Top Tips for Safely Bringing Home a Rescue or Shelter Dog
Congratulations on choosing to
adopt a rescue dog! Rescues and shelters everywhere house wonderful dogs, each
of them just waiting to become a member of your household. While shelter dogs
come from various backgrounds and experiences, they all share one important
fact: they are dogs, and the dog you choose needs to be understood and treated
as such. Just like us, dogs need order and leadership. They seek structure,
structure which you must provide. Your dog needs to know that you that you have
a set of house rules. This makes the transition from the shelter to your home
easier, faster and more rewarding. Below are tips to help ensure a
smooth transition for your new furry friend. Hold a family meeting to create
rules about caring for the dog. Will he be allowed on the couch, the bed, and
in all rooms of the house? Where will he sleep and eat? Who will walk him and
clean up after him? As a family, you must all be consistent with your decisions
or you will confuse the dog, usually resulting in the dog making his own rules
and causing unnecessary tension. Have the necessary items your dog will need
from the start: ID tags, a collar and a 6 foot leash, food and water bowls,
food, dog toys, a crate and bedding, and basic grooming tools. Bring your new
dog home when you can be there for a few days (ideally) so you can supervise
him as he learns your house rules. Just before you bring your dog into the
home, take him for a walk to tire him out a little. Walks are not only good
exercise, but they also serve as a training tool and an opportunity to
establish the lines of communication that better educate him.
Establish Ground Rules in the
First Days
At first, limit your dog to one
room or area. This allows him time to become familiar with the smells and
sounds of his new home. Try to limit your time away from home those first days;
your spending time with him will help him to become more comfortable in his
new, unfamiliar home. Keep your dog on leash while inside your home for the
first few weeks so you can immediately teach him what behaviors are and are not
acceptable by showing and guiding him through the appropriate exercises. For
safety’s sake, NEVER leave a leash on your dog when he is unsupervised. Your
rescue dog should NOT be left alone in the house with your existing pets until
you have carefully monitored and controlled their interactions for a period of
time. [See our dog to dog and dog to cat
intro articles for tips.] Expect housetraining accidents. Your dog is in a new
territory and is establishing a new routine, so accidents probably will happen.
Review housetraining information available from the shelter, your veterinarian
or your local Bark Busters trainer. [More housetraining tips here.] The key is
to be consistent and maintain a routine. Dogs instinctively like to den, and a
crate makes the ideal place for your dog to sleep and get away from household
hubbub. While crate training also makes housetraining and training in general
easier, limit the amount of time the dog is crated. The crate should be roomy
enough to allow your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. An
alternative to a crate is a dog-proofed part of your home, such as a laundry or
mud room. You can use a tall climb-proof baby gate or dog gate to block off the
area from the rest of the house. Most rescue dogs have been given basic
vaccinations and many have already been spayed or neutered. It is important
that your dog is examined by a veterinarian within a week after adoption for a
health check and any needed vaccinations. While there, arrange for the
spay/neuter surgery if needed. For the first few days, limit guest visits to
allow your dog to get comfortable with his new family. When you do have guests,
ask their help in training your dog by instructing them not to pay attention to
him until he has calmed down. One way to communicate this request is to post a
sign on your front door informing visitors that you have a new dog in training.
A Trained Dog Makes for a Happy
Human-Canine Bond
Get guidance for training your
dog. A well-trained dog is a happier dog and a joy to have around. Your animal
shelter may have performed a behavioral evaluation on your dog to help the
adopter understand what, if any, potential behavioral issues the dog may have.
Knowing this information ahead of time may be helpful when you begin training
with your new dog. If you already have a dog, whether he was adopted from a
shelter or not, a helpful tool (called the Behavioral Rating Quiz) to determine
how he compares to other dogs is available at www.BarkBusters.com. Dogs need
consistent pack structure. If they don’t have a consistent set of rules to
follow, then they try to become the leader, which can create numerous
behavioral problems. Thus, you—and all humans in your home—need to be
consistent. Practice obedience training, set rules and apply them calmly and
consistently, and praise your dog’s good behavior. He will be much more
comfortable in a pack with structure and will bond more quickly to you. It is
amazing how quickly dogs learn what is acceptable and what is not. Dogs have a
language of their own, and once we understand it, we can communicate better
what we expect of them.
A Bright Future
Hats off to you for bringing home
a rescue dog! Your patience and training will help to create a bond that will
reward you both for years to come. With the right balance of discipline,
understanding and affection, your rescue dog will become a loyal, grateful and
loving companion.
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