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It is always a good idea, if you have a cross breed, to find out what is the Breed makeup. Knowing the breeds involved will help you determine what is the best exercise and mental stimulation to bring in, know more about any breed behaviour quirks, learn about breed health issues and the genetic aspect. Done in the comfort of your own home, and so easy to do. Do visit our website to see what is involved, and contact us if any questions. www.muttmix.co.za,
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Be patient with your new shelter dog!
by Friends of the Dog
by Friends of the Dog
Pic - FOTD
Yea! you have adopted a shelter dog and given them not only a second chance at life, but also a loving home – a really wonderful thing to do! However, the dog may not view it as such a positive change – everything it has known is now different, and we all know how hard change can be.
Imagine you arriving in a foreign country where you did not know anybody, where you did not understand what was said, or what you needed to do - where strange people were patting you - trying to get your attention etc – can you imagine how stressing this could be!
Many shelter dogs arrive with absolutely no history, and very often have experienced trauma of one sort or other, plus the time they spent in the shelter – often in a run with other dogs it did not know, possible bullying, the noise of runs being cleaned, handled by strangers, and food bowl banged and so many other factors. Just this alone is enough to increase stress levels.
There is a period called the Honeymoon Period where dogs are less likely to exhibit any old bad habits (bit like you being on your best behaviour in front of strangers!). The Honeymoon Period normally lasts about 3 weeks but can go on much longer. If you do find that the dog is exhibiting any behaviours that are really not acceptable as he starts to settle down, don’t think that this will change as soon as he settles more – they won’t – what is more likely to occur is that the unacceptable behaviours will increase, so do get professional help in as soon as you can.
Please do not use aversive methods of training, or physical punishment on your dog. Dogs really do react much better, and quicker, to the positive reinforcement methods. If the dog does go to do something unacceptable, rather say “UHUH” in a firm voice and distract the dog by calling him or offering a toy to be played with – if you can use management, such as moving something he had been investigating out of the way, then brilliant prevention of it happening again.
Here are some suggestions of What to Do until the dog has settled down. If a multi dog household, the dogs will have been introduced to one another beforehand. Just refer to the articles at the bottom and then follow below. The first week with your new dog is very important and you can create a solid foundation for future behaviour.
Things to Do
You are excited to have your new friend at home, but go slowly and let him settle in his own time. We have seen so many dogs that were exposed to just too much initially, such as dog walks, meeting new dogs, new people etc, that they were so overwhelmed, that they shut down!
Don’t feel sorry for your new shelter dog – the past is exactly that – the past, plus dogs are very much beings that live in the present and feeling sorry for him because he had a bad start to life, does nobody any good. It is a brand-new beginning, so look forward to this, rather than having pity for the past.
Each and every dog is different, and some will happily come into the family as if they have always been there, while others will take time to settle, especially if fear behaviour - please do be patient and don’t expect too much, too soon – go at the pace your dog sets, not your pace. You are putting in a lot of work for the first few weeks, but the joy of having a well behaved, balanced dog as a part of the family is more than worth it.
Here is a link to our Adoption Assistance page which will give you more info on adopting shelter dogs – thank you for adopting a shelter dog and good luck!
Imagine you arriving in a foreign country where you did not know anybody, where you did not understand what was said, or what you needed to do - where strange people were patting you - trying to get your attention etc – can you imagine how stressing this could be!
Many shelter dogs arrive with absolutely no history, and very often have experienced trauma of one sort or other, plus the time they spent in the shelter – often in a run with other dogs it did not know, possible bullying, the noise of runs being cleaned, handled by strangers, and food bowl banged and so many other factors. Just this alone is enough to increase stress levels.
There is a period called the Honeymoon Period where dogs are less likely to exhibit any old bad habits (bit like you being on your best behaviour in front of strangers!). The Honeymoon Period normally lasts about 3 weeks but can go on much longer. If you do find that the dog is exhibiting any behaviours that are really not acceptable as he starts to settle down, don’t think that this will change as soon as he settles more – they won’t – what is more likely to occur is that the unacceptable behaviours will increase, so do get professional help in as soon as you can.
Please do not use aversive methods of training, or physical punishment on your dog. Dogs really do react much better, and quicker, to the positive reinforcement methods. If the dog does go to do something unacceptable, rather say “UHUH” in a firm voice and distract the dog by calling him or offering a toy to be played with – if you can use management, such as moving something he had been investigating out of the way, then brilliant prevention of it happening again.
Here are some suggestions of What to Do until the dog has settled down. If a multi dog household, the dogs will have been introduced to one another beforehand. Just refer to the articles at the bottom and then follow below. The first week with your new dog is very important and you can create a solid foundation for future behaviour.
Things to Do
You are excited to have your new friend at home, but go slowly and let him settle in his own time. We have seen so many dogs that were exposed to just too much initially, such as dog walks, meeting new dogs, new people etc, that they were so overwhelmed, that they shut down!
- Ensure that the home and garden are dog proof.
- Supply food and water in an easy to reach area. Show the dog where they are, then let him access in his own time. Have a comfortable bed close to you where he can choose to lie on or not.
- Let the dog investigate one room at a time, and daily add on a new room to be investigated.
- Dogs enjoy consistency and routine, so bring one into place. Routines to consider are toilet times (watching first as to when the dog is likely to eliminate), times of meals (always two a day, morning and night), when playtime occurs, and times of walks. Stick to this as much as possible
- Don’t give too much attention. By all means call them often using the new name and reward with a treat. We have supplied an article at the bottom on renaming your new dog. Let it be the dog’s decision to come and ask for attention.
- Be aware of not hugging, kissing and bending over the dog and especially careful where children are concerned.
- Consider putting on some relaxing music – there are tons of examples on You Tube and Spotify for relaxing music for dogs.
- When the dog is comfortable with being touched gently, you can now run your hand, very slowly and softly, along the whole body – from the head to the tail, and then down to the paws. Watch for any signs that the dog is uncomfortable, such as suddenly sitting down, ears going back, moving away, turning to look at you, walking away – these are sure indications that the dog is not happy with the interaction and if you are aware of these areas, you can prevent the dog reacting when any of these areas are touched. If the dog does show signs of being uncomfortable, then then do mention to the vet to see if any underlying trauma. Even dogs that do not like to be touched in some areas due to a previous injury or muscle memory, can be helped - getting a TTouch practitioner in to show you how easy this is. TTouch is also fantastic for lowering stress.
- If you don’t want the dog on the couches, then now is the time to reinforce this, by just saying ‘off’ and tossing a treat onto the floor – block off any vacant chairs with boxes, if need be, to prevent him from getting on them.
- If you don’t want a dog that begs, then simply ignore all begging, pleading eyes, and don’t give in!
- Have a safe, secure area where you can take the dog to the toilet. Most shelter dogs are used to collar and lead, so it is a good idea is to walk them to the toilet area on lead and wait for them to perform. Give a lot of praise when successful and take him out several times a day until you can see his natural elimination routine – this can prevent elimination accidents.
- Do ensure that the collar or harness fit properly, so that the dog cannot slip out of them, especially is future, when out for a walk.
- Don’t take the dog out for a full walk initially – first get it used to the home, learn its name, walk around the garden with him, before considering a walk. When you do take the dog for a walk – short and sweet and allow him to sniff and smell to his hearts content. A nice slow walk with lots of sniffing not only supplies physical stimulation, it is also excellent for mental stimulation. Slowly build up the time periods of walks, and once the dog is comfortable in one area, only then consider taking him to a new area – you are slowly building his confidence.
- As no knowledge is available as to whether the dog has resource guarding issues, do not put you, or the dog, into a situation where resource guarding may occur, especially over food bowls and toys – prevention is always the best solution.
- Avoid visitors for the first few days to give the dog a chance to settle down, and then slowly introduce them with the dog on lead, and lots of delicious treats to make the visitors a great positive experience. Mention to the visitors, not to crowd the dog – let the dog decide when it wants to interact more.
- Many rescue dogs will follow their new owners around when they go to leave the room. Just ignore this behaviour, as you don’t want to end up with a situation where over attachment or separation anxiety occurs.
- When we bring a pup into the home, we tell owners not to be with them 24/7 so that the dog learns to be confident in being left alone – do the same with your new rescue dog. You can always pop a delicious stuffed Kong or Busy Buddy on his bed to keep him entertained while you go to the kitchen to make supper for example. Keep to your own routines as much as possible.
- Don’t spoil the dog – bring in place your own house rules and stick to them.
- Do consider teaching some simple obedience exercises, such as Come, Sit, Down and Stay or Wait.
- Once the dog is more comfortable, get him used to rides in the car which are always a pleasant experience for him, such as a short drive to the local park and a nice sniff and smell just outside the car, which you can gradually build-up.
- Once the dog has totally settled and part of the family, teach him that the vet is not something to be nervous about. Drive him to the vet rooms, let him get out, sniff around while lots of delicious treats are offered, then back in the car home. As he gets used to this you can take it further, by letting the receptionist know you are coming through to do some practice – take him into the rooms, let him sniff and smell, and ask the receptionists to give him a few treats, then take him home. As his confidence builds, this can even be taken further, by a visit into the examination room – treats, and then home again, and eventually meeting the vet for a quick non-invasive visit. The vets we ourselves know, are more than happy to do this, as makes for a positive relationship between vet and dog.
Don’t feel sorry for your new shelter dog – the past is exactly that – the past, plus dogs are very much beings that live in the present and feeling sorry for him because he had a bad start to life, does nobody any good. It is a brand-new beginning, so look forward to this, rather than having pity for the past.
Each and every dog is different, and some will happily come into the family as if they have always been there, while others will take time to settle, especially if fear behaviour - please do be patient and don’t expect too much, too soon – go at the pace your dog sets, not your pace. You are putting in a lot of work for the first few weeks, but the joy of having a well behaved, balanced dog as a part of the family is more than worth it.
Here is a link to our Adoption Assistance page which will give you more info on adopting shelter dogs – thank you for adopting a shelter dog and good luck!