’ and are often left for dead, retaining horrific mental and physical scars.[9]

Behavioural problems in rescue dogs can also be caused by malnutrition.  At a very young age, malnutrition may have stunted the dog’s development, both mentally and physically.  Consequently, these dogs become food-motivated and tend to have over-protective tendencies towards their food bowl, treats or chew toys.  If these dogs are then adopted by people who do not know how to interpret a dog's body language, there can be disastrous results.  For example, if a dog is eating food and a small child strolls by, the dog will stop eating for a split second and may growl as a warning.  The dog will assume the child has understood its body language.  However, if the child nears the animal again, getting to close, the dog may bite.[10]  

Another problem one might expect from a rescue dog is toilet trouble.  Some rescue dogs are not properly house-trained because their previous owners were out at work all day so the dog was unable to go outside to eliminate.  When the owners return to find a soiled mess, the owners may have yelled at the dog and rubbed his nose in his feces, several hours after the deed was done.  This is confusing and upsetting for the dog which in turn may cause it to run and hide when the owner arrives home.  When the dog is then re-homed, owners will need to use the reward and praise method of training to encourage the dog to eliminate outside, all of which takes time and patience.

An upsetting behaviour seen in some rescue dogs is ‘rage syndrome’ which is a form of dominance aggression.  In these cases, dogs will chase their tails, become ‘glassy-eyed’ and can often make unprovoked vicious attacks directed at their owners.  Unfortunately, because of the unpredictability of these attacks or a lack of understanding of why and when this behaviour occurs, some rescue dogs are euthanized.  

Dog experts generally accept that the environment, or rather, the way a dog is brought up and the conditions around it, probably has a greater effect on the temperament and behaviour of a dog than his genetic make-up, or breed. 

Having said that, anyone looking to re-home a rescue dog must consider its health.  Rescue animals can pose many problems that are not always apparent to those people adopting or rescuing them.  Many of these medical problems may not surface for weeks, months, or, in some cases, years.   

There are a whole group of medical ailments that can indirectly result in animals getting taken to the rescue centre by their owners.  These ailments include; many skin diseases, external parasites (fleas), inhalant allergies, chronic ear infections usually secondary to their allergies and chronic skin infections.  The dogs will scratch constantly and often develop body odor.  The owner may then get discouraged with the scratching and bad odors and the dog can lose its ‘house dog’ status and become an outside dog.  This can lead to separation anxiety, with the dog barking to get attention.  When the family member[s] then go outside the dog becomes over excited and jumps up, knocking people down, scratching them or getting them dirty.  In these instances, ‘outside dogs’ often receive very little grooming or bathing, their haircoats become matted, their skin condition worsens and in some cases they can end up back at the rescue centre.

Rescue dogs can be a good choice for some people.  Often people do not have the time or want the difficulties that training a young puppy can entail.  Puppies need a lot of time and patience to house-train and socialise them, and to teach them how to be a good dog in later life.  In a rescue dog, often this initial hard work has already been done, and owners are able to give a destitute dog a good home that he will truly appreciate.  It is important to remember that only a small proportion of rescue dogs suffer from behavioural problems, so potential owners should not be put off.

However, potential owners should look at their lifestyle and home environment to determine if they have the time, patience and means to look after such an animal.  Then, they need to decide on which breed, sex and age is more suited to their family lifestyle.  Dogs need exercise, grooming, high-quality food and veterinary care.  Some rescue dogs will have initial problems in adjusting to a new environment and a new lifestyle, they may need re-training and need to ‘un-learn’ habits or help in aiding its convalescence (e.g.) administering medical treatment.  But this can be less work than the training a puppy needs in the first year of its life.  

An adult dog has the advantages of being calmer, his looks, temperament and size will already be established and known.  Anyone considering re-homing a rescue dog must find out as much as possible about the dog's history to help determine if it is suitable to bring into their family environment.  For example, sometimes children can play roughly with their pets, wanting to carry and squeeze them or dress them up; in turn they expect the dog to be tolerant and co-operative.  Choosing a rescue dog with an aggression problem or an older dog that suffers from arthritis could be potentially dangerous for the children and unfair on the dog. 

Most rescue centres are able to tell anyone looking for a pet everything they know; where the dog came from, what life he has led, what training he has received and any medical history.  Common questions potential owners should ask includes: the age of the dog, if he is house-trained, if he is used to children and other animals, if he happy traveling in the car.  Has the dog been neutered, wormed and inoculated?  Are there any on-going behavioural problems that one should be aware of?[11]It is important to do this ‘homework’, rather than going on instinct or simply falling for those sad eyes behind the kennel bars, only to then regret the decision later. 

It is important to bear in mind that a dog's behaviour at a rescue centre may not be representative of his behaviour in the family home.  Kennels can be hostile places no matter how well the dogs are looked after, they can sap the dog’s confidence and there are fewer opportunities to misbehave.  It is possible for a dog to appear perfectly behaved in kennels but once he settles into the family home, he may revert to previous bad habits.  Before making any assessment of a dog, one should ensure he has been in the rescue centre for at least three days.  New dogs go through a settling in period during which time they behave in a depressed and unusual way.  Only after they have adjusted to their new environment, which takes about three days, do they begin to display their more typical behaviour.[12](p10)  Therefore, when considering a rescue dog, one should try to see the dog at least a couple of times before deciding to adopt.  The potential owner should take the dog for a walk on the lead if possible to see how he walks and how he responds on a one-to-one basis.  

In summary, dogs that have been uprooted from their happy homes or have not had the best start in life are more likely to bond very completely and deeply with their new owners.  Those who have lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle change, go through a terrible mourning process and in some cases exhibit behavioural or health problems as a result.   Whatever the problems, a potential owner must be prepared to take on these problems and have patience.  Bringing a rescue dog into the family home is a calculated risk, but most rescue dogs make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets, so in the right home environment it is a risk one worth taking.