For that, we say—bravo, you hit the jackpot! From a couple of days to a couple of months even. The most important thing to have in this whole adventure is patience. As there are no two humans alike, the same goes for pets. Think about this. A rescue dog has a history. You could adopt a puppy, but in most cases, you will likely choose an adult dog. Their personality, however charming it may be after the accommodation period, will be a challenge in the beginning.
Entering a new environment is confusing—new place, new smell, new sounds, new people. This can all be confusing for a dog. A three day period is reasonable for your dog to adapt to the new environment. In these first few days, you will be faced with multiple signs of anxiety and nervousness. To train your dog to walk patiently alongside you, treat training is often the best method. Each time your dog is walking, how you want them to, reward them with a treat.
If they are struggling with this concept, standstill each time he tries to pull, and when he stops pulling, reward him. If your dog tries to jump up at you, ignore him and turn your back. Without any attention, they should soon tire of this behaviour.
Practice introductions often, and reward them when they approach correctly. This won't happen overnight and will require a consistent approach from you and everyone else in your house to help your dog understand the appropriate behaviours for getting your attention.
Depending on the level of aggression, you might need to seek professional guidance from a dog trainer. If they bite or snap at you, growl or snarl or do anything that makes you feel afraid, then it is an excellent time to seek help. The longer the behaviour is allowed to go on, the harder it will be to fix it. Your dog is only reacting out of fear or anxiety, so a trainer can help you isolate the issue and find safe ways to help your dog feel at ease.
If your dog's aggression is isolated to meeting strangers on your daily walks, then you might be dealing with leash aggression. Learn how to build your dog's confidence and break this intimidating behaviour in Tips for Overcoming Leash Aggression in Dogs. Deciding to adopt a pet of any kind is a huge commitment, and you should be prepared to invest a lot of time and love into your dog.
Rescue dogs often come with some behaviours and routines that you will need to train them out of, so don't expect a perfectly trained dog just because he's not a puppy anymore. You need to consider all aspects of your new dog's health and needs, including diet, training, routine, exercise, and don't forget fun! Have you struggled to acclimate your new dog into your home? Share your rescue stories, successes, and tips with us in the comments below!
John has had two rescue dogs himself, and also has plenty of experience in training and rehabilitating rescue dogs. Shop Blog Resources. Love learning about pets? Subscribe to get free pet tips and resources sent right to your inbox. Table of Contents. John Woods. Most Popular Dog Posts. What are Bully Sticks Made From? The Facts, Myths, and Nutrition. Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs?
Customer care. I consider household and lifestyle rules to be a very personal choice. If you are happy with your relationship, if your dog follows your cues and you have control over him anytime you need, then you are already on the right track. It is likely that any good trainer or behaviorist will suggest this as the beginning of your training plan. One benefit to having a dog who knows the rules and understands that working for you gets him all the good things is that he will start doing things specifically to see if you will reward him.
Catch your dog doing something Good and make the most of those moments! Reward that! We set up treat stations around the house with tasty, non-perishable goodies; whenever we notice a rewardable moment, treats are never far away and we can catch them in the act of being good.
Maybe the dog gets 10 little treats over the course of a minute while we shower him with praise and affection. This teaches him that doing the things you want him to do might just win him the lottery. Before you bring home your new dog, have an honest discussion with the members of your household about how much time you have to create and maintain a relationship with your dog, and the types of things you want to do with a dog.
The easiest path is to choose a dog who would fit neatly into the lifestyle you already live. After the novelty of this new furry thing wears off, you are still going to have to walk, feed, train and interact with him.
Dogs come in all shapes, sizes and energy levels; there is a dog out there who will both fit with and enrich your lifestyle. At the top of your list, write down the number of minutes or hours a day you will commit to training your dog. Be honest. When you adopt a dog, and if you are really in it for the long haul, there is the possibility he will need a few training classes, or visits with a private trainer, or even more extensive work into the future.
Training is one of the most rewarding ways to develop a beautiful relationship with your dog; it can also be expensive, time consuming and on occasion, frustrating.
Do you have the resilience, stubbornness and finances to keep going, either with a trainer or on your own? If not, are you willing to put management techniques in place, no matter how extensive they may be, to make living with an untrained dog doable? Ask a lot of questions, visit the dog a few times, ask if you can foster the dog or do an overnight visit, or even see if you can do a trial adoption. Shelter staff and volunteers usually have a good idea which are the easier vs more challenging dogs, and local trainers often offer dog selection assistance services.
Use the knowledge of these people to help pick the right dog for you. But if jumping never works, and everyone always ignores him, then he will try a different behavior instead. This is your oppoortunity to teach him that a Sit gets him all the love and attention 4 , and jumping makes you go away.
Every interaction is like this, and if you are always cognizant of what you are teaching your dog, your dog will understand and comply with what you want more quickly. This means less stress and frustration for everybody. It helps to attend at least one training class, either to polish behavior or try a new game or sport or teach your dog a job. Here are some types of training classes your dog may benefit from:. This will allow you time to figure out what you want to work on and to start developing your relationship so you will have some control over your dog in class.
We cannot stress enough the importance of choosing a trainer who shares your training philosophy. The most important thing is that your interactions — every interaction — works to build up and strengthen your bond with your dog. If someone tells you to do something with your dog you are not comfortable with, speak up. Ask for a different solution or sit out that particular activity. The best trainers are great problem solvers and should have multiple techniques to achieve the same results.
Take advantage of any training packages or scholarship money that came with your dog and remember that there are people ready to help. DOL dogs come with a take-home plan, a free in-home visit within the first 60 days of adoption, a free training class and a lifetime of support.
Maybe you are getting frustrated or worried, and you are not sure what to do. First, take a deep breath and relax. Problems were bound to come up and you are not expected to have all the answers. Take a mental and even physical step back and decide how to proceed. Use the resources available to you remember that training scholarship and all those people at the shelter who loved that dog?
Without a plan, you are just fumbling around in the dark getting more and more frustrated. Many adoption packets have some basic problem solving handouts included.
Check out a few of the DIY training resources mentioned above. Think about what is going wrong. Breaking the situation down as Paul Owens suggests can help alleviate frustation.
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