08/16/2026
KNOW BEFORE YOU COMMIT: Realistic Expectations in Adopting A Dog
When people are thinking about adopting a dog for the first time, or adopting again, it is natural to be excited about a canine family member. Unfortunately, people often have unrealistic expectations of how the adoption of a dog will be…and these expectations can cause an adoption to fail. After twenty plus years of running a rescue program, the board members and volunteers of DFW Dachshund Rescue Foundation have seen the common problems that cause some adoptions to fail. These problems can occur whether the potential adopter is in their 20’s or whether the potential adopter is a senior citizen…it doesn’t have anything to do with the age or experience level of the adopter.
1. Expecting the new dog to be “just like our other dachshund”. One cannot replace a previous dog. Just like people, each dog is unique in its personality and temperament. Thinking that you are adopting a dog to “replace” a former dog sets you and the dog up for failure. When the dog does not act like the former dog, adopters quickly become frustrated and are unable to view the new dog as a unique individual. The dog is then returned to the foundation because “the adopted dog did not work out.”
2. Do not expect the dog to compensate for an emotional loss or struggle in your life. Sometimes people think that adopting a dog after losing a spouse or other family member, going through a divorce or losing a job (or other life crisis) will somehow make coping with the crisis easier. Actually, all this does is add more responsibility and stress to a time period when you are already struggling and feeling overwhelmed. Do not bring a dog into your home if your own life is in upheaval. This simply results in the dog being returned to the rescue program when the adopter figures out that the dog is not able to “solve” their life crisis.
3. Expecting that you will not have to work on housetraining with the new dog—and thinking that the dog will come “already housetrained”. Or that he/she will learn in a few days, will learn by watching the other dog, will learn by the presence of a dog door, etc., etc. Housetraining has the word “training” in it, because the new owner WILL need to train the dog. The rescue dog will have established a potty routine in the foster home that will be shared with you, but dogs do not generalize so no matter what you will have to re-teach this in your home. This takes time.
When a dog is re-learning, the dog should only be allowed in three places: 1)in a crate when you can’t supervise him/her 2)outside for potty breaks with you WATCHING the dog to make sure he/she goes and 3)under your immediate visual supervision. Visual supervision means you do NOT allow the dog to wander off into the house. Once the dog learns that if he/she gets out of sight—that pooping or p*eing in the house is okay, you will have a consistent problem with this. It can often take several months if not longer to establish a reliable potty schedule for your adopted dog. Also be aware that if the dog is alone for more than six hours, he/she probably will have to eliminate during that time and you will need to have a plan for meeting this need (someone to come by and let the dog out, a dog door, p*e pad available, etc) Be prepared to put the time into housetraining---if you don’t see yourself as having the time or willingness to do this, our foundation will not be a good adoption resource for you.
4. A new dog, even if it is an adult, will need overall training to be a good canine citizen. You cannot expect the dog to know the rules of your house and general good behavior unless the dog receives training. There are many excellent training options in the DFW area, and we are happy to make suggestions for options in your immediate or close by area. We encourage adopters to take a basic obedience class and work towards obtaining a “Canine Good Citizen” title (CGC).
5. Be realistic about your energy level and time availability. A young and/or high-energy dog is not a good fit for a low-key person or a person that does not have a lot of time to give. A middle aged dog is more likely to be a good fit. Give careful thought to your work and social schedule—if you are very busy and not home a lot, a dog may not be a good choice for your home and lifestyle. When a person adopts a dog that is too high energy for their home or the person is unrealistic about their schedule and ability to manage that schedule and the needs of a dog………the dog always ends up back in the rescue program.
6. Weight control is ESSENTIAL for dachshunds (or really any type of dog). They are already at a certain amount of risk for neck and back problems, and they must be kept at a healthy weight to reduce this risk. In addition, being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health issues. We consider allowing a dog to become overweight to be a serious form of animal neglect. There is no excuse for having an overweight dog. When you adopt, you will be given the exact weight that your adopted dog should maintain as well as specific feeding instructions to be followed.
7. If you are having any problems with or questions about your newly adopted dog, speak up immediately and let the rescue group know! If you wait until a problem becomes a habit, it will be a much larger problem to correct, and chances are then good that the dog will end up back in the rescue program.
