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There will be an adjustment period
when you first bring your dog home.
If you go into this expecting there to be a long adjustment
period,
you will be prepared to NOT take it personally.
And what a bonus if your dog takes almost no time at all to
adjust!
New situations are stressful
to many dogs...and a stressed dog can act different than he normally would.
The dog's behavior during the adjustment period generally has nothing to do with
how well a dog likes you. It's about the dog learning he can TRUST you.
Be prepared for this. It's normal. And it's nothing personal.
In most cases, these dogs have been abandoned, ignored by their
previous owners, or turned in to a shelter, having little
interaction with someone who cares about them. Others, we
are amazed that no one came to look for them in the shelter! Most
are extremely receptive to attention, but new situations are
stressful, and this is why we suggest you read over this page
carefully to get some idea of what can happen and some
ideas of what might help the dog get adjusted sooner.
Please ask how long it took the dog
to adjust in the foster home.
This will give you a good indication of how long it may take them
to adjust in your home.
Adjustment periods can range from hours or
days to weeks or even months.Keep in mind the adjustment period
varies from dog to dog and situation to situation.
It could take longer or go more quickly than it did for the foster.
Adjustment behaviors and timeframes depend on
numerous variables
including the following (keep in mind this list is not
all-inclusive...every dog is a little different):
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The Dog's Temperament
- How it reacts to or interacts with humans and animals.
This has both a genetic and environmental aspect. Especially
important is how your new dog handles stress. |
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The Dog's Past
Experiences - We often do not have any details on a dog's
past. That past can range from loving to abusive to abandoned. |
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The
Experience Levels and Attitudes of the Human Family
- How you handle all aspects of a
dog's care, including his reactions to the upheaval in his
life, can affect the types and duration of his adjustment
related behaviors. |
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The Pack Dynamics of the Humans and Other Pets in the New
Home - This includes the animals in your home and how
the humans and animals interact with each other. |
Adjustment behaviors vary from dog to dog,
and are not always negative or
even noticeable at the time. In fact, for many dogs, you
will really not even perceive the change; rather, it will
gradually get more comfortable in it's new surrounding and it's
behavior will gradually change as a result.
So
what kind of things can you expect?
Chances are that for the first week or two, they will either be on
their very best behavior or will revert back to behaviors they
have prior to being with us.
Here's a short and not inclusive list. After
all, dogs are as individual as humans. For most any of
these, in a short time your dog will have started to feel more
comfortable and will show more of his normal self.
Symptoms of Stress
Often Seen During Adjustment Periods:
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Different Behavior Than at
Foster Home. Don't expect the dog to act
just like it did in it's foster home. Chances are it
was there for at least a week or two, and had already adapted
to that home and felt comfortable there. Ask the foster
family how long it took to get adjusted...and in about that
amount of time, you can expect to see that same dog again. |
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Attempts to
Escape. This dog has no formed any bond or loyalty
to you yet. Expect him to dart out any open door, jump
the fence, dig out, run away if let off-leash, etc. And
expect that if he DOES escape, he will keep going.
Here are some things to watch out for.
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The First Few Trips Outside in the Yard
- Go outside with the dog and observe it. If he doesn't
try to dig or jump, then go inside and watch through a
window. This way you can find out if he will attempt
escape from the secured yard. |
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Use Baby Gates or Barriers to Block Escape
Avenues - If you don't have a workable barrier
or your home design doesn't allow for this, be extra
cautious when going through outside doors. The first
few days, make sure the kids do not go out the doors
without you controlling the dog.
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Don't Allow the Dog Off-Leash in an
Unsecured Area - Remember...he will likely run
away. |
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Destructive
Behavior. A dog that is not normally destructive
when left unattended may be so at first in a new home.
This is because it is, to it, locked up in a strange place,
not home. It's important to carefully monitor
your dog and ensure that these do not become habits. See
the section on "Control and Monitor His Actions" below.
Crate Training will also come
in handy, and is something you can use in the future if you
take your dog to hotels or elsewhere! |
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More/Less Friendly and
Outgoing Than Normal.
Your dog may act somewhat more or less receptive to human
companionship than normal at first. It may
spend time in a specific room or in it's open crate to avoid
or limit contact with humans or other pets. Conversely,
some dogs under stress may be more friendly, even needy, as
they seek to be reassured.
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Nervous or Aggressive to
Other Animals. The dog may be nervous or
mildly aggressive with other pets as it seeks to find it's
spot in the pack. See
Pet Introductions for more info. |
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Refusal to Eat. The dog may refuse to eat
altogether. You may want to entice the dog with
something human or a bit of can on top of his dry food, but
it's not something to be concerned about for a couple of days.
If it persists into the 3rd day, please call/email the dog's
foster home, your adoption coordinator, or may refuse food or treats from some or all family members. |
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Nervous or Agitated. The dog may pace, whine, bark
or otherwise appear agitated or nervous. Let him
check out his new surroundings if that's what he wants to do.
If you prefer to limit the new surroundings by closing off
some rooms at first, your dog may feel a bit less overwhelmed.
Others will be insistent on getting on the other side of
closed doors. |
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Refusing to Play. The dog may not play as much
as normal with humans or other animals. Keep
attempts at play light-hearted. If the dog acts disinterested,
play with another pet to get it interested, or even play a
silly game of
keep-away by yourself in front of him. |
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"Elimination" Issues.
Your new dog may appear to have lost his housetraining.
This is normal. If so, see Control and Monitor His
Actions, below. |
Most of us dog lovers are NOT dog trainers.
Keep in mind that your family's interaction with the dog can cause
it to display behaviors that it may not have displayed in it's
previous home(s), including the foster home. So if the dog
always lived with someone who was very proficient at dog training
and behavior and you are not as well-informed on that subject, the
dog may begin to show behaviors aimed at trying to play leader of
the pack. Likewise, if the first family was the
less-informed one and you have trained dogs for years, you may not
see any of the negative behaviors a previous family may have
reported. In
addition, having dogs for years does not equate to being
well-informed on dog behavior and training issues. Many
people have owned dogs for years and have been very fortunate in
the individual dog(s) they owned. They may have never dealt
with a dog that needed a calm, firm hand to handle it's confident
and maybe even dominant temperament.
It's important to understand that
these issues are normal and to ask for help when you need it. Most of us are not provided
with training or teachings on how to interpret dog behavior and
handle dog training issues. We learn as we go along.
And if we have an easy dog, we may have had to learn much less
than a family who had Cujo or Marmaduke living with them.
Spending some time taking an obedience
class or two can really help to improve you and your dog's
relationship. Include the entire family if possible!
Helping your dog past the adjustment stage.
While there is no specific formula for determining how
each dog will behave during it's adjustment period or how long
that adjustment period will last, the good news is that there are
things you can do to help your dog adjust! So, what can you
do? Here's the way to start.
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Establish a Routine.
Routines can go a long
way towards creating comfort and trust for your dog.
While keeping with the same general timeline can help your dog
to catch on to routines even faster, the routine does not have
to be so much time specific (exact same time each day) as much
as issue specific. There is no need to feel you cannot
provide an adequate routine if your day to day life is
relatively "unstable" time-wise.
So if you feed twice a day, once
in the morning, once a night, always do so. And if one
day a week you walk in the morning, twice in the afternoon,
and all others in the evening, you are still giving the
routine of daily consistent walks. The same with play
and training time. |
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Provide Adequate Exercise. Walks
are very important right from the very
beginning. They serve to both relieve
stress and strengthen your bond as leader of your
dog. Dogs that have a clear leader to follow are not
only less stressed than those who feel they are not sure
where they are in the order of things, they are also less
likely to try and become the leader themselves.
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Exercise Needs to Involve YOU
- It is not enough to simply let the dog(s) in the yard to
play. Yes, they certainly may play quite actively
and get physical release that way, but a big part of
providing adequate exercise is that it gives you an
opportunity every day and in a pleasurable way to enforce
your leadership over your dog. |
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Exercise
Needs to Be of Adequate Duration
- When you walk your dog each day, make sure you are
doing so for a period of time that is adequate for your
dog given his level of health and activity. Contrary
to what many think, exercise is especially important for
those dogs with
certain joint ailments. Build up the length and
intensity of your walks/jogs gradually and with
consideration to the health of each dog. Consult
your veterinarian for specific details.
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Exercise
Needs to Be Controlled
- Remember that a big reason for these walks is to
work on your relationship, not just to get physical
exercise. YOU are in control of the walks...where
you go, the pace, when you stop, even when your dog
relieves itself. See
Being Pack Leader for
more info on this subject. |
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Control and Monitor His
Actions. It's important to carefully monitor
your dog the first few days (sometimes longer) and ensure that he does not develop negative habits
such as digging, chewing inappropriately, and various
housetraining accidents (soiling the home, dumpster diving,
counter surfing, etc.). However, do give the dog as much
free time as you can manage to watch him for so that he does
not feel isolated.
We
highly recommend crating the dog when you are unable to
monitor the dog's behavior. Please see
Crate Training for more
specific info on why this is a good idea and how to go about
it. Whether you crate train or not, allowing your dog
free roam of the house or yard immediately is risky to your
other pets and your home and yard itself.
As you begin to see the dog
doing well, you can begin to allow him some tests of "free
roam" for short times while home, gradually expanding the time
and eventually testing his behavior while you are gone.
Keep in mind that free roam unattended will also depend upon
what other pets you have in the home and how well they get
along. It can be dangerous to your pets to leave them
all free without someone there to intervene if things go
badly. See "Pet
Introductions" for some thoughts on the subject. |
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Don't Be Pushy About Being
Pals. If your dog is acting nervous
of attention or somewhat unfriendly, taking it easy the first
week...letting them come to YOU for attention...goes a long
way towards building trust. Don't push the dog into
accepting affection immediately.
This can make a huge difference in the dog's perception and
can greatly reduce their anxiety and stress level (and
yours!). This does not mean to have no interaction with
the dog, just don't try to force it to be overly friendly or
be petted.
Keep attempts at play
light-hearted. If the dog acts disinterested, play with
another pet to get it interested, or even play a silly game of
keep-away by yourself in front of him. |
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Be Your Dog's Leader
and enforce consistently that your dog is to be calm and
submissive (as in compliant, not afraid of). Dogs are
pack animals, and most are followers. Your dog will be
happier and more well-adjusted if you are a good leader so
that he can be the merry follower.
For specific info about why this
is important and some hints about how to accomplish this, see
Being Pack Leader. |
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Let the Dog
Explore. Let
him check out his new surroundings if that's what he wants to do.
If you prefer to limit the new surroundings by closing off
some rooms at first, your dog may feel a bit less overwhelmed.
Others will be insistent on getting on the other side of
closed doors. |
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Introduce the Dog to Your
Current Pack Slowly. Read "Introducing
New Dogs" for additional info on this important topic.
(that link is under construction...until it's up, read here). |
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