Twelve days of Christmas-for rescue dogs -Day 2

Day 2

TIME

There is an expression about 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months which is needed for a dog to truly settle into a new home

While this isn't a bad mantra in fact it is likely to take a lot longer for a dog to feel truly comfortable in a new home

Yesterday I briefly discussed the issue of Safety - all of these 12 posts can only cover brief points, and will also reflect each other. A dog moving into a new home is a complex topic and dependent on each individual dog

Time is certainly much more important to give the dog than training.

Every dog needs time to get used to their new life, some will adapt fairly quickly while other dogs just don't have the ability to adapt with any speed.

In fact we shouldn't be in a rush or have any expectations about how long this very important stage may take

People can be very dismissive about not training during the first few months -but dogs are already have a lot to be getting on with

They are learning about their new lives, where they can sleep and rest, about their new environments, and which people live in the house and when food will appear

When we take on a new job or start a new career it is accepted that it will take time before we are up to speed - and mistakes will be made along the way. Nobody expects us to be foot perfect for a considerable amount of time

But this is not always a good analogy because there is a procedure in place

The process of looking for a job, going to an interview and preparing for the first day- is not available to a dog learning to live a new life

There are a lot of things which will be unpredictable and these will make life more difficult for the majority of dogs.

Most rescue dogs are so busy being vigilant that they don't sleep as much as they should and this is expensive

Sleep and rest are important because without this dogs will fail to settle and relax and learning will not take place

Time is the most important thing you can give a newly rehomed dog-----see the picture I have used to accompany these posts? What better way to introduce yourself to a new dog

Pennie Clayton 2025

#speakingdogs