Is it wise to get a rescue dog from abroad?

Over the years, I have met many dogs who have been imported into the UK from other countries, ‘rescued’ from their free-ranging lifestyles and given a new life over here. Some dogs adapt amazingly well and thrive, they prove to be wonderful pet dogs, and their new families can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing they rescued a dog from a less favourable alternative.

That is the idealistic dream scenario, and it does happen. But not always.

What about the dogs I, and I’m sure other dog professionals, have met who are struggling with the new life they’ve been gifted? The families who have adopted them, thinking they’re doing something good, only to suffer through challenge after challenge?

Unfortunately, the reality is not always rosy, some of these dogs do struggle to adapt to their new life. It's not only the dog who is affected, it's also the emotional toll it takes on the families who adopt a dog with more complex issues than they anticipated.

“Removing dogs from their natural environment and relocating them to unfamiliar settings disrupts their social structures and natural behaviours. This intervention can lead to unintended outcomes, including stress, trauma, challenges in adaptation, and other severe consequences, including euthanasia.” Adda, 2024 (Wellness or Hellness? Rediscussing free-ranging dogs’ welfare)

The Struggle is Real

Dogs born into free-ranging lives are likely to be from generations of ancestors who have adapted to these conditions, they are genetically designed to behave in ways that aid their survival. Taking these dogs and placing them into urban environments in the UK creates a significant change which some can’t cope with.

The journey from their home country to the UK is stressful and traumatic in itself, and involves many different events, such as being captured, kennelled, and transported via various cars, vans, or planes. By the time they reach their new home, they have already experienced numerous high-stress events, and this can have serious implications on their ability to adapt to the new environment they find themselves in.

“The removal of dogs from the streets, the stressful journey, and their subsequent relocation to unfamiliar environments can have severe effects on their well-being, leading to canine trauma and canine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” Adda, 2024.

Some rescue organisations are designed to operate in ways which reduce these stressors, and they allow for time to decompress before the dogs are placed in new homes. These rescues do an amazing job to increase the probability of a successful and low-stress adjustment. However, there are unfortunately others who don't take behavioural risk factors into account and dogs may be placed into unprepared homes while highly stressed.

Puppy Rescue

Puppies can be moved to the UK from around 15 weeks old, this is often towards the end of their critical socialisation stage, and experiences in the first 16 weeks will have significant impacts on their future behaviour. This includes bad experiences, good experiences, or no experiences. If the puppy has experienced abuse from humans or been frightened by other dogs, they may be more likely to develop fear and aggression as they mature. A puppy who never ventures beyond a quiet area before being rescued will not have had positive exposure to the everyday sights and sounds of UK life, this can predispose them to fearful behaviours later in life.

Early experiences are absolutely key to the behaviour of an adult dog. Choosing to adopt a puppy from abroad and assuming it’s young enough to adapt to your life, is a recipe for disaster. By the time these puppies reach the UK, their blueprint of adult behaviour is largely already set and predetermined. You will be working within the limits of their genetics and early life experiences.

This can be hard to imagine when the puppy arrives and appears just like any other puppy, albeit maybe a little shy. However, the early experiences, or lack of, may not become apparent until months later when they reach adolescence. This is often when early experiences begin to show more clearly and problem behaviours develop.

Some individuals may be more prone to developing anxieties and fears, this could be due to early life experiences or the result of genetics which predispose them to increased sensitivity. If you’re a puppy born from free-ranging parents who are bred to survive harsh conditions, having an extra level of sensitivity and an increased fear response could be what keeps you alive. This is less beneficial in a caring UK home and can appear unnecessary or inappropriate when the dog shows an extreme fear response to something harmless. You can’t alter these genetics though, you can only work within the limits.

The Wise Adult Dog

It’s not just puppies who are brought into the UK, adult dogs are also ‘rescued’ from their lives as free-ranging dogs. This is often seen as giving them a wonderful opportunity to have a new, privileged life as a pet dog. Good intentions can still be selfish though. What if these dogs would prefer to be left where they are? What if life in a UK household is even more stressful?

Some of these dogs are not designed for pet dog life. They are bred to survive as free-ranging dogs and turning them into pets can have a negative impact on their behaviour. They may be prevented from engaging in behaviours they enjoy and forced into situations they’ve never experienced before. This can cause high levels of stress and frustration, which may lead to fearful behaviours or aggression.

Take a dog who has spent 3 years living free-range, they have learnt how to survive, and they have choice over where they sleep and who they interact with. Place this dog into a household in a UK town, they are now restricted by four walls, they suddenly live with humans, and possibly other dogs, they can’t choose when they leave the house, they can’t escape all the unfamiliar sights and sounds, and all their social interactions have completely changed.

This places stress on the dog from all sides. They aren’t designed to adapt quickly to such a significant change to their life.

Common behavioural impacts of this can include a dog withdrawing from the household, choosing to hide away, avoiding interactions, showing aggression, and fearful behaviours. In addition, a dog may find the whole ‘living in a house’ concept overwhelming, every sound is new and there is no escape. These dogs may spend more time in the garden or hiding away where they feel safer.

Often these behaviours improve as the dog slowly adjusts to their new environment. However, with time comes more change. The dog may begin to express their emotions and feelings more clearly, they may start to defend themselves from perceived dangers, or they may develop associations with certain events and react in a manner they deem necessary. This could include reactivity or aggression towards other dogs or people, trying to run away from scary sounds or traffic, guarding valuable food items or comfortable spaces, and fear aggression to anything else scary.

It can come as a surprise when a seemingly placid and gentle dog arrives into your home but several months down the line they begin to show increasingly aggressive or problematic behaviours. It shouldn’t be a surprise though, it’s the result of putting a dog into an environment they don’t yet have the skills or experience to cope with.

So is it wise to rescue a dog from abroad? Truth is, all dogs are at risk of these consequences, importing dogs from abroad can increase the likelihood of problems, but puppies born in the UK from reputable breeders are not immune either. If you’re considering choosing to rescue a dog from another country, ask yourself whether you’re prepared for the possible behaviour challenges they may come with.

The majority of these dogs are capable of adapting and gradually developing into well-rounded pet dogs, but it takes time, patience, and hard work in some cases. As long as people are aware of the possible behavioural risks and not sold a 'perfect pet', then it can be a happy, successful rescue mission.

At The Hound Spot, we have first-hand experience of living with rescue dogs with challenges, we can empathise if your dog has not turned out to be what you were expecting, and we are here to help if you’re looking to improve your life with them. These dogs often have more restricted limits of behavioural improvement and require more management and adjustment but it is possible to achieve a happier and less stressful life with them, so get in touch today to find out how we can help!

Adda, M. (2024). Wellness or Hellness? Rediscussing Free-Ranging Dogs Welfare. In Frasin I., Bodi G., Bulei, S., Vasiliu, C. D. (Eds), Multispecies Communities and Narratives, pp. 5-43