New-to-you and rescue dogs
Rescue, foster, re-homing, breed-specific clubs…There are a lot of ways to find a dog that you can share your life with.
Before you make that commitment, here are some things to consider.
1) where are you going to get your new friend (this matters!)
There are a lot of different options, from searching private-party postings online, friend-group word of mouth, animal shelters, and even breed-specific rescue organizations, dog-sport clubs, etc.
Where you get your new dog matters, because the information the dog comes with can be reliable (or not at all); it can be comprehensive (or totally lacking); helpful (or misleading). Not all groups and rescuers are the same. It is useful to have some background on your dog’s past — but remember, not all rescuers are as honest and thorough as they should be, and some rescuers simply do not know anything about the history of the dogs that have been surrendered to their care.
Where you get your dog matters, because the dog’s journey to you is controlled by the rescuers. Some dogs are housed in kennels; others immediately go to foster homes and some travel on long journeys in trucks across the country to get to you. Travel and relocation is stressful for dogs. Surrender and homelessness is also often traumatic for dogs. Depending on the journey your dog has taken to get to you, there will be things that are likely to be hard for your dog to cope with such as: car rides, being left alone, being crated, being taken to the vet’s office, being approached by strangers, loud noises. It is always better to ask questions about how much decompression time the dog has had and how the dog experienced its rescue journey.
Remember, some rescues are stretched really thin, and they may not have provided as much support, care and attention to the dogs in their care as you might assume. Similarly, just because they did not notice anxious behavior, there is no guarantee that you will not see anxious behavior in your dog once you take them home with you. There are a lot of reasons for this, and it may have nothing to do with neglect of the dog while in the care of the rescue.
Many dogs simply shut down and stop showing stress when there is a lot of chaos — how the dog really feels about the changes in their circumstances only becomes clear once they are in a stable place again and feel safe.
Read more about some signs of anxiety.
2) what do you need to make this work well for you and your new dog
What kind of activities or skills are “deal breakers” and what are your “best-case wishes”, and how much time, patience and money to you have for the adjustment period between you and your new dog?
It is really important to know the difference between what you need and what you want from your new dog. This will help you and the rescue as you decide what dog you should make a commitment to. For example, you may really want to take your dog with you on family holidays at the beach house. But if you have the money to leave your dog at home with a friend to pet-sit, and that would work better for the dog because the dog is afraid of small children that will be also at the beach house, is that OK with you? Think carefully about what you need your dog to succeed at, and make sure you have the resources to support your dog if they end up needing help learning how to live a good life with you.
Be honest. It is a wonderful thing to have goals and aspirations - but be fair to yourself here. You do not have to share everything you decide with others but you should be clear with yourself about your needs and expectations.
3) how can you prepare for the new arrival
Search for a positive reinforcement, force-free, certified dog trainer in your area who can meet with you and help you make a plan for integrating your new dog into your life. Ideally, you will hire this person before you make a final commitment to a dog - but at any point in your journey, you should reach out if you need support.
Search for a veterinary practice you like (the good ones often have fear free certifications) and set up a “happy visit” as well as an introductory exam, just to cover your bases. If your dog is healthy when you bring them home, you can postpone the exam for when your dog has decompressed a bit. This will help your dog to establish a trusting relationship with the professionals at the clinic or hospital.
Plan out how you will introduce your dog to your home, and set things up so the dog is not overwhelmed with the full force of everything in your life all at once. This may mean that you take some time off work, work half-days, work from home, or arrange for a different schedule at first. It may also mean that you cordon off part of your home at first, so your dog does not do damage when unsupervised or get frightened, trapped or in trouble when encountering things that are unfamiliar in and around your home.
Keep things on your social calendar pretty calm, quiet and boring for the first month you have your new dog. Avoid overwhelming your dog with lots of activities and guests at the beginning. There will be plenty of time for that once you have figured each other out a bit.
Read additional tips here
4) who can support you if (when) you need help
The first thing you want to do is find out what resources the rescue group has available: will they support you with referrals, training, home visits, phone calls, donations of supplies, or other things? Can the dog come back to the rescue if it ends up not being a good fit? What is the policy of the rescue if there is a new behavior problem that crops up? Do they have recommendations for how to help your new dog acclimate to your home?
Do you have neighbors, friends, family or community members who can pop over to let the dog out for a potty break if you run late at work, or who can check in on the dog sitter if they lose the keys to your front door?
What is your household set up for in terms of supporting the dog and collaborating with you in training and everyday care?
