‘I wanna be your dog!’

We are a nation of dog lovers but it seems that our affection for all breeds is not equal. Fiona Evans considers some of the pooches being left ‘on the shelf’ for longer

How much is that doggie in the window, I do hope that doggie’s for sale ... goes the familiar song. If only Man’s Best Friend was treated with the same warm sentiment in every instance but sadly many dogs are not blessed with a happy home forever.

Every year Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, takes in thousands of dogs needing a second chance of a forever home.

And the wait appears to be longer for some types than others.

In March (2021) Dogs Trust revealed that on average, greyhounds and lurchers are more likely to spend a longer period of time in kennels waiting for new potential owners.

The average length of stay at Dogs Trust for these breeds is around two months, with smaller breeds such as Shih Tzus spending less than half that time before going off to new homes.

“From smaller lurcher types to taller greyhounds, these lovable pooches very often find their way into our care through no fault of their own, and in some cases can stay with us for more than six months,” said Adam Clowes, operations director at Dogs Trust.

“Thankfully our dedicated team is always on hand to give them everything they need whilst they are with us, which is thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery whose support helps fund some of our wonderful Canine Carers at the centres.”

So why are these long-legged canines spending more than twice as long in kennels than their smaller brethren? “We are unsure why these breeds tend to stay with us a bit longer than others,” said Adam. “However we find there are sometimes misconceptions about the care involved if giving them a home; coupled with more common factors that can cause greyhounds and lurchers to become overlooked, such as their age, background or the colour of their coat.

“Given how fast they are, we occasionally find potential owners think greyhounds and lurchers need more exercise than the average dog, which isn’t necessarily true.

“Some of them also need to wear a muzzle when out for walks because they can get overly excited around small animals; however, we often find that once we have a chance to talk this through with potential owners, it can help them keep an open mind about having a greyhound or lurcher in their life.”

Despite the lengthier periods of time these types of dogs spend at Dogs Trust, last year the charity was able to find new homes for more than 1,000 greyhounds and lurchers at its 20 rehoming centres across the UK.

And it is appealing for more potential owners to come forward and help change the tale for more of them in 2021.

Dogs Trust, which normally cares for around 14,000 dogs across its network of UK rehoming centres and one in Dublin, has a non-destruction policy and will never put a healthy dog to sleep.

The charity also focuses its efforts on understanding dogs and sharing that knowledge with the wider public to prevent problem behaviours that can result in relinquishment or abandonment.

Two year-old lurcher River is among the many dogs in need of homes at the time of writing.

Described as “a stunning boy who hasn’t spent much time around people or other dogs,” he was quite nervous when he first arrived at a Dogs Trust centre but the team have been working to help build his confidence.

Dogs Trust says that River would need to live with another playful but respectful dog in the family, to continue his socialisation.

Six year-old lurcher Jake is also in need of a home.

He is summed up as “a very handsome boy, who can be quite shy around new people when you first meet him, however, will quickly become your best friend. His favourite things in life include going for walks and taking long snoozes on a comfortable bed.”

If you think you have home in your heart for a long-legged canine companion, visit www. dogstrust.org.uk and contact the local team for more information.

If you are struggling to cope with looking after your dog, for whatever reason, contact Dogs Trust on 0300 303 2188. To help Dogs Trust change the tale for dogs who haven’t yet found their forever home, visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/changethetale website.