Nobody brings a puppy home with the idea of getting rid of them. But life and our ideal circumstances do not always match up.

If you find yourself in a position to have to look for a new home for your dog, it is likely a stressful situation all the way around.

First, take a step back and try to think about a few important things that will help you and your pet.

1. Understand Common Reasons for Rehoming Your Dog

There are many reasons people find themselves looking for a home for their dog. One of the most common is that the dog has more energy than they expected.

Others get rid of the pet because they had different expectations of the animal in some other area.

Some people have life changes that take them to another home not allowing pets, while others have trouble meeting the medical needs of the dog.

Anxiety issues, aggression issues, and housebreaking issues are other common reasons people start looking for a new home for their dog.

While you should be responsible and work with the animal as long as it is safe to do so, there are times a different home is simply the best solution for everyone.

2. Consider How Long You Have Had the Dog

One thing that is important to consider is how long you have had the dog.

If it has only been living in your home for a few months, you need to give the animal more time to adjust and start learning new habits and manners.

The amount of time it takes to adjust depends on the dog. If it is a puppy, it will need to mature, and if it is a rescue, it may need downtime.

If you have tried fostering and aggression is a reason, make sure to get in touch with your contact immediately.

Giving them some time is usually the first response, so considering this is important.

3. Try Training the Dog Yourself

Some people need to find a new home for their dog because it digs up the flower beds, chews up non-dog items, or has accidents in the home.

Many of these problems can be solved with the right training.

Trying to work with these issues will help an animal from getting passed around.

You can start the process yourself, and if that does not work, work with a trainer. They will have solid suggestions for you.

4. Consider Hiring a Professional Trainer or Behaviorist

Depending on what kind of problem you are dealing with, you should consider training and animal behaviorists sooner rather than later.

A good professional can help a dog learn the appropriate manners and become a respectful member of their home.

This will prevent problem dogs from being bounced around from foster home to foster home.

Aggression issues may be dealt with differently. Make sure to seek out a trainer or specialist who deals with this type of behavior problem right away. Follow their advice, and if you cannot keep the dog, even if it completes training, make sure to disclose if it had a bite history.

5. Try Doggie Day Care

Sometimes, you may not have realized quite how energetic your dog is. Or maybe you did not realize that your dog “needing a job” means he tries to “keep busy.”

These situations may see themselves resolved when the owner sends the pet to a day care to burn off some of the excess energy.

These methods can help with anxiety, destructive chewing, and excessive noise.

You may not realize it, but all of those issues can come from having too much energy.

6. Try Hiring Dog Walkers

An alternative to a doggie day care is to try hiring a dog walker.

They can take your dog for walks as often as you need to help keep his energy levels down.

This is a crucial step if your dog is a high-energy breed, and you cannot take him on as many or as long of walks as you originally thought.

If you want, you can keep track of your dog’s exercise while on their walk using a gps tracker for dogs!

7. Think About What Your Dog Needs

Every dog is different. Some love other pets and small children, while others do best alone.

Some are high-energy, while others prefer to relax all day.

Think about what the ideal home environment is for your dog.

Maybe your dog would be much happier in a family without other pets or kids. Or maybe he’d be happier in a more active family or a quiet home.

8. Evaluate If You Can Meet Those Needs

If you feel guilty about rehoming the dog after trying the above, or you still want to try to make it work, consider what is best for the dog.

Go back to the needs you listed for your dog and be honest as to whether you can accommodate them.

This involves accepting that sometimes personalities simply do not get along or your lifestyle is too different from your dog’s needs.

9. Think About What Is Best for the Dog

As you go through your dog’s needs and whether you can provide them, look at it from the perspective of your dog’s health and happiness.

If rehoming will make him happier or healthier, it may be the better option.

10. Follow Through With Responsible Rehoming

Once you have worked through all the different possibilities but still ended up needing to place your pet in a new home, do it responsibly.

Look to your friends if possible, that way it will be easier to know their history with pets.

Check into rescues that will provide some professional guidance on getting the dog in the right home.

They will have the resources to help you through interviews of potential new owners through home checks.

These are all important and may seem like an unnecessary step, but they go a long way to ensuring your pet has a solid future home.

Make sure to give the new owner as much background information if possible.

If there was any aggression, let them know.

If your pet loves to go on walks, but pulls really hard you need to tell them. This will help make the transition to a new home easier.

If the dog loves to go on car rides and trips to the park but tends to make the car messy, you need to let the owner know if the pup is a handful in that sense.

Make sure to provide some of their old toys and food also to give them an easier transition.

Anything you have had for the dog that you can pass along will go a long way to making the process go easier.