Rehoming a Puppy: 6 Considerations (+ How-To Guide)

The feeling has probably been growing for days. It makes you feel a bit sick and uncomfortable, but you need to rehome your puppy.

It happens, and it is time to drop the guilt and deal with the issue.

There are plenty of reasons why rehoming a puppy is the best option for you and the puppy. Circumstances change, and sometimes you and your puppy are not the best matches for each other at this time in your life.

The sensible and compassionate action for you and your puppy focuses on finding the best home for your puppy that will provide for its needs.

1. You Can’t Keep the Entire Litter

Either by design or accident, your dog produced a litter of pups; much as you would love to keep the whole family together, it’s not practical.

Moving a puppy from the home where it was born into (hopefully) its forever home is one of those bittersweet moments.

Rehoming at 5 Weeks

At five weeks, the puppy is not entirely independent of its mother, and this is never an ideal time to rehome your puppy.

If the circumstances are such that you must rehome the puppy at five weeks, then it is best to rehome the mother and her litter as a complete family.

The puppies can then continue to grow and mature.

Rehoming at 6 Weeks

Although a puppy eats independently at around six weeks, rehoming a six-week puppy and separating it from its mother and siblings means it misses out on the essential two weeks of socializing and learning.

A puppy separated from its mother at this young age may never be a confident adult dog and may develop severe anxiety.

If circumstances dictate you must rehome a puppy at this young age, try to find a home where someone can be with the puppy all day and night to encourage forming a strong caregiver bond.

Rehoming at 7 Weeks

Seven weeks for rehoming your puppy is still not ideal, but at least the puppy is weaned and can feed itself from a bowl.

If you can wait another week, that would be better, but you can rehome the puppy without its mother at this stage.

Rehoming at 8 Weeks and Older

Rehoming a puppy at this age is the natural next stage in the puppy’s life.

Hopefully, you have a welcoming home lined up, and it is simply a case of delivering the puppy to its new owners.

You will miss the little guys and gals, but you and the momma dog will be happy to go back to your routine.

2. Other Reasons for Rehoming a Puppy

Dogs remain puppies until some time between one and two years old.

You brought a puppy into your home with the expectation that your puppy will spend its entire life as your companion. That was the plan, but life throws curveballs that may mean you need to rehome your puppy.

The most common reasons why you might have to rehome your puppy include:

• Life changes – a change in circumstances makes it challenging or unkind to keep your puppy.
• Danger to the puppy – either from other dogs, animals, or people.
• Danger to humans – an aggressive puppy or other issues.
• Poor fit between your family and the puppy – everyone is unhappy.
• Behavior or health issues.
• Unsuitability for a working dog role.

Life Changes

There are many ways your life can change that means you can’t keep your puppy in your life:

• Working abroad – your puppy may be too young to cope with extended quarantine in kennels, and it is kinder to the puppy to find another home.
• Illness – looking after a puppy may be impossible if you spend substantial amounts of time in bed and hospital for exhausting treatment regimes.
• Change in work – you may need to travel more, work longer hours, and it is not feasible to give your puppy the time and attention it needs.

A combination of circumstances may mean that you can no longer accommodate a puppy’s needs for exercise and companionship.

In these circumstances, rehoming your puppy with a family that can provide a loving and attentive home is the best option for the puppy to live its best life.

Danger to the Puppy

A small puppy is a vulnerable and fragile baby animal, and your home life may be hazardous to its physical wellbeing.

Bringing a small puppy into a home with a resident adult dog doesn’t always work out. The puppy may trigger an aggressive display from your existing dog or present as a prey animal.

You will probably soon realize if the other dog’s level of aggression shown to the puppy is excessive and potentially fatal.

You can work with both the dog and the puppy with a dog behavior specialist, but sometimes the best option is to rehome either the dog or the puppy.

It is easier to find a loving home for a puppy than an adult dog who knows no other home than yours. Some dogs are very territorial and won’t accept another dog coming into their pack.

Some people bring in two puppies as a sibling pair believing that these two puppies will be a family unit.

Unfortunately, when the puppies grow, you may find that the fight for dominance turns into potential death matches with blood and fur flying. This behavior isn’t helpful for the puppies or any human caught in the middle.

If your two puppies are equally dominant, there is no dispute resolution because neither will submit.

Again, your best option is to rehome one of the puppies so both puppies can be top dog in their respective homes.

Your children may pose a physical risk to your puppy – because they aren’t at a stage where they can understand the need to be gentle and caring with the puppy.

Depending on your child’s development, your child may be unable to see the difference between throwing a soft toy out the window (see teddy fly) or a puppy.

The consequences for the child as well as the puppy are traumatic.

If you find you have miscalculated your child’s ability to interact safely with the puppy, it is best to rehome the puppy.

You can adopt a puppy or perhaps an adult dog at a later stage when your child has a better understanding of the difference between a toy and a living creature.

Danger to Humans

A puppy can pose some real risks of physical harm to your family members in some circumstances. The specific risks depend on the puppy’s temperament and breed.

Puppies can be a trip hazard, which can be difficult if you or a family member are unsteady on your feet through age or disability.

An enthusiastic and boisterous puppy can present a substantial risk of falls for some vulnerable people.

Depending on the breed, it may become apparent that the puppy will become a dog capable of knocking over a small child or a fragile adult. Some puppies from the giant breeds will grow into dogs capable of sending a healthy adult flying when it runs past.

Puppies can cause an allergic reaction in asthmatics, respiratory illnesses, and over-sensitive immune systems.

It’s not the hair that is the issue but the flakes of dead skin, saliva, and urine that trigger an allergic response. Signs of an allergic reaction include a mixture of coughing, sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and rashes.

You can treat an allergic reaction with medication, but it may be best for the sufferer not to have the puppy in their home, depending on the severity.

Rehoming the puppy is better for the human with the allergy as this action eliminates the source of their symptoms.

Some puppies may display aggressive behavior and a willingness to bite humans. Most puppies will play bite when young and teething, but a fierce attack with teeth is different.

A dog behavior specialist can work with you to train your dog not to bite people, but in some cases, the habit remains.

A puppy that grows up willing to bite humans is a threat to your family and community.

Ultimately, a puppy that persists in biting people is not rehomed but euthanized. It is an extreme measure considered as a last resort and is dependent on why the puppy bites.

A puppy that bites when afraid or threatened has different issues to a puppy that bites for no apparent reason or because you pick up its toy.

A puppy that is not an aggressive biter may have the option for rehoming, but an aggressive dog is generally not reformable.

However much you love your puppy, if it represents a potential threat to your family, it is better to rehome your puppy to a different family where the puppy will not pose a risk to people.

Puppy Doesn’t Fit Your Family

Despite researching breed characteristics, your puppy and your family may not work in a relationship.

Perhaps your puppy requires more exercise than you have time to give – without the necessary exercise, your puppy may turn into a bored, destructive monster.

This puppy is a better fit for someone who has plenty of time and enthusiasm for walking and playing with their puppy and an energetic adult dog.

If you have no previous experience with owning a dog, the sheer effort and disruption a puppy brings to your life may be too much for your family.

Puppies need daily care and attention and generate mess and dirt – particularly when toilet training.

There can be many reasons why taking on a puppy may be the wrong decision for your family at this stage.

If you recognize that this puppy and your family are not the ideal match, it is better for everyone to find a home that will welcome this puppy and provide the attention it needs.

Puppy Isn’t Suitable for a Working Role

If you bought the puppy to be a working dog, the puppy turns out unable to fulfill that role, and the situation is not your or your puppy’s fault.

Some dogs don’t have the temperament to grow into a working dog in a particular role.

Typically, these puppies need rehoming to make room for a puppy that can work with its handler in the working dog role. These puppies still make great family pets, and careful rehoming makes everyone happy.

3. What Are Your Options for Rehoming a Puppy?

Your options for rehoming your puppy include:

• Returning to breeder or rescue center – this condition may be part of your contract to ensure that if your new puppy relationship breaks down, the puppy comes back to its first home.
• Friends, family, and work colleagues.
• Advertising for a new home.
• Animal shelter.

Responsible breeders of expensive pedigree dogs often insist on the return of the puppy in the first year if you find yourself unable to keep your puppy.

Rescue centers also tend to take an interest in a puppy’s continued wellbeing, and your adoption paper may include a return clause.

Returning the puppy to the breeder or rescue center is straightforward, but ensure you are happy that the puppy will be well treated.

If you were uncomfortable with the welfare standards when you collected your puppy, it might be best to seek an alternative home for your puppy.

Putting the word out amongst your social contacts that your puppy needs a new home is a friendly way to place your puppy with a caring family.

Potentially you can stay in touch with the puppy’s progress.

Advertising for a new home means your puppy will go from your life, and you have no control over its future treatment. It is hard to assess if the responder to an advertisement will treat the puppy well, which may make you feel anxious.

You can do your best to check the future owner, but ultimately, it is out of your hands once you hand the puppy over.

One potential place to advertise is your vet’s office.

Your vet may know of a client who has recently lost a dog and will consider a replacement. A new home found through your vet assures you that your puppy will continue to receive necessary health care.

Most animal shelters are well run and concentrate on finding excellent homes for their clients.

You can find an animal shelter with a “no-kill” policy, so your puppy doesn’t become a victim of overcrowding and a time-limited opportunity for rehoming.

The plus points of using an animal shelter are a rehoming policy that vets new owners and may do follow-up visits.

4. How Do You Rehome Your Puppy?

Before rehoming your puppy, consider the pros and cons of your situation.

Depending on your reasons for rehoming your puppy, there may be other remedies available to you:

• Behavior and training issues can be sorted with help from a behavior specialist if you can put in the time, money, and effort.
• Short-term difficulties because of life circumstances may be overcome if a friend or family member temporarily looks after your puppy.

If you feel you have no option but to rehome your puppy, consider how you want to rehome your puppy to ensure it moves to a loving and caring home.

Rehoming with Someone You Know

If you prefer to know the potential home well, rehoming your puppy with a trusted friend or family member means you have peace of mind.

The best approach is an individual request to the person who is the best fit for your puppy.

It is best to be completely open about any behavior or health issues – if these are why the puppy needs a new home.

Generally, if you are rehoming with someone you know, you hand over the puppy and its possessions with no money exchanging hands.

Returning to the Breeder

If you can return your puppy to the breeder, you may receive a partial refund of the purchase price.

It depends on your sale contract; you may only get a refund if the breeder can sell the puppy to a new owner.

If you opted for a pedigree puppy in a sought-after breed, then the breeder probably has a waiting list, and your puppy will move swiftly to a new home.

Advertising for a New Home

Before writing your advertisement, you need to decide if you want to make a charge or sell your puppy to a new owner.

If someone is prepared to pay to take on your puppy, it is reasonable to assume that the new owner will value the puppy and commit to its welfare.

Your options for advertising are:

• Poster locally in vets’ offices and other community notice boards.
• Online – use a specialist pet listing service.

If you have a choice of new owners through advertising, take the time to ask questions:

• Why are they interested in this puppy?
• What previous experience do they have with this breed?
• Are there other pets or children in the household?
• Lifestyle questions – is there enough time for this puppy?

Try and get a feel for how the new owner will treat the puppy and trust your instincts.

Finally, insist on delivering the puppy to its new home so you can have a final assessment of suitability.

If someone wants to come to your house or meet you in a car park, then they may have something to hide about their intentions.

Remember, if you can’t find a new owner you can trust with your puppy, you still have the option of an animal shelter.

Animal Rehoming Center

If you have a choice of accessible animal rehoming centers, then you can select one that:

• Specializes in your breed of puppy – some animal centers dedicate themselves to a single breed and have a network of experienced homes for this breed of puppy.
• No-kill policy – sadly, economic considerations mean some animal shelters can only offer your puppy a finite time to find a new home — others commit to not opting for euthanasia for healthy puppies.
• Good reputation and clean accommodation – not all animal shelters are equally well run; if you can, tour the premises before handing over your puppy.

When you sign your puppy over to an animal rescue center, you give up all your rights, and typically you won’t receive any information about your puppy’s future.

5. Before-Rehoming Checklist

Before you rehome your puppy, you need to get all your documentation together:

• Pedigree registration – if applicable.
• Microchip registration.
• Pet insurance – if there are months left on the policy, check if it is transferrable with the puppy.
• Vaccination and health record.

You need to decide if you are handing over the items you bought for your puppy:

• Dog bed.
• Dog crate.
• Puppy pen.
• Feeding and water bowls.
• Toys.
• Bedding.
• Drying towels.
• Leads and harnesses.
• Towels.
• Puppy food.

If you hand over your puppy to a rescue center, you may choose to donate these items or, in the case of a higher value item like a dog crate, reselling.

Prepare a transfer document – for your protection, you want a simple transfer document capturing the address and details of the new owner.

You may want to include a “return to you” clause if the new owner discovers they are not ready to take on a puppy to avoid your puppy bouncing between too many homes.

6. Post-Rehoming Puppy Care

Unless you rehome your puppy with friends or family, your options for looking after your puppy in the post-rehoming phase are nonexistent.

If your puppy goes to someone you know, the best option is for you not to visit and for you to cut all contact.

It may seem harsh, but your puppy’s best chance of a successful rehoming is to form a strong bond with the new family.

Yes, your puppy will miss you and feel sad temporarily, but if the new home provides food, company, and plenty of playtimes, your puppy will be happy.

To cope with your sad feelings, you can ask the new owner to set up a Facebook page or share photos of your puppy settling into its new home.

After the puppy bonds with its new family, it will not be confused by your presence.

Summary

There are many reasons why it may be necessary for you to rehome your puppy.

Your peace of mind needs you to focus on providing the best new home option for your puppy rather than feeling guilty.

Your puppy is adaptable and will thrive in its new home.