Source: imagen4 Animal welfare dogs from abroad make up a growing proportion of the DACH dog population and raise specific questions. This section collects what you really need as an adopter: recognising reputable placement, realism rather than romance, settling in with a past history, behavioural peculiarities, pros and cons explained with data. Adopting from abroad is a responsibility spanning many years, often involving a cultural and linguistic reset on the dog’s side. We provide information, not a recommendation for or against. In cases of behavioural peculiarities, it is worth consulting certified dog trainers or animal behaviour therapists with experience in foreign dogs.
Before you adopt
Recognising reputable placement is the most important preparatory work. This involves building realistic expectations: what MARS data shows, what animal shelters in the DACH region experience, and where the typical pitfalls lie.
Animal Welfare Not all international animal welfare organisations operate professionally. Some charge excessive fees, do not provide medical care or place traumatised dogs with … Buying a Dog & Breeders A dog stays in your household for 10 to 15 years. When buying a dog, three paths are available: Animal Welfare What really matters when you get an animal from a shelter A survey by MARS Switzerland from August 2025 – conducted on … Animal Welfare Anyone wishing for a pet eventually faces this question: breeder or animal shelter? Animal Welfare Anyone considering adopting a shelter animal sooner or later asks themselves this question: what if it doesn’t work out?
International Animal Welfare: Choosing Reputable Organisations
Buying a dog: Breeders, shelters & foreign dogs
Why (not) adopt from a shelter? Pro and con facts from the MARS survey
Major MARS Survey: How Swiss People Think About Animal Shelter Adoptions
Right of Return for Shelter Animals? Between Wish and Reality
Reality and myths
‘He is grateful’ is one of the most persistent myths, and one of the most harmful. What animal welfare dogs actually need, why shelters in the DACH region sometimes have to say no, and where romance and reality diverge.
Animal Welfare A dog from animal welfare is not a project that pays off with ‘gratitude’. Animal Welfare “Man sells Ferrari to open an animal shelter in Japan” – this story is currently going viral on social media. Animal Welfare The new Tierschutzstatistik 2024 of the Swiss Tierschutz STS documents a further increase: Animal Welfare Why the 'difficult' animal shelter dogs often become the best companions and what you need to know for a successful adoption.
‘He is grateful’ – a pleasant misconception that harms animal welfare dogs
Man sells Ferrari to open animal shelter – what is there to the story?
Animal Shelters at the Limit: More and More Animals Surrendered – STS Sounds the Alarm
Stitch from Lilo & Stitch: The Unusual “Animal Shelter Dog”
Special cases and animal welfare policy
Livestock guardian crossbreeds in animal welfare, farm dogs with their own background, rabies quarantine in emergencies – topics that rarely come up in standard settling-in advice.
Ownership & Everyday Life A dog on a farm has different requirements than a city dog. Animal Welfare After years of preparatory work, a project has become reality in eastern Switzerland that means a real chance of survival for many …
Livestock guarding with farm dogs: keeping, tasks, requirements
Switzerland’s first rabies quarantine centre in Berg TG
Where to go from here
You are best advised to check official and legal aspects (import, rabies, quarantine, pet passport) directly with the local veterinary office or the veterinary authority of the country of origin. The rules change, and only authorities can provide specific information on individual cases. The Settling In section bundles the generic topics that apply to every new dog. The Holidays & Travel section supplements this with rabies and travel topics when the foreign dog later travels with you.
Related content on rundum.dog: You can find dogs looking for a home in Placement. Trainers and dog training schools are listed in the Directory, and technical terms relating to behaviour and origin are clarified in the Wiki.