Retired and gun-shy working dog rehoming

About retired and gun-shy working dog rehoming

Racing greyhounds retire young, police and Border Force dogs retire after years of service, some guide dog puppies are withdrawn from training, and some gundogs prove gun-shy. Many make excellent pets. This page explains each route to retired working dog adoption in the UK; no dogs are sold or rehomed through Canine Breeder.

What this work involves

You take on an adult with a known history and some habits from its working life. Retired greyhound adoption usually means a dog aged three to five, when most greyhounds retire from racing, that is used to kennels rather than a house. Retired police dogs may have been trained to search, chase or detain. Dogs withdrawn from guide dog training usually have a health condition or a behaviour, such as distraction or reactivity to other dogs, that ruled out guiding. Gun shy dog rehoming covers gundogs frightened by gunfire. Such a dog can still suit a quieter home, but ask how it copes with fireworks and other sudden noises.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Racing greyhounds. Greyhounds registered with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) can retire through GBGB-approved homing centres, which include branches of the Greyhound Trust (registered charity 269668 and SC044047). The Trust has more than 50 volunteer-led branches. Its greyhounds are neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before homing, and every adoption is subject to a home visit.

Police dogs. Each force obtains and trains its own dogs and manages them through service and retirement. The Thin Blue Paw Foundation (registered charity 1190959) says around 85% retire to their former handler’s family, and that no charities or organisations are permitted to rehome police dogs. For retired police dog rehoming, contact your local force.

Guide dogs. Guide Dogs breeds and trains its own dogs. It rehomes dogs withdrawn from training, plus some retired guide dogs that cannot stay with their partnership family. The fee is up to £500, and the dogs cannot be left alone for more than four hours in 24.

Border Force. Border Force gets its young detector dogs, mostly English Springer and Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and Beagles, from breeders, from members of the public and from rescue centres such as Battersea, and trains them itself. Its published guidance (2013) says the dogs usually retire at eight. The handler normally takes the dog home; otherwise it goes to someone on a central list of suitable owners.

Gundogs. Gundogs are bred by private breeders and trained by owners or professional trainers. Dogs that do not make the grade may be rehomed privately by the breeder or trainer, or through breed rescues. If you want to take on a rescue gundog to work, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) published a “Second chance gundogs” feature in 2024. It makes the case for training a rescue dog for the field and notes that many rehoming centres now run drives to place gundog breeds in working homes. It is advice, not a list of available dogs.

Breeds and lines

• Greyhound: often calm indoors, but a sighthound with a strong instinct to chase.
• Labrador Retriever: common in gundog, detection and guide dog work; Guide Dogs’ most common guide dog is a Labrador x Golden Retriever cross.
• English Springer and Cocker Spaniel: among Border Force’s most common detection breeds and shooting-field favourites, usually from high-energy working lines.
• German Shepherd Dog: the traditional general-purpose police dog; Guide Dogs also rehomes some.

Working lines keep their drive, so plan daily exercise and nose work.

What to ask a breeder

Whether the dog comes from a breeder, charity or police force, ask:

1. Why is this dog being rehomed: age, injury, withdrawal from training or gun-shyness?
2. What health or behaviour needs do you know about, and what will ongoing care cost?
3. Has it lived in a house, and how is it with children, dogs and cats?
4. How does it react to loud noises and being left alone?
5. Will you support me after adoption and take the dog back if it does not work out?

Legal and welfare notes

• The GBGB bond. Under GBGB’s Greyhound Retirement Scheme, owners pay £210 when registering a greyhound and GBGB matches it. The £420 bond is released to the approved homing centre that takes the dog on retirement. It goes towards kennelling, feeding and care until the dog is homed, but it does not cover veterinary work such as neutering or dental treatment.
• Racing regulation. GBGB regulates licensed racing; in England, the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 also set welfare conditions for racetracks.
• Duty of care. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies to every owner in England and Wales. Scotland has the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and Northern Ireland has the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
• Microchip and collar. Update the microchip record with your details. In public, the Control of Dogs Order 1992 requires a collar showing the owner’s name and address, on the collar itself or on an attached tag.
• Costs. Retired police dogs get no government pension. The Home Office says support for them is decided force by force, so ask what your force offers and expect to pay vet bills yourself. Thin Blue Paw accepts applications for financial help with veterinary and rehabilitation costs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I adopt a failed guide dog?

Yes, through Guide Dogs’ rehoming service. People search for “failed guide dog adoption”, but the charity calls these dogs withdrawn. They are typically 12 to 18 months old when withdrawn, and the charity says they are often much better suited to life as a family pet.

How do I rehome a retired police dog?

Contact your local police force. Most dogs retire to their handlers, so few become available. Before any adoption the force will check that you are suitable, including vetting, a home inspection and a meet-and-greet.

Are retired greyhounds good with cats?

Some are. The Greyhound Trust says greyhounds are sighthounds with an instinct to chase, but some can be trained to live happily with cats and other small pets. It recommends keeping a greyhound muzzled when out, at least until you are confident of how it behaves around other breeds of dog.

Canine Breeder lists breeders rather than rehoming dogs. If you breed gundogs or other working breeds whose dogs work in the field, and you take back or help rehome the dogs you bred, add your listing.