Adopting a Shelter Dog - How to Introduce Your Shelter Dog to His New Home

I ask people all the time, why spend money to buy a dog when you can adopt a needy, loving dog from your local animal shelter and it will cost virtually nothing. Purebred puppies are often plagued with health issues, caused by over breeding - problems that are often completely removed from dogs of mixed breeds. But if your heart is set on a purebred, this can still be achieved at your local shelter. When I visited mine recently there were two spaniels, two black Labradors, one golden retriever and a Boston terrier that were without question, purebreds. As far as I could see they were all great dogs and were only dumped at the shelter because their owners had no idea how to train them properly - or had little time to devote to them. Another way to find a great purebred dog in need of a caring home is to search on the breed name + rescue on the Internet. Many breed specific organizations maintain connections with pounds and shelters and move quickly to pick up dogs, then hold them for adoption into permanent homes. The majority of shelter dogs need little more than a ton of love, attention and some time spent in obedience training to become trusting, affectionate companions. It's my experience that shelter dogs are inevitably more devoted and loving than dogs that have never experienced abandonment and hardship. Some pound and shelter dogs may have had to endure assorted unhappy circumstances before arriving there. Possibly they were mistreated, abandoned by their previous owners, or wandered the streets alone for some time. Initially they will be confused and won't understand why they are being taken to yet another new location - they will have no way of knowing that this time you are taking them to their new forever home. The method I recommend to teach your rescue dog to settle in and adapt quickly, is to immediately set up a regular schedule and stick to it for several weeks. Set feeding times, exercise, walks and play times will all help your new friend fit in as quickly as possible. Dogs can be especially quick to adapt to the schedules of their owners and many seem to have well defined internal clocks. I had one dog who without fail went to sit next to the door from our garage into the house at five o'clock every day, waiting for me to arrive home. A perceptive owner may discover that his or her dog wants to set his own schedule. Your dog may prefer to play early in the morning and again in the late afternoon. To indicate this he could start bringing you his toys and trying to gain your attention at those times in the day. Never be inflexible, you should be able to adjust your schedule to whatever best fits your dog. Should it ever be necessary to discipline your shelter dog, you should always start with the minimum amount of correction, just relying upon your tone of voice to indicate your disapproval. Usually that is all that is needed as a disciplinary tool. Remember that some dogs may have been mishandled, mistreated and even abused. Any sudden or threatening movement on your part will confuse and frighten your dog and he may cringe or growl. Should this happen it will tell you immediately there are some issues to overcome. Kindness and patience will resolve the problems and heal the mental wounds, but It will take time to gain the total, unquestioning trust of the animal. Beginning the day you arrive home with your adopted pet, handle him and communicate with him frequently. Examine his ears and his paws; inspect the skin underneath his coat closely. Why? What are you looking for? Nothing really. What you are doing is conveying the message to your dog that from now on, you will constantly be touching him and looking at him closely. It's quite common for a dog to become very anxious with this attention but it is crucial to establish your "right" to do this. In fact, grooming, bathing and trips to your veterinarian will depend upon you and others being able to handle the dog easily. You should also begin behavior training immediately you arrive home for the first time. Lavish him with treats and dog biscuits, but gently insist that he sits before receiving each reward. Take him for walks - but establish that you are his "leader" by always going through the doorway first. Through your voice and its tone, make sure the dog knows exactly what is expected of him and when he has done wrong. Never rebuke your shelter dog for anything unless you actually catch him in the act. Follow this advice and your dog will understand what is expected of him and he will quickly settle in and learn to trust you as his new owner. Adopting a shelter dog can be an amazingly rewarding experience. Shelters all around the country are bursting at the seams with dogs that have been cast aside for no better reason than their owner didn't have time for them any more, or the child they had originally been bought for had moved on to another fad. Many dogs are abandoned at shelters because their owners never made the effort to train them properly. The cute little puppy grew into a boisterous youngster with no manners. Dogs love to please but they were never given the opportunity to learn how to do so. For much more help and information about training dogs of all breeds and ages, please take a look at my recently published, instantly downloadable e-book Dog Training 4 Life.