Welcoming Home Your Rescue Dog
Key Topics
Handling stress in a shelter environment
How your dog communicates their feelings
Concepts: What they are and why train them
3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months: What to expect over the next 3 to 6 months
First 3 days - Coping with change
First 3 weeks – Glimpsing their real personality
First 3 Months – Settling in and feeling secure
Introduction
Congratulations on bringing a rescue dog into your home! You have given a deserving dog another chance at a better life.
To help you transition your new dog into your home, this post will provide you with a:
3 x 3 x 3 guideline to help you understand the stages your new dog may go through as they adapt to your home and your lifestyle
Sense of what to expect over the next few months
Variety of games you can play during each of the 3 x 3 x 3 stages
Handling Stress in a Shelter Environment
Through no fault of their own, your dog has found themselves in a shelter environment with less human contact, more noise, strange people coming and going, and novel surroundings and routines. Many shelters work hard to keep the stress of the dogs as low as possible but depending on the size of your dog’s bucket and how fast they can empty that bucket, your dog may be feeling higher than normal stress. Increased stress is one of the reasons why it can take time for you to see the true personality of your dog once you bring them home.
How Your Dog Communicates Their Feelings
Some dogs will exhibit signs of stress through high arousal activities such as jumping, barking, and mouthing. Some will shut down and appear shy, reserved, or timid. Others will show more subtle signs. You can better understand how your dog is communicating both stress and relaxation by watching Fear Free Homes Body Language 101.
Now that you understand how your dog is communicating with you, it is time to grow your understanding of your dog’s brain and how you can using this understanding to re-shape the skills your dog has (or doesn’t have) in different situations!
Concepts: What they are and why train them
Once you bring your dog home, you will want to help your dog relax and settle into their new forever home. As you start them on this transition, instead of thinking about training obedience behaviours (sit, down, and stay for example), think about growing concepts.
Concepts (or skills) are the building blocks of your dog’s brain and once you understand what they are and how they influence your dog’s behaviour, you will have another tool to help your dog settle into your home and gradually grow into the dog of your dreams.
As your dog’s personality starts to unfold over the next 3 – 6 months, there will be some behaviours you will like. Others…well …. not so much!
Seeing your dog’s behaviour through the ideas of concepts will give you:
A much better framework for understanding why your dog is struggling
The realization that their brain simply isn’t shaped to deal with the situation they are struggling with
The knowledge that there are games you can play to re-shape their brain so they can make better choices
3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months: What to expect over the next 3 to 6 months
Once you decide to adopt, you are about to introduce another big change into your dog’s life. You know you are going to do everything in your power to give them the best life possible, but they don’t know that (yet!).
Understanding the 3 x 3 x 3 guideline will give you a rough idea of what to expect as you and your dog navigate your first 3 – 6 months together. Each dog is unique but the best gift you can give any new dog is a positive, and safe home environment.
*From Absolute Dogs Rescue Resource Package “Bringing a Rescue Dog Home”
First 3 days - Coping with change
Change can be stressful. No matter what your dog’s past life may have looked like before coming to join your family, there is no question that they will still feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unsure when they come into your home.
Your dog may not want to eat for the first couple of days. They may shut down and want to curl up in their crate or under the table. They may be scared and unsure of what is going on. Or they may be over-aroused jumping on you, the furniture, doing zoomies in the yard, barking like crazy!
What to do: In those first three days, keep the excitement to a minimum. Give your dog space and time. It can take up to 72 hours for the stress in their Bucket to empty Give them the choice to approach for petting or keep their distance.
Keep the introduction of new people to just the family. Have food and water available but if they don’t eat, that’s okay. Have a warm dry place available to them where they can be with the family. If they are eating, sprinkle some treats in that space. You might setup an exercise pen for them so they can be confined but still with their new family.
Offer them a yummy chew in this space, feed their meals here. If you can, stay nearby so that they are not left alone. Some dogs may be ready for a walk around the neighbourhood. If your dog is hesitant or pulling like a freight train, it’s okay to ditch the walk and exercise them in your yard.
This is the time to allow your new dog a chance to decompress and get to know the family and their new surroundings at their own pace.
Games to play during this period:
Absolute Dogs: Ditch the Bowl
First 3 weeks – Glimpsing their real personality
Your dog is starting to settle in, feel a bit more comfortable, and are beginning to believe that your home may be their forever home. Your dog is starting to figure out their new environment and the household routine. You may even see a glimpse of their real personality.
What to do: Identify where your dog needs the most help. Which concepts appear to be their strength, and which concepts their weakness?
If you’re not yet sure, not a problem! Three common concepts that most adoptive dogs struggle with are: disengagement, calmness, and proximity (value for you).
Some dogs will require more focus on disengagement (especially adolescents!).
Others may struggle finding value being close to you, and for others, growing calmness may be their biggest struggle.
Games to play during this period:
Orientation Game (disengagement, value for you)
Distraction Mark Treat (disengagement)
Calmness Triad (calmness)
Scatter feeding – something as simple as scatter feeding can take that tempo down. It encourages natural foraging and helps your dog rebalance and regain control. Using low value treats, scatter a handful around you, and let your dogs sniff them out – ideally, use grass as this promotes foraging, but any environment works!
First 3 Months – Settling in and feeling secure
Your dog is feeling comfortable and settled in your home. You have laid the foundation for trust and a true bond with your dog which gives them a growing sense of security. They have also started to figure out the family routine!
What to do: Focus on growing your Relationship Bank Account
Use games to grow reward experiences with your dog. By creating experiences through food games, toy games, and more, you can compete against what the world has to offer and continue to grow value for you. You can use your dog’s daily food allowance and 3-minute intervals throughout your day (including walk time and mealtime) to work on your relationship in a low pressure and fun way.
If at any time your dog walks away from you, shows a lack of enthusiasm, doesn’t want to engage….not a problem. Just slow things down! Less sessions, and shorter sessions will go a long way toward building desire to work with you.
Games to play during this period:
Sniffari time! – Give your dog a chance to snuffle in the bushes as they walk along. Treating your dog to a 15-minute sniffari where their nose leads the way can help them control their anxiety and arousal levels.
Conclusion
Understanding that your dog needs time to settle into their new home and their new life with you will go a long way to helping you navigate those first few months with your dog. Allowing your dog space and time to get to know you, learning how they communicate, and playing games will lay a strong foundation for growing a great relationship.
Additional Resources
Watch me working with SPCA Shelter Dogs at the West Kootenay branch
Absolute Dogs Concept Training Explained: Training for the Situation.
Absolute Dogs – Rescue Dogs Resource Bundle
BC SPCA: How Do I Welcome a New Dog into My Home
Instinct Dog Training: How to Greet a Dog Safely: Do's and Don'ts
To learn more from Dr. Tom Mitchell, check out the Help! My Dog Podcast on:
To learn more from Proud of My Dog, check out our Upcoming Classes
