Tips for helping your new rescue dog settle into your home
Rebel (well, I had to use him for the first image didn’t I?!)
Bringing home a new dog is an exciting time. You approach the day with nervous excitement, but the night before the “big day”, you suddenly feel like you’ve forgotten everything you know about dogs!
We’ve all been there.
Rescue dogs, however, can take a bit of extra love and care to help them settle into their new home. Many have come from troubled or difficult backgrounds, so they need an additional bit of help to adjust.
If you’re welcoming a new rescue dog anytime soon, here are my top tips to help them feel at home in no time.
Getting ready — fail to prepare, prepare to fail!
Arguably, the best bit about bringing home any new pet — shopping! To help minimise the stress on your new pup, you should make sure you have bought all your basic supplies ahead of time.
To begin with, they will need:
A collar with a legally compliant ID tag
A lead (fixed length)
A couple of different toys until you work out what your dog likes — e.g. one plushie, and one rope toy
A stress buster (such as a Kong or long-lasting chew)
A couple of weeks' supply of the food the rescue centre has been feeding them. These first few days will be a lot for them, so wait until they’re settled before changing their diet to avoid upset tummies
A comfy bed to go in a quiet corner of the house, plus a suitably sized crate if you decide to do crate training
Some baby gates could be a good investment if you want to keep your pup downstairs, even if it’s just to begin with
Even if you have other dogs at home, it is a good idea to do a visual sweep of the rooms your new dog will be spending time in to check for potential hazards.
Tie up any loose wires from TVs, lamps, etc that may be tempting to chew. Move any ornaments and plants at lower levels to tabletops or shelves to keep them out of harm’s way. You should also clear away shoes, bags, and toys left around so they don’t get nibbled on when nobody is looking! Dogs do not understand the monetary value of things!
You should also set up your dog’s quiet corner in the house. Choose somewhere that is ideally lower in traffic (so not in a hallway or a room always in use) and set up your dog’s bed and crate here. The aim is to create a quiet space they can escape to and feel safe in. Sprinkle treats in there when the dog isn't looking so that when they next investigate it, they find a treasure trove! This helps to create positive associations with the area.
The first few days at home — slowly does it
You’re all excited to bring your new family member home, but as soon as they arrive, your poor pooch looks like a rabbit in the headlights. You want to help them feel comfortable, but you’re not sure how.
Put yourself in your dog’s shoes. It’s A LOT to take in — new smells, new people, plus a new environment where they don’t know the ‘rules’ yet. Some (like my retired racing greyhound) may have never lived in a home before!
The best thing you can do is to give them space, peace, and quiet. Let them explore at their own pace, and give gentle and reassuring words of encouragement when they do. Stay nice and calm around them, and try not to introduce them to too many new things or people on the first day.
As tempting as it is to smother them with hugs, don’t force yourself on your rescue dog. Let them come to you. If they see you as a safe space, they will naturally come to you for cuddles and some love — but let it be on their terms.
Introduce all family members and pets slowly, so that it’s low pressure and everyone can go at their own pace. Putting all resident dogs on a lead could help this (so that your rescue dog can move away if it's too much). You should also pop your new dog on a lead for their first few visits to the garden, as this will help them explore it slowly and allow them to take all the new sniffs and sights in.
You should try to establish a routine as soon as you can — when they are fed, when walkies are, and what time they nap or sleep. Dogs feel more secure with a routine, so doing this will help them settle and feel reassured. A word of warning: Routines are great - if you can stick to them.
The first weeks — building bonds and good habits
Spend lots of time together! This is an important bonding period for you and your dog, so make sure they know they can be happy and safe around you.
Once your rescue pup’s first few days at home are over, they should hopefully be well on the way to being confident and happy with their new family. So what next?
The next steps will be to start introducing some training — this is where the fun stuff really begins! Not only will training teach your dog good behaviours, it will also make them use their brain so they get tired quicker, and it will help build the bond between you. So it’s win-win-win!
Slowly introduce one thing at a time so your dog isn’t overwhelmed. Short fun training sessions using positive reinforcement are much more fun and effective than hours of boring and repetitive cues. I like to use the “kettle” method to begin with — your training sessions should be no longer than the time it takes your kettle to boil. So do a bit of training every time you make a cuppa! Cup of tea for you, enrichment for your pooch!
You should also start to think about training good lead walking habits — especially if you have a puller on your hands! Choose a quiet area and have lots of treats to hand to start to work on walking with a loose lead. And just like other training, short but frequent sessions are key to getting the training to stick. If you need more specific loose lead training information, I have a loose lead walking package you should check out: Loose lead walking training in East Hampshire — Barker and Hound Dog Training This is a bespoke one to one (1-2-1) package dedicated to training your dog to walk nicely by your side without pulling on the lead!
Just like when you first brought your rescue dog home, you should introduce new experiences and places slowly to let your dog process them at their own pace. Things like riding in the car, going into busy towns, travelling on public transport, and going to dog-friendly pubs or cafes should all be done one at a time, and in a way that doesn’t stress your dog out. If you are local to Hampshire and need any ideas, check out my blogs.
If your dog starts to show any signs of stress while doing any of these new things, you should stop and let them decompress before continuing — or even leave it for another day. Typical signs of stress are yawning, lip licking, and avoiding eye contact — all of which mean your dog needs some space.
Conclusion — continue as you mean to go on
By taking the pressure off your new rescue dog and letting them discover the exciting things about their new life at their own pace, you are setting your dog up for success and happiness. By starting as you mean to continue, your dog will know what you think is and is not acceptable and will feel confident and reassured in their new home.
Keep your routines consistent, keep training short and fun, and let your dog be the guide of how many new things they can take on without getting worried. Do all of these things and you’re sure to have a well-adjusted rescue pup who trusts in you as their owner.
Don’t forget — your rescue centre is always there to help with any problems or questions. Or you can contact a local dog trainer with rescue experience — like me! — for advice and recommendations on specific issues you may come across along the way: Tailored 1-2-1 Support Session — Barker and Hound Dog Training
PS - You have rescued a dog - you are amazing!!
Sarah-Jane x