We're contacted by a whole range of people interested in rehoming a dog, and many of these are first time dog owners. Some pups can be unsuitable for those who haven't experienced dog ownership before, but even old hands can have challenges when bringing a rescue dog home.
Still, whether you're taking a puppy or an older dog home, the basic common sense approach still applies. The first thing you need to do is research the breed characteristics thoroughly, and stock your house with food, bowls, beds and toys ready for your new arrival. If your centre knows its stuff, as ours do, you'll be given as much background and information as we have on the individual personality of the dog you're taking home.
Of course, there are tips that other owners can give you based on their experiences. I spent some time on the DoggySnaps forum, asking our 37,000+ users what they did to ensure their new dog felt safe, welcome and happy when settling into his forever home.
Being an honest bunch, they gave a whole range of suggestions which you can read about here, admitting to mistakes and problems. What shone through was the care and consideration which they'd given to their choice of dog, and how much effort they were willing to go to to let this new dependent in their lives know that she was home for good.
Rehoming is a truly amazing gift to a dog, and it can be the best present you ever give yourself. Many of our friends write to us telling us how taking home their dog was the best thing they've ever done. The health benefits or dog ownership are well-known, which is why we want to do what we can to help people understand that their lives will be transformed, so they must be ready for it.
Don't forget that even if you've rehomed privately or from another charity, Dogs Trust will still do whatever we can to give you the advice and support you need.
1 comment:
Hiya! we adopted PeggySue last year, she was currently homed with another dog but they had to be rehomed seperately (DogsTrust advice)as she was a bit withdrawn. We thought that she would pine a lot after the seperation from the other dog but with plenty of love and attention she settled perfectly! Her 1st night with us was lovley, she slept all night, but the 2nd night she howled a bit. We contacted DogsTrust for advice and was told that she was just wondering where everyone had gone in the night. We made sure that, although she was howling, we did not go to her. It was heartbreaking! but within a couple of days she realised that she had not been abandoned! we were always there to see her first thing in the morning to praise her if she had a good night! When we brought Peggy home from DogsTrust we made sure that she was comfortable and her sleeping arrangements were very similar to hers in DogsTrust. As she is a large dog, she did not have a dog basket, she had a big duvet cover, which of course we made sure she had when we introduced her to her new home. For the 1st couple of weeks she was only introduced to immediate family so that she knew who would always be at home with her. This helped her settle very quickly as there was less confusion and Peggy built strong bonds with us all! If you do have any problems contact DogsTrust and they will gladly try to help. They want all dogs to settle gently and quickly, just as the new parent/owner/family does!
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