Rescuing a dog? First of all, let me congratulate you on your new arrival and thank you for offering a secure home to a deserving dog. Rescue dogs are rewarding companions and they can teach you a lot about life and love.
In my dog training I’ve met some wonderful rescue dogs and their owners and I’ve enjoyed working with every one of them. It’s a real joy to see a dog from a difficult background find his confidence and start to flourish. In this article I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve picked up along the way – things that will hopefully help your rescue dog to feel safe and enjoy his life with you.
The journey home
Bringing your rescue dog home for the first time is incredibly exciting. You’ll probably want to cuddle him for the whole of the journey. There are a couple of things to consider though
The first walk
You will probably have had a few familiarisation walks with your rescue buddy while he was in his foster home or kennels. However he probably hasn’t told you yet what he does and doesn’t like. And if he has, he might have changed his mind since he came to live with you.
The first walk needs to be short, full of interesting smells (for him, not you) and he needs to be kept on the lead until you are 100% sure of his recall.
Monitor his reactions carefully. Does he shy away from traffic? Lunge at bicycles, change his body language when he sees another dog? Pull on the lead? Ignore you? Any potential problems need to be addressed as soon as possible, preferably with the help of an experienced dog trainer.
Socialisation
In doggy terms, socialisation is all about being able to cope with his environment and everything in it. If your dog is well mannered, confident and a pleasure to be with, you’ll have a fabulous life together. That’s the goal of nearly every dog owner I’ve ever met and it’s achieved through socialisation. Introducing your dog to new experiences gradually so that he knows there is nothing to be feared.
With a rescue dog, he may already have had bad experiences of socialisation so your job is to help him overcome his fears. If that sounds daunting – a qualified dog trainer like myself can help. There’s more to dog training than just “sit” “stay” and “heel”!
Training your rescue dog
Dog training gives your dog the mental stimulation he needs to thrive. It also helps to build the bond between the dog and his human companions. At the very least you should be able to trust him to come to you when he’s called, walk nicely on a loose lead, be polite to people and dogs and relax between games and training. If he’s intelligent he’ll enjoy learning tricks and you’ll enjoy showing his new found skills off to your friends and family.
Premier Dog Training offers a range of services to rescue dogs and their owners. Including
To find out how we can help you and your rescue dog, visit our website or contact Sean for an informal chat.