Post-Adoption Depression: A Leading Cause Of Faield Adoptions

You  would think with so many proven benefits from having a dog in your  life, for both your mental and physical health, whether child or adult,  that everyone would have one!  

Having  a canine companion can be a massive source of comfort to people in  combatting loneliness, giving people someone to talk to and giving  people a reason to get up in the morning and get moving!  

Dogs  have been proven to help with depression, anxiety and stress by helping  their owners go out on walks, ensuring they get plenty of fresh air and  exercise, talking to other dog walkers and acting as a buffer in social  situations!   They also help, simply by existing!  

Interacting  with a dog reduces cortisol (stress hormones), lowers blood pressure,  and boosts your self-confidence!  They are also just straight up  adorable…that in itself should be reason enough to have one in your  life!

Though not everyone is in a  position to have a dog.  There are barriers such as work commitments,  financial restraints, regular travel, allergies…and also personal  preference!  Some people just prefer cats.  Not that we’re going to  judge them too hard for it…

Though,  despite dogs’ ability to bring so much joy, happiness, and light to our  lives, it doesn’t always go to plan.  While many dream of owning a dog,  for a lot of people, the expected benefits of doing so aren’t always  immediate...

This is particularly  true for anyone that already struggles, or has struggled in the past,  with some aspects of mental health.  Taking on a new dog can be  overwhelming and the stress of it can trigger a negative response,  rather than a positive one!

Are  you feeling overwhelmed?  Trapped?  Regretting your decision in taking  on a dog?  Or did you back when you took your hound home?   You may not  know, but it’s totally normal!  

The  puppy blues are real.  Post adoption depression (PAD), sometimes  referred to as post-canine depression, can be a real struggle for people  after taking their new dog or puppy home.  While everyone will go  through some degree of it, with most just having an errant thought or an  off day, others can struggle for days, weeks if not months after  adopting a dog.  

But what is it?   Surely it isn’t that big of a deal?  A lot of the time, it isn’t.  For  most adopters they may be a bit out of sorts for a day or two but soon  thrive within their new routine.  But believe it or not, for others, it  can really kick you down!  

PAD  is where the doubts start to creep in after the initial excitement and  preparedness wears off, particularly in those early days or weeks where  things may not be going quite as intended!  Settling a dog in can be  really difficult, for both the owner and the dog, despite what other  people’s social media might say!

You  might have experienced it yourself, or perhaps not.  You may not yet  have taken your forever hound home…which is why it’s all the more  important to spread the word and normalise these feelings, discuss them  and make people feel less isolated or that they are failures when they  don’t immediately bond with their new dog.

While  being owned by your dog is one of the greatest joys you will experience  in life, having a dog is not always easy or straight forward…and the  easiest way to combat PAD, is to speak out about it.

We  don’t write this article to frighten people out of adopting for fear of  suffering PAD, but to prepare people and make them aware that they  aren’t alone.  That support is out there and that it does get better!   But in order to do this, you have to be made aware…

PAD  presents itself as a form of anxiety, and depression.  It is this  nagging feeling of failure, being overwhelmed and trapped by the fact  you have promised all the years ahead to a four-legged creature that is  completely reliant on you to survive.  The sudden change to your  paradigm and not being able to just nip down to the shops or out to the  pub or book a holiday…you have to consider the dog in everything.
It  can come with dark thoughts that can really spin people out.  Was  taking on a dog the right thing?  Would they be happier with another  family?  I won’t be able to give them the life they deserve!

Although  a very common phenomenon, particularly post-covid, PAD is not talked  about enough!  This leaves many people feeling isolated and trapped  within their own feelings because they don’t know that others may be  going through the same thing.

We  have been a sound board for, and reassured, many people through PAD but  while we can tell people that it gets better with time, and it does  pass, it can also be a very difficult experience.  PAD prevents people  for bonding with their dog and for some people these thoughts and  feelings can spiral, and they convince themselves that the dog is better  off without them which leads them to return the dog to the rehoming  centre.  This usually occurs in the first three weeks and is one of the  leading causes for failed adoptions.

It is a terrible shame when this happens, but you can’t help how you feel!  

Whether  seasoned dog owners, or first timers, we’ve seen PAD affect people  regardless of the situation.  Studies have shown that PAD affects people  in the same way as Post-Partum Depression, there’s no rhyme or reason  to it.  Whether the dog is having teething issues, and the owner is  under additional stress, or the dog walked into the house like they had  always been there and settled in like a dream…it affects people the same  way.

Yes, for the most part,  taking on a new dog is very much a case of expectation vs reality.  You  can’t let yourself feel like a failure because you hit a little road  bump.  There will be trials and tribulations, but if you can work  through those difficult thoughts, lower your expectations and celebrate  every little milestone of both your dog and your progress…you’ll come  out the other side and you will never look back.

When  it all falls into place, you get to learn about each other, start to  bond and your new routine becomes familiar and comfortable, you will  come to see the unconditional love that a dog offers.  We need to  normalise that adopting a dog isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, to  ensure that people are prepared for how they might feel after taking  their dog home and that they can call for help!

If  you are looking to adopt a dog, make sure to have an open and honest  conversation with your chosen rehoming centre.  It is difficult, we  know, but mention any prior, or current, struggles with mental health  that might result in PAD.  This way they will be able to better prepare  you, answer questions or concerns, and find the right match…which  should, hopefully, result in a very successful adoption and years of  happiness with your canine companion!

There is no greater feeling as you move forward together and have that happily ever after you were both looking for!

But it doesn’t for everyone, and that is okay too.  Dog ownership isn’t for everyone.