Pre-adoption behavior evaluations are widely used by rehoming organizations to decide whether a dog is suitable for adoption or to match dogs with appropriate homes. These assessments can determine a dog’s fate, yet their validity and reliability have been questioned.
Griffin et al. (2022) conducted a qualitative analysis of 73 UK and US rehoming organizations, examining how they screen dogs prior to adoption. Nine themes and 71 sub-themes emerged, with many organizations relying on pass/fail scoring systems. In such systems, certain behaviors—like snapping, destructiveness, or fearfulness—could result in a dog being labeled “unadoptable.”
The researchers cross-referenced these criteria with existing scientific literature on risks of relinquishment, dog welfare, and public safety. Only 10 factors had clear scientific backing, such as aggression towards people or animals, biting, resource guarding, destructiveness, housetraining, and fearfulness. In contrast, more than 85% of commonly used factors lacked strong evidence to justify their impact on adoptability.
Given this gap, the authors recommend that shelters shift resources toward adopter education and post-adoption support. These approaches may better promote successful placements and long-term dog welfare, instead of relying heavily on potentially flawed pre-adoption behavior tests.
Source: Griffin, K. E., John, E., Pike, T., & Mills, D. (2022). What Will Happen to This Dog? A Qualitative Analysis of Rehoming Organisations’ Pre-adoption Dog Behaviour Screening Policies and Procedures. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8. Published January 14, 2022.
