Congratulations on adopting & Saving a life!
A guide for adopting a rescue pooch
Before you bring your new pooch home, please ensure you have considered:
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Where will the dog sleep?
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Is the dog permitted on couches and beds?
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Who is feeding the dog?
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Who is walking the dog?
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Unexpected costs may occur - am I prepared for vet bills?
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Unexpected behaviours may occur - which trainers and vets should I use?
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What happens if my circumstances change - who will care for the animal?
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Ensure you you have a ID tag for your dog.
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Register your dog with your local council.
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Get Pet insurance - We recommend Fetch!
Bringing your BFF home
Research shows us that when a dog has a change, the stress hormone cortisol is pumping through their brains.
When dogs are stressed they may show different behaviours than when relaxed and happy. This may be panting, pacing, chewing, barking, jumping, etc.
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The first few days & weeks your new friend will be decompressing.
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It's important to understand as they feel more comfortable and safe their behaviour will change. Even though they may appear confident, follow the 3-3-3 rule to see how they decompress with the change.
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3 Days: Your dog may feel overwhelmed and may not act like themselves.
3 Weeks: They start to settle in, understanding your routine.
3 Months: They feel comfortable and secure in their new home.
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Please be empathetic for your new bestie as they settle in.
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Body Language ​
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The best way to understand your pooch is to be empathetic!
If you are left alone all day with nothing to do except a ball and no one to throw it, it would make anyone bored, confused, destructive, sad, and more.
If you haven't already heard of canine enrichment, it's a great way to get your pooches brain & body moving.
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Pat Consent
Just because your dog can't talk doesn't mean they don't communicate in other ways. One very important thing they may be communicating to you is how comfortable they feel with pats and interaction. It's always a good idea to check for consent from your pet before engaging with them.
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Fun Fact!
A dog wagging it’s tail, doesn’t mean it’s happy! Dogs can wag their tails with interactions, stressed, over aroused behaviours and happy behaviours.
Going for Walks
Walks are a great way to gain trust and bond with your dog, but we recommend no walks first 48 hours at a minimum, this will give them time to decompress and become more familiar with you and their new surroundings before being exposed to more new stimuli.
Don’t let your dog off leash for at least the first 4 weeks.
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Fun Fact!
It's a myth that dogs need to have socialisation from other dogs. Dogs can get socialisation from other dogs, but they can also get this from playing with humans, watching other humans or dogs, or other animals. It's important to play and socialise with your dogs in your home.
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Visitors
Please limit the number of visitors in the first few days. We know everyone wants to meet your newest family member, but your dog needs time to settle and to bond with your family before being introduced to too many others. They may be exhausted from the stress of it all and be happy to lay down and sleep for a while, so please keep excitement to a minimum.
Kids
Every one of our rescue dogs have been temperament tested, however no child should ever be left alone with any dog for any reason. It is vital that you supervise your children’s play with your new dog, making sure that each child respects the dog and gives them their required space. Some dogs are very powerful and can easily injure a child without intent.
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Keep your dog on-lead for initial introductions and, using food, keep your dog in a calm sit, with the children ignoring the dog. If they are overbearing they could frighten the dog.
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Let them play as normal while the dog has a chance to observe them. You will need to teach both children and your dog to be respectful of each other.
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Make sure your children understand that your dog should never be approached or bothered when in their bed, and particularly when sleeping. They should also be taught not to go near them at meal times or to try to take toys out of their mouth.
Feeding
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Dogs have stomachs like humans and will get hungry every 8-9 hours, so they require a meal in the morning & evening. We recommend high quality food found at Vets & Pet Shops like Royal Canin & Hills brands.
If you got fed the same meal daily in a bowl, I bet it could be pretty boring! We recommend enrichment feeding your dog.
Behaviours like sniffing, chewing, fetching, digging & licking are incredibly satisfying for your dog. This is what we mean by enrichment.
Dogs need exercise to stay physically healthy, they also need mental stimulation to avoid boredom.
Dog enrichment should be enjoyed by every dog, but it is especially useful for those who are showing behavioural issues such as separation anxiety, destructive behaviour or excessive barking. There are many types of enrichment that can be used to improve your dog’s health and happiness; Sensory, Social, Nutritional, and Behavioural. You will find that some activities fall into more than one category.
Sleeping
Making a safe comfortable, quiet space for your pooch is important.
We recommend that if you allow the animal on beds, couches, that the animal can go where comfortable. Our only rule is that if the dog is allowed on a couch/bed/place, they are either always allowed or never, animals will not understand the ‘sometimes’.
Dog Proofing Your Home
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Similar to puppy-proofing, pick up any sharp objects and choking hazards like paper clips, bottle caps, staples, nails, pins, needles, yarn and rubber bands. Then get down on the floor at a dog’s level, and look again.
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Put cleaning products and medications on high shelves or in cabinets with child-proof locks.
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Store human food in closed pantries and cabinets.
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Cover cords and wires or move them out of reach.
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Look for and block any small spaces that your foster dog might try to hide in.
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Either secure or put away any breakable objects that are valuable.
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Move houseplants out of reach.
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Keep washing machines and dryers closed, and block access to the space behind.
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If you’re getting a small breed or puppy, make sure that the toilet lid is always down.​
Training
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It's a myth an old dog can't learn new tricks! Training and support is great for all dogs, at any stage in their life. ​
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We are a force free animal rescue which means we don't use any training methods such as slip leads, prong collars, choke collars, yelling at dogs - or anything that evokes fear or pain in the dog. Animal Training is unregulated in Australia so any trainers you use, it's important they are a certified trainer. We recommend finding one on the Pet Professionals Guild Australia Database or the Fear Free database.
We recommended finding a fear free certified trainer. Being Fear Free certified means they only use the most up to date, science based methods of training. You can find one close to you on the database.
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We recommend this awesome dog body language book! By Lili Chin.
Introducing Animals
​Introducing animals can be stressful and animals may behave different when they are stressed - like when moving to a new home.
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Tips for introducing animals safely:
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It's important to introduce animals safely by having multiple people support the animals.
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Separate animals as needed
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Have dogs on a parallel walk
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Follow an introducing guide
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Remove toys and food
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Feed animals separately
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Monitor new animals together for the first week
Any problems?
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If you are experiencing any problems, please contact us as soon as possible - we are here to help!
We will support you with our team of experts, please contact your adoption coordinator and the rescue via contact@humaneanimalrescueaus.org