I adopted, now what?

Rescuing a dog is a huge step that will bring big changes to your life, your family's life, and that of your newfound pet. These changes can be exciting but also challenging. My goal is to share a little information with you, provide some tips and tricks, and become a resource for you as you navigate your journey towards making this your new friend’s forever home while having a positive impact on your family life.

 It is important to acknowledge that your new friend did not choose to end up in a shelter and we cannot always know their full story and life experiences. Scientific research has shown that the first 12 weeks of a dog’s life are crucial and will shape how they interact with their world going forward. After many negative experiences with humans, some shelter dogs (especially those coming from abuse or hoarding situations) develop a sense of helplessness. For this reason, it is a huge benefit to focus on helping them learn to control their world while building their confidence and trust.

 Helpful tips:

Transition:

Transitioning from shelter life to new home life can be daunting for some dogs. Remember, they may have developed bonds with shelter staff and could experience some separation anxiety. Please be patient with them as you build your new bond with them, and use the 3-3-3 rule.

3-3-3 Rule:

• 3 days: rescued dogs are often overwhelmed by the changes and can be disengaged, skittish, avoid food and water, and they may even test some boundaries as they learn what is expected of them in their new home.

• 3 weeks: Most dogs have settled in by now and you will start to see their true personalities as they start opening up to you. They will start to recognize the routine of their new home; this is when behavior issues can sometimes start to show.

• 3 months: most dogs are fully settled into their new homes and are comfortable with you and the environment.

Bedtime:

Most Veterinarians recommend using a crate because it will provide them with a cozy space to call their own. This will become their “safe space”. If you don’t like the idea of using a crate, be sure you provide them with a cozy place to sleep that is all theirs so they can feel safe and secure.

Introductions:

Make sure you give them a couple of days to settle in and get used to you before you start bringing in outside friends and family to avoid overwhelming them. If you have a yard, do introductions of new people out in the yard first.

Potty time: your new rescue may or may not have been potty trained but living in a shelter does not allow them the ability to go out when needed.

• Be Patient

• Set a schedule for taking them out and stick to it.

• Reward them when they go outside!!

• If you catch them going inside say “oops” and take them outside to finish.

• If you find that they have gone but didn’t see them do it – just quietly clean it up. Getting after them now will just confuse them and they will not understand why you are mad.

How Dogs Learn 101:

Dogs learn differently than humans and we need to consider that when training. No matter how frustrated you may get, remember: dogs do not do things intentionally to upset you or to take revenge for something you did – they simply do what they think will get them the attention or reward they want. So, use treats or kibble and teach them what YOU want them to do to get it 😊

Dogs learn by association: “If I do this, this happens”.

When potty training, keep this in mind. They will learn that when they go potty outside, they get a treat and positive attention. When they go inside, they get nothing.

Special note to those who still believe rubbing their nose in their mess or yelling at them will teach them to stop:

1.      It could teach them to stop out of fear. They may begin to act out in different ways. Their being fearful of you can damage the relationship you are trying to build with them.

2.      Think like a dog:

• If my owner sees me go potty in the house = bad. My owner then yells or rubs my nose to the ground for some reason, or they may even hit me.

• If my owner doesn’t see me go potty in the house = nothing happens

So – I will only go when and where the owner doesn’t see me!!

OR….

• When I go outside = my owner gets happy and gives me praise and a treat!

• When I go inside = I get nothing

So – I will try to only go outside so I can get lots of treats!

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or concerns. I am happy to come visit to talk about any training opportunities that may arise.

Suggested Reading:

Jean Donaldson: Other End of the Leash and Train Your Dog Like a Pro