More than 170 people contacted Dog’s Trust looking to surrender their dog for adoption after Christmas this year.

The animal welfare charity said the most common reason provided by owners was that they were not able to control their dog’s behaviour.

The charity, which famously coined the slogan, “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas,’ said the 172 requests all came in between December 26th and January 31st.

Becky Bristow, Executive Director of Dogs Trust Ireland said all dog owners should attend training classes to learn how to train their pets.

“We are saddened to see so many people struggling with their dogs’ behaviour and urge all dog owners to attend training classes, such as our online Dog School classes,” she said.

“Many issues can be prevented when they first arise with simple training techniques but often by the time people contact us, they are at their wits end and want to relinquish their dog.”

The warned that one dog was abandoned outside its rehoming centre in Dublin during the Christmas period.

Male crossbreed Blitzen was tied to the charity’s gate with a long piece of rope late in the evening.

As a result he got tangled in the rope and became panicked – creating a dangerous situation for both the dog and the staff working to free him.

Karla Dunne, Head of Operations at Dogs Trust Ireland said: “We are thankful that most people are continuing to contact us as the last thing we want to see is more dogs like Blitzen being abandoned.

“We are here to help and encourage people to get in touch as soon as they begin to have difficulty with their dog,” she said.

“While we are unable to take in every surrender request, we will do our very best to help.”

Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you feel you have no choice but to rehome your dog, you can find some advice on the Dog’s Trust website.