6 ways you can help your new rescue dog feel at home

Congratulations on choosing to adopt your new furry family member! Not only are you rescuing the dog you’re adopting, you’re saving the dog who will be taking their place in the kennel. Welcoming a new furry family member into your home is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful both for you and your new canine companion. Not only is your house a new environment for the dog, but they may or may not have lived a life similar to what you’ll be giving them. Some dogs who are in shelters have even tried a few different homes before landing in the right one.

Luckily, regardless of who your pup is and what they’ve experienced before, there are some key components that will make their acclimation into your home easier on everyone.

There’s nothing more frustrating than getting home with your new pup and realizing you need something at the store. We recommend avoiding taking your new pup to the pet store on the day of adoption — it’s already a lot for your dog without going into another new environment — so it’s important to stock up on basic essentials prior to bringing your dog home.

• Crate. There are a multitude of benefits to crate training your dog but you want to start by picking the right crate. Your dog’s crate should only be slightly bigger than them — you want it to be big enough that they can stand up and turn around, but not so big they can go potty in one corner and sleep in the other.
• Dog bed and/or blankets. Go ahead and get something cushy for your pup to lay on in their crate. Looking to spoil? Get a bed for outside the crate as well.
• Toys. You’re just beginning to get to know your dog, so don’t expect to know what their favorite toys are from the start; they may not even know! A good way to start is with one of each — a ball, a plush squeaky, and a rope toy — and see what your dog likes to play with the most.
• Treats. Similar to toys, this is something you’ll have a better handle on as you get to know your new dog. When in doubt, go for small and stinky. After all, for dogs, the value of treats isn’t in how big they are, it’s in how big their FLAVOR is.
• Collar. Many shelters will allow you to purchase the collar that was on the dog in the shelter, or you can bring your own to take the dog home. Martingale collars are a great option that are more difficult for your dog to slip out of – a valuable aspect if your dog is nervous in their new environment.
• Leash. Like the collar, many shelters offer the option to purchase a leash, but if you have a preference for the color or style, you’ll want to pick one up at the store ahead of time.
• Food. To help minimize upset stomach, start by mixing the food you want to feed your new pup with what they were being fed at the shelter. If you’re unsure what food is best for your pup, talk to your vet — they’ll help you narrow it down.
• Poop bags. A basic necessity for any dog parent! If you have a yard, you may want to invest in a pooper scooper as well.
• Pet-safe household cleaners. Accidents in the house happen, especially when your new dog is just starting to learn the routine. Make sure to use sprays and wipes that have ingredients that are safe for your pup!
• Bowls. Stainless steel bowls are the easiest to sanitize and will stand the test of time. Many are also dishwasher-safe! Is your new pup a fast eater? Try out a puzzle bowl. These bowls act as enrichment – this is a great way for your dog to use up some of that brain power while they get their meal.

Have you ever had a dog who would go and sit at the door when you don’t get up to take them out at the normal time? Maybe your dog starts pacing when it’s dinnertime. Dogs are quick to pick up on patterns in their day-to-day life and they thrive when their environment is predictable. For this reason, nothing will help your new rescue dog get acclimated to their new home and life quite like consistency.

Going into a new home can be scary and stressful for any dog, so to give them a chance to learn what their life looks like now, keep your day-to-day as close to what your basic routine will look like in the long run as possible. Many shelters will recommend what’s known as a two-week shutdown period. This essentially means keep your dog’s life to the bare routine for two weeks — don’t have guests over to the home, refrain from taking your new dog to the store or restaurants and off-leash dog parks. Instead, focus on spending time getting to know your new dog and letting them get to know you.

Prioritizing the consistency of mealtimes, bedtimes, wake times, and walk times will help your new dog begin to understand and predict what their life looks like each day, and understand what’s expected of them. However, keep in mind that this means that all family members must be on the same page.

Make sure to go in with agreed-upon rules (ie no dogs on the bed or no feeding human food under the dinner table) so that your dog doesn’t get mixed signals. And if a less stressed dog (and human) isn’t a good enough reason to establish a routine, it also helps speed up house training. No more accidents? Sign us up!

Before bringing a new dog into your home, take time to consider what could be factors that will make their acclimation harder. Do you have other pets in the home? Kids? Do you have a yard or intend to do walks? Are there unsafe things they could get into? Thinking about these factors in advance of walking in the door with your new family member can make both your lives easier and safer.

Other pets. One of the factors that requires the most forethought when bringing home a new dog is any pets you may already have. If you have a resident dog, many shelters will recommend you do a dog-dog meet at the facility prior to adoption, to ensure the dogs have compatible play styles. Keep in mind even if you do this meet, it won’t be 100% indicative of how the dogs will interact in the home. Shelters are stressful, both for the adoptable dogs and your own when they visit, so it’s likely that neither dog will be entirely themselves during that dog meet. Should you decide to adopt, the adoption counselor will talk you through how to continue slow introductions with the new dog in your home.

If you have a resident cat, how you introduce your new dog will influence their interaction moving forward. If your cat runs and the dog is allowed to chase, it automatically becomes a self-reinforcing game — dog sees cat, dog chases cat, cat runs, and dog chasing cat = game! To avoid this, make sure your dog is on leash when they first see the cat and that your cat has ample availability to escape to another room or to higher surfaces. Baby gates can be a valuable tool when acclimating your new dog to a home with any resident animals, as it provides a barrier that allows the animals to have protected contact.

Kids. There is little that is as exciting for a kid as bringing a new dog into the home. The number one rule for bringing a new dog home with kids is to not leave the kids unattended with the dog. Going into a new home can be scary, exciting, or both for your dog, and regardless of which emotion they’re feeling, their interaction with your child can quickly become unsafe (even by accident) without proper supervision.

Before bringing your new dog home, take time to talk to your child about how they should introduce themselves to the dog, when to give them space, and the role THEY play in making your new pup feel right at home. While some shelters require that all family members (especially children) meet the dog before you adopt, this isn’t the case for all. To play it safe, bring your kiddo to meet the dog to help both acclimate to the other.

Remember: Kids don’t always understand how to respect a dog’s boundaries right off the bat, so make sure not to leave young children alone with your new pup. Help instill appropriate interaction by making sure your child doesn’t touch your dog’s paws, pull their tail, or ride or sit on their back. Have a new baby on the way? Check out Family Paws; a group that offers courses and access to professionals that specialize in safe interactions between dogs and children.

Household items. New environments are just that; they’re new, meaning your dog is going to want to explore every inch of your house. Since dogs don’t have hands like we do, they get to know their environment with their mouths. The results can range from annoying to life-threatening if your dog gets their mouth on the wrong thing.

Until you know what to expect of your new pup, keep all food off the counter and cleaning products out of reach. Be mindful of any mouse or ant traps or houseplants you may have that are poisonous if ingested. Avoid leaving socks, hair ties, or small children’s toys lying around, all of which can be quick to be swallowed, causing an obstruction and requiring surgery. Regardless of your new dog’s age, puppy-proofing your apartment is a valuable step.

Give them a tour. When you first bring your new dog into the home, keep them on a leash and walk them around, showing them where things are (toys, bed, door, yard, etc.). It’s helpful to leave their leash on and dragging for the first hour — that way, if they get into something they shouldn’t (like your trashcan) you’re not reaching for their collar, which in their mind looks like a stranger lunging for their face. Instead, pick up the end of the leash and use that to guide them. This will appear less threatening, and on the off chance that they do become defensive, you’re six feet away.

When bringing home a new dog from the shelter, keep in mind they’re coming from a world that was limited and predictable. They lived, slept, and ate in a box. They were fed and walked around the same time everyday by the same people. Going from that to a whole house where they have free reign is a big change that can be overwhelming.

To ease the transition, we recommend crate training. Crates shouldn’t be used as a punishment, but rather a safe space for your dog that is entirely their own. Think of it like a teenager and their bedroom. Having a room all their own gives them some privacy and freedom to step away when they feel frustrated or overwhelmed.

The same is true for your dog.

Use the crate as a place for your dog to go when they are feeling uncomfortable and need a break. To keep your dog choosing their crate,  make sure to keep it positive by gradually acclimating them to it and giving them good things while in there, such as their meals, their favorite toy, or a bully stick.

Crate training has a few other perks as well. For one, it will help with house training. Dogs don’t like to lay in their own filth, so by keeping your pup in their crate overnight or when left alone, they’re more likely to hold it until they’re taken out. Putting your dog in their crate also prevents them from getting into trouble when they’re left unsupervised. This is especially valuable for puppies and excitable dogs who like to chew on and eat random objects around the house.

When bringing a new rescue dog into your home, it’s important to not expect too much from your dog or yourself all at once. Like any new relationship, you and your dog need time to get to know and trust one another, especially because the dog you bring home from the shelter is likely not the same dog who will be standing before you three months from now. Of course, every dog is different, and some dogs will acclimate to their new lives faster than others. However,  a good rule of thumb when setting realistic expectations for your new rescue pup and yourself is the 3-3-3 Rule.

The 3-3-3 Rule

There is a common saying in the animal welfare industry that new pet parents should remember the 3-3-3 rule. This rule reminds us that it takes time for an adopted pet to adjust when introduced to a new home and that this acclimation generally happens in three stages.

• 3 days. The first few days after you’ve brought home your new dog will be stressful for both you and your pup. Your new dog may be shut down and avoidant or bouncing off the walls and pushing boundaries. It’s normal for a dog to have abnormal eating, drinking, or potty habits for the first few days in their new home.
• 3 weeks. You will likely start to see a shift in your dog’s personality going into week three. This is when your dog will start to show their true colors, as they begin to trust you and feel more confident in their daily routine. Because your dog is becoming more confident, it’s also for them to start showing more challenging behaviors around this time.
• 3 months. At around three months, your dog has learned the routine of their life and has a good idea of what’s expected of them. For most dogs, by this time they’ve learned to trust their new families and understand that this is their life now.

Now that you have a new furry family member, it’s time to establish a baseline for their health, so that you know the best plan moving forward. Some shelters may offer you a free or discounted veterinary appointment within the first two weeks of adoption. Others may encourage you to find your own primary veterinarian within the community. It’s good to make your first appointment almost immediately after adoption for a few reasons:

1. You may have to wait. Just like your own primary doctor schedules appointments weeks or months in advance, the same is true for veterinarians. Reach out immediately to get on your vet’s calendar in a timely manner.
2. Stress lowers your dog’s immune system. Going from one environment to another, such as a shelter to a new home, is stressful for your dog. When dogs get stressed, their immune systems go down, often leading for newly adopted animals to break with an upper respiratory infection (aka, the common doggie cold). Seeing your vet early into the transition will help nip any potential illness in the bud.
3. Pet insurance. More and more pet insurance options are on the market each day, but one thing most have in common is that they either exclude or increase rates for “pre-existing conditions.” Since these insurance companies require a baseline exam to offer coverage, the sooner you get this exam and sign up, the lower the likelihood you have of being limited by such conditions.

Adopting a rescue dog is exciting, nerve-wracking, and stressful all at the same time. If you feel like you’re struggling to understand your dog or that they’re having a hard time adjusting, reach out to a local Certified Professional Dog Trainer. With patience, consistency, and time, you’ll be able to help your new pup acclimate to their new life and feel right at home alongside you and your family.