What to think about before getting a dog
Whether you’re a first-time owner or you’ve had dogs before, getting a dog is exciting. But it’s a long-term commitment. So, if you’re thinking of getting a dog, here’s what you need to ask yourself.
How we find a dog their new owner
We’re committed to finding every pet in our care their forever home. If you’re considering whether to adopt a rescue dog from Woodgreen, you will be under the expert guidance of our rehoming team.
Looking for the right home for every dog
Adopting or buying a pet is a big decision, and we know everyone who comes to us has already taken a lot of time to feel confident they’re ready for a rescue.
Some of the dogs in our care have encountered significant challenges before they arrive at Woodgreen and as a result may have medical or behavioural problems. So as much as our dogs need care and companionship, many will require specialist ongoing support.
Our experienced team ensures they know exactly what kind of home our dogs are best suited to and we take the following steps to ensure that we match each dog to the right person.
Our rehoming process
When a dog is ready to go to a new home, our Pet Advisor team will search through all of the applications to find the homes which have the potential to meet the dog's individual needs. They'll call potential owners to discuss the dog in more detail to see whether the potential home matches the dog and the dog matches the home.
Our vets will discuss any medical concerns with new potential owners to ensure that they’re equipped for both the financial and care commitment of taking on a dog with ongoing medical challenges.
We do everything we can to help the new owners feel prepared. At this time, we invite applicants by appointment only to meet the dog and demonstrate any required training using social distancing
What we’ll discuss with you as a new owner
The discussion will involve much more than just who else lives in the home or how long the dog is going to be left home alone for. It’s important to us to ensure that the new owners are also going to get what they need from a dog as we know this is key to forming a successful bond.
We take care not to place dogs in environments where they’re not able to flourish. For example, if we have a dog who chases cars, an area with high traffic levels could put both the owner and the dog at risk of an accident.
Training and support
Many of our dogs will require ongoing training which could impact on a new owner’s lifestyle, so we want to ensure that we can find the right match for the dog, and avoid potential triggers for problematic behaviour. We’re committed to providing our owners and dogs with ongoing reassurance, helpful advice and support if you or they need us. We want to ensure that you both have the most fulfilling relationship possible.
Apply to adopt a dog from Woodgreen
Here at Woodgreen, we get thousands of queries every week – around 600 for every dog we are looking to rehome. We work hard to find the perfect match starting with our dogs’ needs, and it can be that we are unable to match you straight away. We don’t exclude anyone from adopting a pet based on blanket policies. For example, we don’t automatically turn away families with certain aged children, people who live in flats or don’t have a garden.
Due to the pandemic we are receiving an incredibly high level of applications from families looking for a dog. We are finding that dogs who would be suitable, such as those without more complex training or behavioural needs, are in very short supply and we are seeing less of these dogs in our care.
If you’re ready to bring a four-legged friend into your life then we’re here to help.
More from Woodgreen and The Dog House
Read more about 'What to think about before getting a dog'
Help us care for more pets in need
More and more of the pets who arrive at Woodgreen have complex needs - they might need life-saving surgery, or a lot of support and training to be ready for their next home. And we can only help them thanks to your generosity.
Find out more about adopting a pet
We rehome many different pets, from dogs and cats, to guinea pigs, rabbits, rats - even ducks and chickens. If you're thinking of adopting a pet, you can find out more about the process and get started here.
How we get pets back on their paws
In any given week we take in around 80 animals - dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents and even chickens - looking for help and a new home. Our vets, care staff and specialists are ready to help however we need to.