Settling In Your Newly Adopted Dog
Settling in a newly adopted rescue dog is the most rewarding things you can do. You have given that dog a new life, often a much happier life than the previous one.
Some shelter dogs have had a rough past, even suffering abuse or neglect. Others have come from loving homes but their world has been turned upside down all of a sudden.
With a sudden change of environment, your new family member is understandably undergoing some stress. This can result in howling, lack of appetite, pacing and just generally being unsettled.
So how can you help your newly adopted rescue dog to settle in? I’m listing my top tips for helping your new adopted dog to settle into your home and become one of the family.
Let’s go through some tips.
- Give them some time. It’s important not to expect too much for the first few days. Just relax, spend some quality time just hanging out with the dog without putting on any pressure for interaction or training. Take things at the dog’s pace. HOWEVER, it’s very important that you don’t let the dog practice any bad habits. You have a clean slate to show this dog what the house rules are from day one so make the most of that.
- Play is a powerful way to bond with a dog. Dogs bond with other dogs through play and also with people too. Just have fun!
- Dogs thrive on routine and on knowing what is coming next. Have set walk times and set feed times. Set what time you hang out inside and what times you play outside with them.
- Training is another great way to increase the bond between you and your new dog. Use fun rewards based methods and training becomes a powerful bonding exercise, just like play but with the benefits of learning new skills.
- Be kind but firm and don’t pity your dog. Some rescue dogs have had horrible pasts and yes, it’s very sad and we feel for them. But if there’s one thing we can learn from dogs it is that dogs live in the moment. They are not constantly dwelling on their past, and neither should we. Dogs are thinking about what is happening right now. If we pity our dogs and excuse bad behavior, the dog is not better off but can become confused and anxious. Dogs thrive on routine and on knowing who is in charge. So while every dog is special, treat your new rescue dog like a normal dog with patience and kindness but also with rules and boundaries, and move forward with their bright future with you.
You find all these tips in our easy to follow checklist for settling in the adopted rescue dog. Download it free here.
Here’s the top resources you need to create the most successful and rewarding relationship with your dog through training:
🐕 Get the free ebook that answers the question, ‘Why Does My Dog Do That?” and how you can change it - Get the Why Does My Dog Ebook HERE
🐕 Join the Virtual Dog School self-paced online training program and turn your dog into your dream best friend - SIGN UP HERE
🐕 Take the free reactivity training video series - SIGN UP HERE
🐕 Join the reactivity program, Frantic To Focused, which has helped dog owners all over the world to enjoy walks with their dogs again - JOIN HERE
Featured Course:
Frantic to Focused
This comprehensive course takes you step by step on how to get your dog from a frantic dog to a focused dog on walks. EVEN around other dogs.
Popular Ebook:
Training Matters
Looking for information online can be so confusing as there is so much conflicting advice. In Training Matters, we explain not just the how of dog training, but the why, so that you know what to do and why to do it this way.
Join the Dog Matters Academy!
REACTIVITY SERIES
Dog Matters. All Rights Reserved © 2024
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this website are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a small commission. We only recommend products and services we endorse and using our links does not affect the purchase price for you, in fact it may save you money. Thank you for your support.
Follow Dog Matters:
