Three Things to Know
A large number of adopted dogs are returned each year. Dog welfare practitioners often suggest that training classes could lower these return rates. To investigate this, researchers compared the reasons for return between dogs that attended training and those that didn’t.
The study found that training did not reduce returns; trained dogs had a nearly identical return rate (8.3%) to untrained dogs (8.7%).
However, training did appear to shift the reason for the return. Adopters were more likely to return trained dogs for owner-related reasons. On the other hand, untrained dogs were more often returned for animal-related (especially behavioral) reasons. This shift suggests that training may have provided owners with a more realistic view of pet ownership.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
This research highlights a critical point: dog welfare practitioners must prepare for adopters to return some animals, as training classes alone may not be effective in reducing return rates.
However, this doesn’t mean training is useless. Training’s true value may be in helping owners set realistic expectations, which ultimately strengthens the human-dog relationship and ensures the dogs become well-socialized companions. Shelter staff should therefore continue to strongly encourage training, shifting the focus from reducing returns to fostering successful long-term adoptions.
The Full Picture
Each year, Americans adopt around 4.8 million pets from U.S. shelters, but return up to 20% later. The most common return reasons include financial and housing barriers, health issues, and behavioral problems, with behavior consistently emerging as the leading cause of returns in multiple studies.
Research suggests that training classes can improve dog behavior, reduce anxiety, and strengthen the human–animal bond, which may help prevent returns. Past studies also indicate that participation in obedience or socialization classes is associated with higher adoption retention, though most research is dated and limited—especially regarding adult dogs.
This study, titled “Investigating the relationship between canine training classes and post-adoption return rates in North American shelters”, therefore aims to:
- Examine any links between post-adoption training classes and return rates across three North American shelters, and
- Compare reasons for return between dogs who attended training and those who did not.
Study Methods
This retrospective cohort study analysed records from three medium-sized shelters in North America (Seattle, DeKalb, and Edmonton) to explore the link between post-adoption training and dog return rates. It included dogs adopted between April 2023 and March 2024, focusing on those who attended training or were returned within six months.
Study Results
A total of 3,325 dogs met the study criteria across the three shelters, with 6.1% (n = 204) attending at least one post-adoption training class. Most training participants were puppies (61.3%), and terriers were more likely to attend training than other breeds. There were no significant demographic differences between trained and untrained dogs. The median time between adoption and training was 28 days.
The overall return rate was 8.7%, and dogs who attended training had a nearly identical return rate (8.3%) to those who did not (8.7%), showing no significant difference. This suggests that training alone may not prevent returns.
When examining return reasons, behavioral issues and owner expectations were the most common causes across both groups. In the overall sample, there were no significant differences in the distribution of return reasons between trained and untrained dogs. However, using the matched sample (which helped control for differing canine characteristics that might have biased return rates), researchers revealed a significant trend: trained dogs were more likely to be returned for owner-related reasons, while untrained dogs were more often returned for animal-related (especially behavioral) reasons. This suggests that training may help address behavioral challenges but does not mitigate broader owner constraints or expectations.
Conclusion
This study explored whether attending post-adoption training classes reduced return rates and influenced return reasons for adopted dogs. Although training did not reduce returns, it appeared to shift return reasons from behavioural reasons to owner-related issues (e.g., time, housing, finances).
Future research should examine how training interacts with owner expectations, behavioral understanding, and attachments. Studies could also explore the combined effects of training and foster care or other behavioral support programs to better prevent returns.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Shelter Dogs > Post-Adoption Management > Reducing Adoption Returns
Year of Publication:
2025
External Link:
Duaa Ahmed, Brittany Watson, Chelsea L. Reinhard, Lauren Powell, Investigating the relationship between canine training classes and post-adoption return rates in North American shelters, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 287, 2025, 106654, ISSN 0168-1591, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106654