Stray dogs in Spain can be beaten, poisoned or even shot. Shelters play a vital role in saving dogs found on the streets in Spain, but for young puppies, these environments can be a double-edged sword.

While they may get bursts of energetic playtime with other dogs, the reality is often a world of concrete floors, limited human interaction, and a lack of socialisation which is crucial for healthy development. When we talk about socialisation, we are not just talking about socialising with people and dogs but experiencing new places and new things.

Puppies in the shelter benefit from playtime and socialising with other dogs which is vital for learning dog etiquette and appropriate play behaviour. However, these dog-to-dog interactions can't replace everything a puppy needs to become a well-adjusted adult dog.

Without consistent human contact, puppies that grow into adulthood in that situation may find interactions with new people and situations challenging, their limited experiences are all they know.

As we talked about in another blog post, former Spanish street dogs often arrive at shelters with a surprising degree of resilience and social savviness. Having fended for themselves, they've developed coping mechanisms, resourcefulness, and independence. They may be more wary of humans initially, but their street smarts often allow them to adapt to new environments.

Puppies, on the other hand, haven't had the chance to experience the world outside. They haven't learned to navigate traffic and haven't been exposed to the sights, sounds, and smells of life outside the shelter.

This lack of exposure can lead to timidity and fearfulness around humans, unfamiliar environments, and new experiences. Yes, these things are common in rescue dogs, many have not known a home, however, what we are talking about here is a dog that has never experienced life outside of the shelter.

The photos above are of Tizza and some of her 9 puppies, aged around 6 months old at the time of these photos in November 2022. Tizza is great with people and dogs, she found a home, as did 6 of her puppies. Now 3 remain, they will be coming up for 2 years old now and the shelter is all they have known.

The female puppy is very friendly around people, her two brothers are more timid, as you can see in the video below. This video was taken in the “box” the dogs live in, which is their own space. Another video further down shows the dogs in a more open area.

The good news is that with patience, training, and a loving home, these shy shelter pups can be helped. We would love to find homes in the UK for these pups, homes that are experienced with rescue dogs and the challenges they may face. Homes with unlimited love and patience.

If we don't find them homes, these pups will grow old in the shelter, and their entire life will be in a small concrete room with no heating.

We feel helpless at the moment being unable to help them. We do not have the finances to bring them over to the UK for foster care, so we need to find the right homes for them.

In addition to these young rescue dogs from Spain needing understanding homes, our concerns are now for Meggy, a little puppy rescued from the side of the road. Meggy will lose her “puppy appeal” within 6 months and the longer she stays in the shelter, the more challenges she may face. Each dog is different, we cannot say for sure that Meggy will have the same difficulties, but finding her a home while she is still young is the best thing we can do for her just now.

While some Spanish rescue dogs may have faced unique challenges in their early lives, they possess a tremendous capacity for love and loyalty. If you are looking to adopt a dog, please consider adopting a Spanish rescue dog.

At Spanish Happy Tails Rescue UK we help rescue dogs from Spain find loving homes in the UK.

Adopting a dog from Spain is more straightforward than you might think, we deal with everything for you and with full Rescue Back Up, we are there for you from adoption and every day after that.

Adopt a dog from Spain