Welcoming Home Your New Rescue Dog

The Decompression Period

1. Create a safe space: Find a quiet, cozy space where your dog can be comfortable and take breaks away from the action as they adjust. To reduce anxiety or frustration, choose a place that is away from people and other pets and include comfort items, such as a crate, blanket, comfortable bedding, treats, and safe chew toys.
2. Provide healthy chew outlets: Pick up anything that you don’t want them to have and flood them with ample healthy outlets for chewing, playing, and destroying. Limiting access early to items they can have will help them identify what is safe and appropriate as they build their preferences in your home.
3. Stick to a routine: Consistency and predictability can make a new environment feel more familiar and comforting to your new dog. Establishing a routine for feeding, exercise, and sleep can help your dog settle in more quickly and comfortably.
4. Introduce slowly: Keep introductions to family members in the home extremely calm and low-key, allowing them to explore their space and greet only once they are ready. Limiting overly excited or elevated voices or greetings and giving them the freedom to make choices without coaxing or pushing is the best way to increase comfort and trust.
5. Save the non-essentials: Save introductions to new people or animals outside of the family, or taking trips to places like pet stores, dog parks and grooming facilities, until after they have had time to settle in. Though showing off your new family member may be tempting, waiting until after they are settled in will help set you both up for success and limit any preventable, stress-related incidents.
6. Limit handling: Too much social interaction or stimulation can actually increase stress, not decrease it, especially in new locations. While you may be eager to shower your new dog with attention and affection, try to keep over handling or petting to a minimum until after they get to know you.
7. Potty train: Even if your dog was previously potty trained, they may need some help learning how to get to the bathroom. Take them out on leash and reward them every time every time they go outside, even if they appear to already be potty trained. Sniffing, circling, and pacing are all signs they may need to go out. Calmly interrupt any accidents, redirecting them immediately outside, and clean up with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature’s Miracle.

Preventing Separation-Related Distress

1. Get them comfortable in their safe space: When possible, spend a good amount of time with them in their safe space before leaving them in there alone. Give them something to do to stay busy and practice quiet, calm activities that require little engagement. When you leave, use a white noise machine or TV to drown out outside noises. 
2. Start slow: Try to spend a good amount of time at home for the first couple of days, limiting sudden changes or long departures from key family members. Allowing them to get to know their trusted person before being asked to unexpectedly be away from them will set the stage for future comfort and trust when being left alone.  
3. Gradually increase alone time: When you first bring a new rescue dog home, it’s important to take it slow and gradually increase the amount of time they spend alone in their designated space. Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time as they become more comfortable being alone.  
4. Enrich the environment: Leave your dog with toys and activities that will keep them mentally stimulated and occupied every time you leave them. Include puzzle toys, chew toys, or interactive games, which are great ways for them to stay busy and build a positive association to being left alone.  

Introductions To Other Dogs

1. Start with a neutral location: Rather than introducing the dogs in your home, start by introducing them in a neutral location, such as a nearby park. This allows both dogs to meet on neutral territory, which can help reduce any territorial or aggressive behavior. 
2. Keep both dogs on a leash: When introducing the dogs, keep both of them on a leash so that you can easily control their movements and intervene, if necessary. 
3. Remove resources: Having to suddenly share valuable resources, such as toys, water bowls, sleeping spaces, or their human’s attention can add to the stress of a new pet in the home. Pick up all of the resources, like bones and toys, during any interactions until your dogs get to know each other.  
4. Focus on positive interactions: We don’t want high-arousal play to be the only way our dog knows how to interact with other dogs. Having fun and doing things side-by-side, such as exploring a new park on longlines or playing training games are great ways to help dogs get to know each other and practice something other than wild and crazy play. 
5. Avoid allowing “corrections”: Though there is a myth that dogs should learn boundaries through corrections,  those “corrective” behaviors are actually known signs of discomfort, fear, and/or frustration. And although they may stop another dog in the moment, it also puts the dog in a position where they have to use aggression to get space,  which can be stressful for them and damaging to the relationship overall. Instead of relying on corrections, help them learn in a positive way that results in a stronger relationship. If you see those lower-level distance-increasing signals, such as lip licking, yawning, looking away, sitting, checking in, or walking away, call the dog, reward them for coming, and redirect them to something else. This will help them learn to walk away when they see signs of stress or conflict in another dog and sets them up to have a safe, cooperative relationship together.  
6. Gradually increase interactions: Allow the dogs to sniff each other and interact on their own terms. If everything is going well and both dogs are comfortable, gradually increase the time they spend together.  
7. End on a good note: It is easy for animals who don’t know each other to become overwhelmed or overstimulated by initial interactions. Keeping experiences light, positive and always ending on a good note is your key to success. If things are going well, stop, give them something delicious, and stop while you’re ahead. 
8. Use separation and management: Use management tools, such as crates or baby gates to separate pets while they get to know each other. This will give them time to build a conflict-free relationship before having to spend extended amounts of time together or share valuable resources, such as: water bowls; toys; human attention; and beds or resting areas.  

Training & Additional Resources

1. Meet mental needs: Boredom and lack of mental stimulation can lead to massive behavior problems. Feeding  meals out of interactive feeders, like the Kong Wobbler or Paw5 Snuffle mat, will provide them with a healthy outlet  for their mental energy and drive. Daily enrichment, such as a Kong stuffed with wet dog food or small bunches of  dry dog food in newspaper double up as ways to tire their brains and keep them of trouble. 
2. Use positive reinforcement: How you teach your dog is even more important than what you teach them. Since  science consistently demonstrates that punishment increases the likelihood that dogs will display fearful, reactive or  aggressive behaviors in the future, always opt for methods that do not cause pain, fear, or discomfort during the  learning process. Avoid things like shock collars, prong collars, or choke chains and instead opt for tools that  support your dog’s ability to learn about their worlds in a way that is fun and fear-free.  
3. Monitor changes: As they settle in, you may see some changes in your dog’s behavior. A dog who didn’t make a  sound on the drive home from the shelter might bark or whine on future car trips, and a dog who was previously  described as low-key may become excitable on walks. Listen to what your dog is trying to tell you, and help them  out by removing them from situations that you aren’t sure how to handle. Keep notes and consult with a trainer if you need help navigating any previous or current concerns.
4. Get the right tools: The right tools make all the difference. Get yourself set up with:  
   1. A comfortable treat pouch
   2. Front-clip body harness, such as the 2Hounds Freedom Harness
   3. A standard 6 foot leash (avoid retractable or flexi-leashes)
   4. A stack of delicious treats
5. Sign up for training: Training is a great way to bond with your new dog, prevent behavior problems, and learn to  work together as a team. Here at K9 Turbo Training we have a host of amazing training classes and private options  available for those seeking in-person as well as virtual learning. If you decide to train elsewhere, ensure your trainer  has credentials from one of the following third-party certifying bodies (databases available online): 
   • The International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) 
   • The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) 
   • The American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB) for a board certified veterinary behaviorist 
6. Snag some free resources: Attached are some great resources and reference sheets that you may find helpful as  you begin your journey together. If you need anything else at out, let us know. We’re here to support you and your  new dog every step of the way.