How to Teach a Rescue Dog to Love Again

Imagine you’re a dog that has been surrendered, and upon waking up, only to find that everything in your world is different. Around you, others are screaming and crying. Now imagine you’re a stray, found on the streets never knowing where your next meal may be or maybe you spent most of your days chained up and unloved. On good days, a stranger comes to visit and take you for a walk. The rest of the time, there is nothing to do but sleep and wait. Then, it all changes again. A new family. A new home. All new smells. It’s no wonder that bonding with rescue dogs is a slow, tedious process that requires patience.

The First Steps to Bonding With a Rescue Dog

Dogs are trusting by nature but that trust has limits. The more a dog is subject to abandonment, the more anxiety-ridden they’re likely to be. While we may not always know the specific circumstances that led a dog to feel unsafe in the world, rebuilding trust is possible.

Give your new dog space

One of the larger mistakes people make with fearful dogs is paying them too much attention too quickly. For most dogs with severe anxiety or trust issues, you are part of the landscape of scary stuff they’ve been thrust into.

The absolute best thing you can do for an emotionally fragile dog is to give them space. Bonding with a rescue dog is all about going slow. Don’t force your dog to sit with you on the couch or sleep with you in the bed. Do offer them a comfortable alternative (like a dog bed) that is theirs alone, somewhere within eyesight but just out of reach.

Let your dog guide your interactions

Instead of approaching your dog to give them attention, let your dog come to you when they’re feeling comfortable.

A few other tips for bonding with a rescue dog at a pace they can handle:

• Stay away from petting sensitive areas like their head, ears, tail, and paws.

• Choose to pet areas like your dog’s side or back.

• Never hover, bend over your dog or attempt to hug them close to your body. These actions can make a frightened dog feel trapped and lead to increased anxiety and even a bite.

• Never allow someone unfamiliar to approach and pet your dog unless your dog is soliciting attention from them.

Try classical conditioning

If your pet is skittish when you move around, classical conditioning and desensitization techniques can help your pet feel more secure about being in your presence. Your objective is to merely deliver an amazing, delicious treat.

Here’s how to do it:

1. With a chunk of high-value food (chicken, cheese, hot dogs, etc.) or a yummy chew like a pig’s ear or bully stick, walk towards your dog.

2. Drop the object close by, then continue walking away.

3. You can speak to your dog in pleasing, soothing tones, but don’t stop to pet them.

4. Repeat this daily (or multiple times a day) until you see your dog start to perk up a bit when you approach.

5. Next time you drop the food, instead of walking away, hang out nearby.

6. You can talk to your dog in soothing tones but don’t interfere with your dog’s eating. (NEVER take away a food object from a fearful dog.)

7. Repeat until your dog is able to comfortably eat their treat with you nearby.

Over time, and with repetition, your dog learns that being near you is a positive experience, and they’ll start to relax. A calm dog is more open to bonding with you.

Avoid hand-delivered treats in the beginning

Sure, bonding with a rescue dog involves treats—but it’s unwise to make a fearful dog take food from your hand. Some dogs may be willing to get closer than they’re comfortable with in order to get high-value food, but by pushing them beyond their stress threshold, they’re unlikely to make long-term improvements.

Here’s how to work your way toward hand-fed treats:

• Instead of giving your dog a treat from your hand, toss it a few feet away from you.

• Repeat regularly until your dog is comfortable within a few feet of you and is happy to hang out there.

• Decrease the distance you throw the treat.

• Watch your dog’s body language to see if they’re able to take the treat from the new location while remaining relaxed. If so, repeat until they’re regularly approaching without signs of anxiety.

• Continue to shorten the distance slowly until, eventually, you offer the treat from your hand.

• If your dog darts in to grab the treat then darts away, you will know you are pushing them too fast.

Limit scary experiences on walks

To help a dog feel safe and confident in the world, they shouldn’t be placed in frightening situations. Remember that scary is relative. You may not think a rumbling truck or a busy street is scary, but your dog might.

To give your dog the best chance of building confidence outdoors, begin by walking them in the quietest place you can think of, preferably away from roads. Gradually over time (weeks or months, not days) shift your walks to busier and noisier locations. For example, your next location could be a quiet residential street.

Be sure to walk armed with plenty of high-value treats, which you can give your dog immediately after anything loud or unexpected happens. For example, if a skateboarder zooms by, immediately pull out a handful of treats and deliver them to your dog’s mouth one after another until your hand is empty. If your dog is uncomfortable taking treats from your hand, drop the handful on the ground beneath them.

Use games to build confidence

Bonding with a rescue dog that doesn’t trust the world requires confidence building. Games are a great way to start.

If your dog is uncomfortable being approached or eating food from your hand, try some extremely simple shaping exercises. Shaping is like a game of hot-and-cold where your dog is rewarded for moving closer to the goal.

How to play a shaping game

• Decide what you want your dog to do. Stick to easy tasks like walking to the dog bed or touching a toy with their nose or paw.

• Throw your dog a treat each time they look at the destination you’ve chosen for them.

• Next, throw them a treat for shifting or inching closer to it. If your dog moves away, don’t reward.

• Finally, when they accomplish the goal, jackpot them by throwing a handful of treats.

Practice your training exercises in short bursts of a few minutes at a time and make sure your dog is successful. If they’re struggling with a cue, they may not be ready for it. Be patient and always end on a win.

Help them make other dog friends

When you’re dealing with a dog with trust issues, it can be easy to forget that they’re still a dog. Many dogs that don’t trust humans are comfortable with their own kind.

Give your pup the opportunity to socialize with other dogs to help relieve stress and build their confidence in different environments. Busy enclosed dog parks aren’t always the best option for a fearful dog, as they can be noisy, chaotic, and overwhelming.

For best results, create opportunities where they can interact with one or two pets at a time, or where they have enough space to encounter other dogs without feeling pressured to interact, like a dog-friendly recreation area.

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered straight to your e-mail inbox.

Related Categories:

dog health, client care

Tips For Bringing Home a New Rescue Dog

Bringing home a shelter dog that you adopt may be a rescued stray or a dog that someone has voluntarily surrendered for adoption. Once a stray, a rescued canine is a special animal that needs time and space, patience, and understanding.

The first few days in your home are special and critical for a pet. Your new dog will be confused about where they are and what to expect from you. Setting up some clear structure with your family for your dog will be paramount in making as smooth a transition as possible.

Bringing a pup home, they need more than just a bed and a food bowl to thrive. They also need constant care and attention. While a pup's first night at home may require a lot of work initially, it’s well worth the effort down the road. Establishing good habits in those first weeks will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of happiness for you and your dog. Remember, you have a responsibility to help your pup grow into a happy and healthy dog. Here are some tips to help first-time dog owners get started:

Before You Bring Your Dog Home

• Determine where your dog will be spending most of their time. Because your new dog will be under a lot of stress with the change of environment (from a shelter or foster home to your house), they may forget any housebreaking (if any) they've learned. Often a kitchen or tiled-space will work best for easy clean-up.

• If you plan on crate training your dog, be sure to have a crate set up and ready to go for when you bring your new dog home.

• Dog-proof the area where your dog will spend most of their time during the first few months. This may mean taping loose electrical cords to baseboards; storing household chemicals on high shelves; removing plants, rugs, and breakables; setting up the crate, and installing baby gates.

• Training your dog will start the first moment you have them. Take time to create a vocabulary list everyone will use when giving your dog directions. This will help prevent confusion and help your dog learn their commands more quickly and easily.

• Bring an ID tag with your phone number on it with you when you pick up your dog so that they have an extra measure of safety for the ride home and the first few uneasy days. If your pet is microchipped, be sure to register your contact information with the chip’s company, if the rescue or shelter did not already do so.

The First Few Days

• We know moving is stressful — and your new dog feels the same way! Give them time to acclimate to your home and family before introducing them to strangers. Make sure children know how to approach the dog without overwhelming them.

• When you pick up your dog, remember to ask what and when they were fed. Replicate that schedule for at least the first few days to avoid gastric distress. If you wish to switch to a different brand, do so over a period of about a week by adding one part new food to three parts of the old for several days; then switch to half new food, half old, and then one part old to three parts new.

• On the way home, your dog should be safely secured, preferably in a crate. Some dogs find car trips stressful, so having them in a safe place will make the trip home easier for them and you.

• Once home, take them to their toileting area immediately and spend a good amount of time with them so they will get used to the area and relieve themselves. Even if your dog does relieve themselves during this time, be prepared for accidents. Coming into a new home with new people, new smells and new sounds can throw even the most housebroken dog off-track, so be ready just in case.

• From there, start your schedule of feeding, toileting, and play/exercise. From Day One, your dog will need family time and brief periods of solitary confinement. Don’t give in and comfort them if they whine when left alone. Instead, give them attention for good behavior, such as chewing on a toy or resting quietly.

• For the first few days, remain calm and quiet around your dog, limiting too much excitement (such as the dog park or neighborhood children). Not only will this allow your dog to settle in easier, but it will also give you more one-on-one time to get to know them and their likes/dislikes.

• If your rescue came from another home, objects like leashes, hands, rolled-up newspapers and magazines, feet, chairs, and sticks are just some of the pieces of “training equipment” that may have been used on this dog. Words like “come here” and “lie down” may bring forth a reaction other than the one you expect. Or maybe they led a sheltered life and was never socialized to children or sidewalk activity. This dog may be the product of a never-ending series of scrambled communications and unreal expectations that will require patience on your part.

• Keep your pup off balconies, elevated porches, and decks. Keep all cleaning supplies, detergents, bleach, and other chemicals and medicines out of the pup's reach, preferably on high shelves. Remove poisonous houseplants, such as amaryllis, mistletoe, holly, or poinsettia, or keep them in hanging baskets up high, where your puppy cannot reach them.

• Keep toilet lids closed, unplug electrical cords and remove them from the floor, and keep plastic bags and ribbons out of your pup's reach.

In The Following Weeks:

• People often say they don’t see their dog’s true personality until several weeks after adoption. Your dog may be a bit uneasy at first as they get to know you. Be patient and understanding while also keeping to the schedule you intend to maintain for feeding, walks, etc. This schedule will show your dog what is expected of them as well as what they can expect from you.

• After discussing it with your veterinarian to ensure your dog has all the necessary vaccines, you may wish to take your dog to group training classes or the dog park. Pay close attention to your dog’s body language to be sure they are having a good time and is not fearful (or a dog park bully).

• To have a long and happy life together with your dog, stick to the original schedule you created, ensuring your dog always has the food, potty time, and attention they need. You’ll be bonded in no time.

• If you encounter behavior issues you are unfamiliar with, ask your veterinarian for a trainer recommendation. Select a trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques to help you and your dog overcome these behavior obstacles.

• Bring your dog to the veterinarian for regular checkups. Talk to your veterinarian about any signs of illness that you should watch out for during your pup's first few months, especially if they are under a year old.

• Ensure your dog receives proper nutrition. Just like a child, your dog also needs complete and balanced nutrition to help them grow properly. In fact, the first year of your pet's life is critical in ensuring the proper growth of their bones, teeth, muscles, and fur. As a growing animal, they will require more calories than an adult dog. Speak with your veterinarian for the best feeding schedule and diet and nutrition for your pet. Never feed your dog bones, table scraps, or big snacks in between meals.

Related Topics:

• Tips for Involving Your Kids With Dog Training

• How to stop your dog from destructive chewing

• How to train your dog to walk on a loose leash

• Before You Adopt: Good Signs of Health

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered straight to your e-mail inbox.

Related Categories:

dog health

Local Vet Dr. Mike Bonda Aids Last Chance Animal Sanctuary

Last Chance Animal Sanctuary is a local charity located in Bradenton, Florida. They provide love and care to kitties in need as they live the remainder of their lives at the sanctuary.

All cats/kittens are tested for feline leukemia, aids, heartworm, dewormed, flea treated, microchipped, receive their FVRCP and rabies vaccines, and are spayed/neutered. Many of the rescued cats require additional medical attention. That is where River Landings Animal Clinic veterinarian Dr. Michael Bonda comes in,

“I became involved with last chance through my client, Linda Litke, who is one of the volunteers and the main person involved with medical decisions on their cats when a medical concern arises.” 

Having been involved with Last Chance Animal Sanctuary for eight years, he has dedicated almost a decade to the cause and care of these felines. 

“The best part of working with last chance is being able to help with medical treatment and surgeries on the rescue and shelter cats that would not be able to have veterinary care elsewhere due to high costs and not being an owned pet.”

As you can guess, medical expenses and general everyday care add up. You can provide monetary donations towards any veterinary bills the shelter has with River Landing Animal Clinic. You may also donate any needed supplies from the shelter’s Amazon wish list.

For more ways, you can get involved just as our very own Dr. Bonda has— from adoption to volunteering— head on over to Last Chance Anima Sanctuary’s website!

---

Hear From Us Again

Don't forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for more recipes, articles, and clinic updates delivered to your inbox (here). Or, you can keep up to date by liking and following our Facebook page (here). We also have additional helpful articles under our tips category (here).