Important things to consider when rehoming a rescue dog
Dogs, like people, need time to adjust to a new environment and a new routine. I work from home and am lucky enough to control my own daily and schedule and be free to come and go as I choose.
After being at the rescue center for an extended period of time, a dog loses its usual routine. Just like people, dogs have a routine of when they get up, when they go to the bathroom, when they eat, etc. For a rescue pet, this will change when they join the dog shelter and then again when you bring them home.
Dogs are often caged for long periods of time. In Holly’s case, it appears that she was caged from 3:00 pm/4:00 pm when the center closed until 9:00 am the next morning. Long confinement time for an active dog and no luck for a night walk and a pee.
Holly forgot about herself last night, and as she snuggled up with us in front of the TV, she went to pee on the living room rug. She try not to nag or yell when this occasional lapse of house training occurs. It’s a momentary lapse and will probably only happen once (hopefully!).
Feeding patterns will come once the dog adjusts to the household routine. Holly, like our last dog, Tippy, prefers to eat when she eats the family. We make sure she has her bowl of doggy biscuits before giving her table scraps. Don’t expect dogs to eat regularly in their first week, until your routine becomes more familiar. It’s also important that you stick with the food they were used to at the dog shelter before switching to another brand.
Experts recommend keeping the dog on pet rescue center food until the first bag is almost gone (Blue Cross will give you a bag of recommended dog food when you adopt them). Then if you are changing his food, gradually add the new food starting with 1/3 of the new food with 2/3 of the old food, over a few days. Then move to 50:50 for a few days. Then 1/3 old food and 2/3 new food. After a week or so, you should be able to feed your dog just the new food.
Make sure you are not likely to experience major disruptions in the first 3 months of adopting a new dog. Moving house, going on vacation, putting the dog in the kennel, etc. they will disturb you and should be avoided.
Try to keep your normal routine as much as possible. In particular, keep walks at similar times so your dog quickly gets used to when he’s going out, which will help regulate his bowel movements and make life easier and more predictable for everyone.
If your dog needs training, there are different things to consider. For basic obedience training, it’s best to wait until the dog has settled in and built trust between you and family members. For behavioral problems, such as aggression or separation anxiety, it may be better to treat them sooner rather than later. Consult your local dog training school or dog behavior expert for advice.
We were advised not to let Holly out of leadership for the first 2-3 months until we have developed complete trust and authority to come to us when called upon. A newly rescued dog may run off and not return when called. Being in unfamiliar territory, he can easily get lost or be in danger of veering off the road.
Of course, this is all practical advice. Most important of all, show your dog love and patience and enjoy the process of getting to know each other. The human dog bond is one of the most rewarding and wonderful relationships he’s ever had, and once he’s bonded, he’ll have the most loyal and faithful companion he can imagine.
