# Hardest and easiests dogs to find homes for



## Rinchan

What breeds, or kinds of dogs are the easiest to find homes for? Which are the hardest? I ask because I've heard of rescues having long waiting lists for certain breeds, though I saw so many labs listed on petfinder. I know black dogs are hard to find homes for. (And that makes me really want to adopt one!)

Are there any specific charactersistics, besides temperment or agression that make a dog difficult to adopt out? I kind of want to adopt a dog that would be harder to place, as long as it's characteristics fit my life style. (I live in an apartment currently and will probably be there for another year, and while pets are allowed, there are some breed restrictions.)


----------



## Bones

Rinchan said:


> What breeds, or kinds of dogs are the easiest to find homes for? Which are the hardest? I ask because I've heard of rescues having long waiting lists for certain breeds, though I saw so many labs listed on petfinder. I know black dogs are hard to find homes for. (And that makes me really want to adopt one!)
> 
> Are there any specific charactersistics, besides temperment or agression that make a dog difficult to adopt out? I kind of want to adopt a dog that would be harder to place, as long as it's characteristics fit my life style. (I live in an apartment currently and will probably be there for another year, and while pets are allowed, there are some breed restrictions.)


Black dogs tend to have a harder time getting placed. Larger and older dogs also tend to have a hard time getting placed. Senior dogs especially have a hard time which is a shame. Puppies, little dogs, and generally annything you would consider especially 'cute' get placed easily.


----------



## brandiw

As Bones said, definitely black dogs have a hard time getting adopted, and it is especially bad if the dog is a big, black dog. In addition to that, around here, bully breeds, rottweilers/rott mixes and german shepherds/german shepherd mixes all seem to have a hard time being placed.


----------



## Lindbert

At my shelter in southern NJ, bully breeds have the absolute hardest time being adopted. Anything really big or really small is adopted quickly. Any dog, regardless of breed (unless bully) that appears purebred is adopted very quickly. GSDs and GSD mixes with prick ears are adopted almost as soon as they walk through the door. Puppies are adopted fairly quickly as well

We have a hard time placing shy dogs, very high energy adult dogs, shaggy mid sized mutts (think Benji), and believe it or not any dog in foster care. Most of our adopters are more interested in the dogs actually at the shelter than trying to set up a meeting with a foster. When I have a foster, I always make sure to bring them in every weekend and sit with them so potential adopters can meet them without having to set up a meeting. I almost always get my fosters adopted quickly this way. Other foster families "don't have the time" to spend the weekend at the shelter with the dog and they'll wait until someone sees them on petfinder and wants to meet them.


----------



## Inga

Also, the "dangerous breeds" are more difficult to place. Good homes are hard to find for any rescue but even more so for those certain breeds.


From my experience over the past 23 years in rescue

Most difficult are

1. Old
2. Dangerous Breeds
3. Dark over light colored
4. Special Needs (though sometimes you get lucky pulling on the right heartstrings)
5. Large Breed over Small breed


Easiest to place

Puppies of all shapes and sizes but small breeds seem to be the highest in demand. 

Next would be young adults of the sought after small breeds.


----------



## FilleBelle

I'm with Inga in that old dogs top the list of being hardest to place. What makes it worse is that, for the general public, "old" seems to start at about five years, which obviously isn't old at all.


----------



## Meshkenet

The local shelter here will not place dogs over 4 years old for adoption (don't get me started on this, it's mostly about being uder-funded).

Any pure breed will go fast, specially Bernese (very common here), Danes or small fluffy dogs (think bichons, poodles, etc).

Lab mixes, GSD mixes and Husky mixes are a dime a dozen and tend to stay longer at the shelter, specially high energy juveniles.

Pits here go quite fast, but not necessarily to good people (think thug wannabees who want to impress their friends, not dog fighters wich is minimal to nonexistant around here).


----------



## Laurelin

Meshkenet said:


> The local shelter here will not place dogs over 4 years old for adoption (don't get me started on this, it's mostly about being uder-funded).


Wow! I have never heard of that before. We're super overcrowded but still adopted out older adults in good health. That makes me sad though. Summer's only 6 1/2 and still hopefully has lots of active years left in her. 

Anyways around here small dogs go fast. Pit bulls are the hardest to adopt out followed by labs and hounds. Also, older dogs, black dogs, and then just plain looking dogs. We had one sweet sweet little dog with the best personality ever. She would have made a fantastic pet for just about anyone but everyone came in and said she was ugly so she was here a long time. I thought she was quite cute to be honest.


----------



## Rinchan

Wow, labs are difficult to adopt out? I always though they were popular? What makes them difficult to get adopted?


----------



## Bones

Yellow labs go out okay big black labs? No. Very common too which is also why.


----------



## Rinchan

Wow. I've always preferred black labs to yellow labs. Maybe I will look into adopting one. May have to wait a year until after my husband and I move out of our apartment and into a house. But, it's a small one bedroom apartment. Will that work for a lab? Space may be limited to walk around for him/her. (landlord allows pets)


----------



## DJEtzel

black dogs are hard to adopt out, so are solid brindle dogs. Pitbulls, labs, orange mutts. Dogs that bark, that pull on the leash, and that jump on the cage doors in the kennel. Hyper dogs. Most solid colored dogs go last as well.


----------



## Inga

FilleBelle said:


> old dogs top the list of being hardest to place. What makes it worse is that, for the general public, "old" seems to start at about five years, which obviously isn't old at all.


Here it seems most don't want anything over a year.  This goes for cats and dogs alike. We had puppies that went up for adoption. They were 8 weeks old. A lady came to the desk with one of the pups and said "Don't you have any that are younger?" I explained that by law, a pup cannot leave the litter until is 8 weeks. She said "They do best if you take them at 4 weeks or less." She didn't take the pup, she wanted to keep looking for a younger one.  Good thing for the pup, I guess. 

I look at my own dogs and know they would not have the best chance finding a good home if they were in rescue. They are super friendly so that would be a good thing but being black, over 3 years old, and a Rottweiler? They have the trifecta of things against them.  That said, I think people would be hard pressed to find any better dogs, anywhere.


----------



## InkedMarie

Meshkenet said:


> The local shelter here will not place dogs over 4 years old for adoption (don't get me started on this, it's mostly about being uder-funded).
> 
> Any pure breed will go fast, specially Bernese (very common here), Danes or small fluffy dogs (think bichons, poodles, etc).
> 
> Lab mixes, GSD mixes and Husky mixes are a dime a dozen and tend to stay longer at the shelter, specially high energy juveniles.
> 
> Pits here go quite fast, but not necessarily to good people (think thug wannabees who want to impress their friends, not dog fighters wich is minimal to nonexistant around here).


That's too bad about not adopting out 4+ yr old dogs.....I'd prefer that age and older. The pit comment above...too bad the shelter doesn't do a better job in adopting out, thug wannabees are the ones to NOT adopt to but if this is the same shelter that doesn't adopt out 4+ yrs, that says it all


----------

