Dogs Trust

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

Welcome to the Twelve Dogs of Christmas, and thanks for stopping by!

If you’re here, you’re curious about one of the fab dogs we’ve featured in Dog Tales Winter 2022, and you should be. Each one of these sweet, loving dogs just needs a little extra patience and help in a loving, quiet home to help them blossom into a best friend for life.

If you think you could be a match for one of these great doggies, our Rehoming team would really love to hear from you. All of these dogs are super popular in the rehoming centre, and the team is so keen to see them in the great homes they deserve. They just need a chance to show what great companions they are.

Remember, the dogs we rehome will always be part of the Dogs Trust Ireland family.

If you're interested in adopting one of these lovely dogs, please fill out an adoption application HERE.

 Hi! I’m a super friendly, super lively guy with SO much love to give. I love games of all kinds, lots of cuddles and lots of attention. I’m generally just a big, happy guy, and I am more than ready to be somebody’s very best pal.

There are a couple of things I find hard, though. I don’t like to be left alone, and I get really worried when I meet other dogs. I am working with the team here on both of these things, and they say I’m making progress!

To give me the best chance at a stress-free life, I need an adult only home with a secure back garden where we can play and hang out together. I need my people to be around a lot of the time, especially in the first few months while I’m settling in. I also need to be walked where there aren’t a lot of other dogs – either a quiet place or a quiet time of day would suit me. As long as we’re together, I’ll be happy.

 I hope you like cuddles and I hope you like drool, because I have plenty of both to share with you! I’m a big lady with a big personality to match, and even though someone decided to (illegally) crop my poor ears when I was younger, my Canine Carers tell me that I’m still gorgeous!

I’ve got a few minor medical issues that mean I’m not the most athletic dog. A couple of short, pottering walks in a day are much better for me than a big, long ramble, and I’d love a secure garden where I can snuffle about and play with my toys in peace.

I need an adult only home, please. I’m happy to see visitors, as long as they are comfortable around a big, strong dog. I don’t like other animals, so I’ll need to be the only pet in the home, and I’ll need to walk where there aren’t many other dogs, because I can be pretty vocal about my dislike of them.

Most of all, I need a family who look at me and see a beautiful, goofy girl who will be their pal for life, because that’s what I am.

 I’ve got everything you want in your Cocker Spaniel package right here: I love to explore on a long, nosy walk. I’m friendly with everyone I meet. I love my toys, my bed and my food. I love snuggles and chats and adventures with my people.

There are just two little catches. I can’t tell you why, but I am afraid of other dogs, and I am afraid of small children. So, I need an adult only home, please, without any dogs nearby, because they make me very worried. I’d love a big, secure garden to sniff about in and to play with my toys and with you. Our walks will need to be at quiet times or in quiet places where we won’t meet children or dogs – I’m very happy to go in the car to get to a quiet place, if you know somewhere!

 I’m a big, silly Labrador boy who has brains and energy to burn. I think people are not sure about me because I’m a big, black dog, but I can tell you that I’m a real softie and I’m more than ready to show you what a fantastic doggie pal I can be.

Yes, I have loads of energy and I do need plenty of exercise and ongoing training. But I’m very friendly with other dogs, so we can meet up with doggie pals and burn off our energy together. I could even live with another friendly dog if we decided we liked each other. And training me is so easy, because I’m so bright and I love to learn new things – your friends will be so impressed by all the tricks you can teach me!

Yes, my size and bounciness mean that I need a bit of space, both indoors and outdoors, but I am so loving and so fun that you will wonder how you ever lived without me.

I don’t always associate new people with good things, so it’s best if I have an adult only home with not many visitors, because I like to keep my circle small.

 I’m a big guy with a big heart, who craves love and attention. and I really need a family all of my own. You see, I am deaf, so maybe that makes me need that hands-on experience a bit more? I like to know that there is someone there all the time, so that I can feel safe. Or maybe I just really, really love cuddles.

I am happy to see people of all ages and stages, but I can be clumsy and quite full on, so it’s best if I live with people of 16 and older. I can live with other dogs, too, if they can deal with my exuberant play style and my deep love of teddies.

I’d love a secure back garden where I can goof around to my heart’s content, and a family who will learn some signals so I can know what’s expected of me. Obviously, I’ll need to be on the lead whenever we’re out and about, but I’m very happy in my harness, so that will be fine.

 Maybe it’s because I’m an older black dog, or maybe it’s because I can be a bit shy sometimes, but I’ve been finding it tough to make a match with the right people. It’s a real shame, because I’m a Rex-cellent pal! I love to play fetch, hang out in the garden and go for nice long walks where I can explore and have a run. Sure, I am not a super cuddly guy. I like to have time to myself. For that reason, I’m looking for an adult only home where I’m the only pet (although I’m fine with dogs I meet out on walks), and where everyone will respect my space. I would love a good-sized secure garden where I can chill out on my own. I’d also love you to meet me a few times at the rehoming centre before we make any big decisions. Once I get to know you and we’re friends, you’ll see what a steady, fun-loving companion I am.

 Here’s all the great things about me: I’m a big, friendly, fab, hairy Lurcher boy who just loves to goof around and play. However, I can be noisy when I see new things and new people, and that can sometimes give people a fright. I don’t mean anything by it – it’s my job to let you know there’s someone coming! So, I’ll need some training help from my new family. Once I’m settled in a home of my own, with people around to give me attention, I’ll be a lot happier about the world. I can also get worked up when I see other dogs, so I’m looking for a home where I’m the only pet, there’s a secure garden for me to play in, and where we can go for walks at quiet times or in quiet places where we won’t run into other dogs.

 I’m a fun Collie boy with a playful, sweet personality, but I am easily overwhelmed by a lot of change and new people. I’d love a small family that’s just adults, please, so we can all be best pals together. A big, secure garden to play in and somewhere safe I can be alone sometimes would also be great. I’m very happy around other dogs, so I can live with another canine pal, if we get to know each other a bit first and decide it’s OK. I’ll need to meet you a few times at the rehoming centre and maybe come on a few home visits so we can learn about each other before we commit to anything. Hope that’s OK!

 I think the two words that best describe me are “full” and “on”. I am an extremely energetic, bouncy girl who is just full of love and cuddles for everyone. Because of my size, strength and restricted breed status, I am best suited to a home where everyone is over 16, because I need to be around people who aren’t bothered if they get an accidental clunk from my hard noggin.

I am friendly with other dogs, but they would need to be pretty robust to match my play style. If you have a dog like that, we should definitely meet!

At heart I am just a pup still. I need a family who will give me plenty of love, exercise and positive, reward-based training so I can fit in and learn how to be the very best dog for my people. I’d love a well-fenced back garden to play in, too. Please enquire about me soon, I can’t wait to be your pal!

 I’m a super Collie girl with a big brain and an even bigger heart, but I’m so worried about the world that it can be hard for me to make a good impression on people. What I’d love to find is a kind, adult only home of just one or two people, in a quiet place, where there’s a secure back garden for me to play in and no other pets. I am learning how to walk on the lead, and I’m doing great, but there’s a way to go yet before I’m regularly stepping out with the gals. When I’m comfortable with you and my new space, I will be your very best friend. I will accept tributes of chicken, and I’ll be happy to play ball with you too!

I’m still a young dog, so I have lots and lots of potential to be a great companion for many years. I just need to find someone who has faith in me!

I’m a super Spaniel Cross who didn’t have the easiest start in life, and that has left me with a real craving for human company – so much so that I really struggle with being left alone. Training is a must for me too because I don’t really know what you need me to do, but I am very bright and very food motivated, so I am a GREAT student!

I have loads of energy and I just love to be outdoors. I’m looking for an active, adult only home with a big, secure garden where I can run around and play with my toys. I love long walks where I can meet my dog pals for playtime, too. I’d prefer a quiet area where I don’t have to worry about strange sights and sounds, and I can just focus on how much fun we’re having together. I’m just a young guy who needs patient and loving people to give me a fresh start!

 Great news! Since Dog Tales has been printed, I’ve found my Forever Home! So, I’d like to introduce you all to my friend Shep who is hoping to find his special someone now that I’ve found mine:

 If you’ve ever spent time on the Dogs Trust Ireland website, you know it’s been hard for me to make a match with a family, even though I’m amazing, friendly, SO BRAINY and highly modest. It’s my brain-iness that lets me down, you see. I’m so smart that I know every sign that tells me you’re going to leave the house without me, and I get very worried about people leaving. All I want in the world is your company. I don’t need you to always entertain me, I just need you to be around where I can see you and know you’re there.

So, I’m looking for a very special family. Adults only, please, and only three or four very patient adults at that. A family who will make sure I’m not left on my own, and who don’t have any other pets. I just know that once I’m comfortable in a home, you’ll see the silly, goofy, loving side of me that my carer friends here get to see every day. I just need the right people to take a chance on me and we will have a great life together.

If you'd like to adopt me, or one of my pals, please fill out an adoption application HERE!