They get adopted fast, but they also come back just as quickly—and it’s not always their fault.
Some dogs barely make it past the honeymoon phase before they’re returned to the shelter like a sweater that didn’t fit. It’s not about being bad dogs. These breeds are just misunderstood, mismatched, or underestimated. Shelters see the same faces show up over and over again, and it’s usually not because they were defective—it’s because people didn’t know what they were signing up for. The red flags were there. People just skipped them.
1. Belgian Malinois get adopted for their looks, not their lifestyle.
The Malinois is sleek, intense, and gives off main-character energy, but they’re also one of the hardest-working dogs you can accidentally ruin. As stated by the American Belgian Malinois Club, they were bred for high-level police and military work, not backyard lounging. They can develop serious behavioral issues if they don’t get constant physical and mental stimulation. People bring them home thinking they’ll act like calm German Shepherds and then panic when the destruction starts. Shelters report a high rate of returns from overwhelmed adopters who didn’t realize they signed up for a working dog with no off switch.
2. Dalmatians are still coasting off their cartoon fame, and it’s not going well.
According to the ASPCA, Dalmatians have one of the highest return rates, and the reason has nothing to do with their spots. Most people fall for the aesthetic and forget that Dalmatians are firehouse-born athletes with sharp minds and big emotions. They’re prone to anxiety, nipping, and even aggression if they’re under-socialized or bored. A lot of first-time owners expect a chill family dog, and what they get instead is a high-strung endurance runner who starts chewing through drywall when ignored. It’s not their fault. The marketing was just too good for too long.
3. Huskies break out of yards, crates, cars, and expectations.
As described by the National Animal Interest Alliance, Huskies consistently rank among the most returned breeds. They’re escape artists with too much energy and way too little recall. The issue usually starts when people fall for the wolf-like look, then quickly realize they’re dealing with a super social, vocal, and frustratingly independent dog that thrives in chaos. They’ll dig under fences, scale them like parkour champions, and scream like banshees when left alone. Owners underestimate the commitment and end up returning them when the backyard starts looking like a battlefield.
4. Chihuahuas get adopted for size, not personality.
Tiny doesn’t mean low-maintenance. Chihuahuas can be feisty, clingy, and extremely reactive if not properly trained and socialized. They’re also smart enough to manipulate routines and dominate a household from the couch cushions. A lot of people assume a small dog won’t need boundaries. The opposite ends up being true. When their behavior tips into territorial or snappy, people panic. They get mislabeled as aggressive when they’re really just unstructured. It’s easy to forget that small doesn’t mean simple, especially when you’re holding one in your palm.
5. Coonhounds can scream louder than your neighborhood leaf blower.
People think they’re getting a mellow country dog, and then the baying starts. Coonhounds have one of the most recognizable vocalizations in the dog world, and they use it liberally. They were built to track, chase, and alert, which means they often treat your apartment walls like a hunting ground. They’re smart and affectionate but also incredibly loud and not always easy to train. When the volume hits, it becomes clear why so many end up back in the shelter after just a few weeks.
6. Border Collies can’t handle boredom without unraveling.
If there was a dog breed that needed a LinkedIn profile, it’s the Border Collie. These dogs were engineered to think, solve, herd, and repeat. Without a job, they spiral. People adopt them for their intelligence and then leave them with nothing to do, which turns into obsessive behavior, anxiety, or nonstop spinning in circles. They’re not just smart. They’re relentless. Mental stimulation is not optional. It’s the whole foundation. When owners can’t keep up with that brainpower, the dog gets labeled “too intense” and dropped off at the shelter for being exactly what it was bred to be.
7. American Bulldogs don’t come with an off button.
Built like tanks but with puppy brain energy that lasts years, American Bulldogs are deceptively sweet at first glance. They’re affectionate and goofy, but they need structure and heavy-duty exercise every single day. Most returns happen when people underestimate how strong and reactive they can be without proper training. They need an owner who sets rules, enforces boundaries, and still has the stamina to play tug-of-war. Without that combo, they start to act out, and it can get rough quickly.
8. Jack Russell Terriers flip the energy dial to max and break it off.
They look like tiny comedians on caffeine, and that’s basically what they are. Jack Russells are brilliant, but they’re also a tornado in a dog suit. If left alone or unstimulated, they invent chaos just to have something to do. They’ll climb counters, open cabinets, and outsmart baby gates like it’s a hobby. The average person just wants a small dog who cuddles. What they get is an adrenaline junkie with a genius-level IQ and a total disregard for peace and quiet. That disconnect gets a lot of them sent back.
9. Great Pyrenees don’t care what you want—they’ve made their own plan.
They’re beautiful, massive, and look like a real-life stuffed animal. But Great Pyrenees are independent thinkers, bred to guard flocks without human instruction. That means they tend to ignore commands unless it aligns with their own judgment. They bark a lot, wander often, and aren’t particularly eager to please. People assume their size comes with slow energy and mellow behavior, and then the dog starts patrolling the backyard like it owns the property. The return rate spikes once people realize they didn’t adopt a dog—they adopted a diplomat with fur.
10. Cane Corsos are powerful and misunderstood almost every time.
This isn’t a dog you get because you “just like the look.” Cane Corsos are working dogs with big brains and bigger bodies. They need serious socialization, daily mental challenges, and an owner who knows how to build trust through leadership. When that structure isn’t in place, they can become territorial and difficult to manage. The biggest issue is mismatched expectations. First-timers fall for the aesthetic and skip the responsibility. What comes back to the shelter is a 100-pound problem that didn’t train itself.
11. Australian Cattle Dogs expect you to be as driven as they are.
These dogs are hustlers. They want a task, a goal, and preferably a sprint attached to it. People get drawn in by the speckled coat and intense stare, but it’s what’s going on under the hood that catches them off guard. Cattle Dogs don’t rest easy. They need jobs or they invent them, which usually means herding children, chasing cars, or reorganizing your living room. Owners who can’t match their work ethic often surrender them out of sheer exhaustion.
12. Shar Peis are standoffish and proud of it.
There’s a reason they look slightly annoyed all the time. Shar Peis don’t warm up easily and tend to bond to one or two people max. That can come across as cold, or worse, untrainable, to someone expecting a people-pleaser. Their independence and stubborn streak can be mistaken for defiance when it’s really just how they’re wired. When adopters expect golden retriever energy and get a reserved introvert with a strict personal bubble, the mismatch often leads straight back to the shelter.