You’ve seen all the cute puppy photos — but perhaps you don’t fancy the pee-and-poo stage, the chewing and all those sleepless nights. Buying or adopting an adult dog can be a great alternative. And if you lead a quieter lifestyle, a golden oldie might be just what you’re looking for.
Sometimes there’s a reason a dog is being rehomed. Other times it’s absolutely through no fault of the dog. Either way, a little homework before you say yes can save heartache later. Here are five steps to help you choose wisely — and then help your new dog settle in and become part of the family.
1. Do your homework before you say yes
It’s easy to fall for a gorgeous face or a sad story, but try to choose with your head as well as your heart. Find out as much as you can about the dog’s history, health, temperament, energy levels and behaviour. Why is the dog being rehomed? What is it like with people, children, dogs and other animals? Does it bark, escape or guard food or possessions? Ask questions — and then ask a few more.
Just as importantly, find out about the life the dog is accustomed to living. A lovely, relaxed dog you meet in its current home may have always lived with another dog and rarely been alone. Or perhaps it belonged to a little old lady who was home almost all day. Bring that same dog home as your only dog, head off to work on Monday morning, and you may discover it can’t cope with being left — or that it barks for hours and introduces itself rather noisily to the neighbours.
Even with another dog at home, there will be times when they need to be separated for walks, training or vet visits. Has your prospective new arrival actually experienced being alone? Nobody necessarily concealed a problem from you. You may simply be the first person to put the dog in a situation where it appears.
If you have the choice, a trial period can be gold. Some rescue organisations allow dogs to go home on trial, while others offer foster-to-adopt programs. It lets you see how the dog actually fits into your household and lifestyle before making a permanent commitment — particularly valuable when you like a dog but know little about its background.
2. Remember that a new home can mean a different dog
However carefully you choose, there are no guarantees. Dogs don’t behave in a vacuum. Change the home, people, routine and canine company and behaviour can change too.
If you meet a dog in a kennel environment, you may not see the real dog at all. Some shut down and appear unusually quiet or withdrawn; others become frenetic, noisy or unable to settle. Back in a normal home, either may change remarkably quickly. Even a dog you meet in foster care or its previous home may behave differently once living with you.
That doesn’t mean somebody misled you. The dog you met was the dog you saw in that environment on that day. Give your new arrival time to show you who they are in yours.
3. Keep the first days simple
It’s tempting to celebrate your new arrival by introducing them to everyone you know. Resist the urge. There will be plenty of time for visitors, cafés, beaches, dog parks and the grand tour of Brisbane. Initially, let your dog explore, sleep, observe and learn about the people, animals and routines that will be part of everyday life.
Establish a sensible rhythm of meals, walks, toileting, play, training and rest. Don’t assume an unsettled dog needs to be exercised into the ground. Too much excitement can produce an overstimulated dog who finds it even harder to switch off. One of CLEAR’s favourite early exercises is wonderfully unexciting: teaching a dog to settle quietly on lead at your feet.
Start building the relationship too. Play together. Reward your dog for checking in, settling quietly or making a good choice. Don’t expect perfect obedience from a dog who barely knows you. The relationship is the petrol in the tank. Without it, everything else is harder.
4. Start as you mean to go on — but don’t be a nag
Dogs have settling-in periods, but humans have honeymoon periods too. At first, the dog following you everywhere can seem rather sweet. Jumping onto you whenever you sit down feels affectionate. Even the 5am wake-up can be forgiven because the poor darling is still settling in. Three weeks later, you may feel rather differently.
Think about what you want normal life to look like. You don’t need dozens of rules, but don’t encourage something today that will drive you mad next month. If your dog will eventually need to stay home alone, start building independence early. Baby gates can help them learn to relax away from you while you’re still home, with actual alone time introduced gradually. A camera can tell you how they’re coping once you leave.
And manage more, nag less. If your dog raids the kitchen bench, restrict access while you work on training. If they charge the front door, use a barrier. If they steal the children’s toys, don’t leave a treasure trove scattered across the floor and then blame the dog for helping themselves. Management prevents unwanted behaviour being practised while you teach them what you want instead.
5. Train the dog you actually brought home
By now, you’re discovering who your new dog really is. Perhaps they pull on lead, bark at other dogs, guard possessions or arrive with habits nobody warned you about. Don’t catastrophise, but don’t ignore a significant problem and hope it will magically disappear either. Manage the situation and seek professional help early for serious fear, aggression, resource guarding or separation distress.
At the same time, look for opportunities to say yes. Life with a new dog can quickly become an endless stream of no, leave it, get down and stop. Notice your dog lying quietly while you eat dinner. Reward four feet on the ground instead of waiting for them to jump. Reinforce the behaviours you want, make training enjoyable and give your dog reasons to want to listen to you.
Most importantly, stop comparing the dog in front of you with the one who existed in your imagination. Six months from now, you may barely recognise the dog who first walked through your door — or you may still be working on some of the things that arrived with them.
You didn’t bring home a finished product. You brought home a dog. Get to know that dog, give them time to get to know you, and build your new life together from there.
