I do a lot of behaviour modification for people a short time after they have brought a new dog into their life and home.
During this Covid period I have met with a lot of pups and new guardians and I’m pleased to say a number of people have decided to bring a rescue dog into their world.
It’s always a really exciting time for all guardians and it’s also a time when within a few weeks reality sets in for the guardians.
On top of that any dog coming into a new home will take a bit of time to relax and get to know their new environment and as they start to hopefully relax their personalities will often come out.
It can also be a time for a dog, especially a rescue dog, when they may start to display behaviours not seen before. This could be wariness, resource guarding, separation anxiety and really any type of behavior that we ourselves might experience if we were dropped into a new world with no understanding of what & why we are there.
So, I am a big advocate of appreciating the reality that every dog is an individual and even those that look the same (or even from the same litter) the reality of their life experiences (or nurture) will make every single dog an individual…just like us humans 🙂
I do have some guiding principles that I follow and discuss with my clients to help that early transition period, and I’ve shared below.
My principles
- If it is a young dog, remember they are very much still pups. So I would always advise managing your own expectations in terms of her reactions and attention span from them
- Even if you feel frustrated with her, take a deep breath and do not show it. She will be very able to pick up on frustrated tone of voice and body language and be confused at best, scared at worst
- If it goes a bit wrong in a situation just move on from the situation and do not worry about it, every experience is a learning one with your new dog
- Tone of voice and body language is how they will understand you. If you can think ‘calm and confident leader’ in your voice and body language, it will make it natural for her to trust you
- Communication is two-way, watch your dogs and you will see the many signs by body language and bark as to what they are actually telling you
- With young kids you must observe and call time out if you see your dog showing any signs she has had enough (lip licking, head turn away, baring teeth and growling). Its part of your new leadership role.
- Your dog’s personal ‘safe space’ is very particular to them. As with us humans respect her space and make sure anyone who meets her knows to do the same!
Finally, you will quickly know your dog better than anyone else knows her, so trust your observations & experience when living with her.
These principles are very much a mindset to get into with your dog and you will of course adapt & learn as the relationship grows, keep an open mind.
If you would like to discuss any behavioural changes or issues you have with your dog I’d be happy to have a chat to understand the problems better.
Please get in touch
