Updated Friday, 14th May 2021, 2:44 pm Dogs Trust found almost half of people looking to adopt were searching for a dog under the age of six months. The national canine charity found almost half of people looking to adopt were searching for a dog under the age of six months. In contrast, in the nine months up to the end of March this year, just five percent of prospective owners were looking for a dog aged eight or over. Google searches for ‘buying a puppy’ increased by a huge 213 percent after lockdown began in March last year compared to the previous 12 months.