21/09/2026
What’s the first thing we do when we bring our rescue dog home ?
Show them they are loved, make everything better for them, ‘make up’ for the trauma they have had, the weeks, months or years in rescue are behind them now and life is rosey!
We introduce them to our family, to ‘Nanny’, to our friends. We take them to the pub, to the park, introduce them to group walks with others of their kind (Dachshunds especially).
What we really should be doing is the opposite!
We should make their life smaller, restrict access to areas within the home because we know that many rescues, especially those from overseas, cannot cope with the entire run of the home.
We bring in routine, set walks and set mealtimes. Routine delivers security and certainty.
Foundations in place first, build slowly, understand our dog and teach our rules.
We wait for anxious dogs to come to us.
We put in calming protocols for dogs who cannot settle.
We build the bond.
We train when our dog is capable of learning.
We commit above all else.
If you are struggling with your rescue dog give me a call.
Even better contact me before you bring your rescue dog home and I can help you get it right from the off.
https://www.caninecarebehaviour.co.uk/