Dog charities expect a wave of Game of Thrones-inspired ‘wolf lookalike’ breeds to be brought into their care, following the launch of season five last night.
Dogs Trust took in 175 Huskies and 35 Malamutes across their 20 re-homing centres in the UK – triple the number of these breeds than four years earlier.
The charity believes Game of Thrones has significantly increased the popularity of these large dogs, but that many new owners are unprepared and ill-equipped to cope with the requirements of these breeds.
Dogs Trust’s Head of Training and Behaviour, Lynn Barber, said: “These dogs are beautiful creatures and can make wonderful companions, but they need owners who understand the breed and are in a position to offer a lifetime commitment.
“They are powerful, large dogs that need regular exercise, socialisation and habituation and sadly, we are seeing many of these dogs being abandoned when they become too much for their owners.
“This means that rescue centres, such as Dogs Trust, are having to pick up the pieces.”
A significant number end up in rescue centres – Dogs Trust is currently caring for 54 such dogs as their owners could no longer look after them.
She added: “Huskies are bred to pull sledges in cold climate and need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
“In the show many of the fictitious direwolves, like Ghost, are seen covering miles and miles in their action-packed adventures across Westeros – a life far more fitting to a wolf type breed than the one-bedroom flats in which some of them end up in reality.”
Game of Thrones images courtesy of HBO via YouTube, with thanks
