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THE RESCUE
DOG
GENERAL
It is important to remember that there are many reasons why dogs end up
in rescue; marriage breakdowns, deaths, straying, getting dumped. There are
of course ‘problem dogs’ but even these are often the result of
poor training and treatment and become reformed characters in the right
hands.
First Steps
The section ‘Choosing a Rescue’ gives you some tips on what to ask
the rescue kennels but in general find out everything you possibly can about
the dog and its background. If you have chosen a dog which has been
beaten you will need to be careful about not thrusting your hand out too
quickly . Even the gesture of throwing a ball or toy can look too much like
a threatened hit and upset some dogs. If your dog was dumped somewhere, maybe
thrown out of a car he may not want to get into a car in case it happens
again. He may even blame cars and attack them!
A great many puppies lose their homes when they get to the chewing stage.
Lots of them get passed on repeatedly as they are still chewing and then
the chewing gets worse as they become more insecure. If you get a chewer,
invest in a good sized crate or pen. You can gradually accustom your dog
to it and safely leave the house knowing it will still be there when you
return. Do not make the mistake of thinking that because someone is home
most of the day your dog will not chew as badly as it did before-you cannot
be with it 24 hours a day and most damage is caused within the first 15 minutes
of being left alone. If a kennels tell you a dog is a bad chewer- believe
them!
Settling In
Although you may be bringing home an animal with a very sad or tragic background,
try not to overdo the sympathy. Whatever your house rules are, stick to them
from the very beginning. You will make the dog very insecure if he can get
on the sofa for the first few days and then suddenly he can’t. Do not
overfeed him or give him scraps from the table, then expect him to stop when
he becomes a nuisance. Many owners bringing home a sad, thin little rescue
dog, pamper him and when he is pestering for food whilst you are eating,
feel sorry for him and toss him scraps. Do not do this. Apart from the problems
of teaching bad habits and having a rule and then changing it, if your dog
is a bit thin, you can make him very ill if you feed him too much thinking
it will fatten him up.
It is vitally important for your dog that you create a firm routine from
day one so that he knows very quickly what is expected of him. He will feel
much better if everything is just the same every day.
Behaviour
Although there is of course a settling in period for any dog, you should
always be aware of any developing problems. A new dog can take anything from
a day to four months to show its true colours, depending on the breed, background
and personality. If you overdo the sympathy at the beginning your dog can
become a dangerous problem as his confidence grows if he is quite dominant
by nature.
Watch out for any developing disobedience, growling or suddenly refusing
to give up toys or bones and chews. Dogs should never be allowed to grumble
at you just because he is eating or chewing a bone, this is dangerous dominant
behaviour.
If you have any doubts, ever, no matter how trivial you may think, get
a professional opinion and advice. Even very dominant dogs can usually be
helped to become sensible family pets. Problems are best nipped in the bud
before the dog bites someone.
Do not let your new dog off the lead for at least 5 weeks.
Initially most dogs are very dependent and follow you around without
much trouble. Once the dog has sussed out the pack you can find it
suddenly does a runner! Don't get complacent!
House training
Some dogs do seem to ‘forget’ their house training when they have
been in kennels for a while. Keep a beady eye on them for the first few days.
If you have any problems, adopt the same rules you would for puppies:- Take
them out immediately after eating, sleeping and every hour or so in
between. Do not punish a dog for any mess you find after he
has done it! See the section on house training for details.
Enjoy your dog
Taking on a rescue dog and seeing it grow and develop confidence is a wonderful
thing. Involve the whole family in helping your dog to settle and be happy.
Make sure that nobody is undoing your good work-letting him in the sofa whilst
you are out for example.
You should of course always offer your dog plenty of praise and encouragement
when he gets things right, play with him and exercise him regularly. Most
important of all:- train him!
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