Monday, March 3, 2014

Helping Your Rescue Dog Become Part Of The Family

By Garrett McMahan


Sadly millions of dogs in the United States end up in shelters, hoping and waiting to be adopted. If you are thinking about rescuing one of these much-deserving animals, this is a great way add a fantastic dog to your family unit. While these dogs make excellent companions, there typically is an adjustment period before they are truly comfortable with their new family. Here are some tips that can help make this new friend feel at home more quickly.

While your rescue dog might be a perfectly happy, healthy animal that has been well cared for by a foster parent or a quality shelter, often these dogs need a bit of help right from the start. A gentle grooming, a good teeth cleaning and a visit to your veterinarian can be good first steps to assess any problems. Remember that rescue dogs often are very shy or even scared, so being patient is important. While some rescue dogs are housebroken, others are not, so you might have to spend a few weeks or more helping them with the housebreaking process. Fortunately, it is generally easier to housebreak these older dogs than a puppy.

Keep in mind that this is not just a big transition for your family, it is also a huge transition for this special dog. While moving into a loving home is a wonderful thing, your new dog probably will be experiencing a great deal of stress. You need to be patient and loving and not expect them to jump in your lap and cuddle right away. Obviously, some dogs certainly do, but many need a few days to gain some confidence about their new surroundings. After all, some of these dogs have been mistreated and some have lived in many homes only to be taken away again and again.

While you might think of obedience training as too scary for a new rescue dog, this is actually a fantastic way to bond with your new pet. After all, your dog is a bit unsure about what you expect from them as far as behavior is concerned. What better way to show them than through patient, consistent obedience training? In addition to basic skills, this training can eliminate nuisance behavior such as jumping up on guests, barking inappropriately and chewing on your belongings. Well-trained dogs are happier than untrained dogs because their owners are happy with them, and for a dog, nothing makes them happier than being praised and loved.

Obedience training takes time, but that's a good thing because it provides you and your dog with some quality time together. Dogs love nothing more than spending time with their people, so even if the time is spent learn obedience skills, this is still attention. The dog's owner also gains valuable insight into the personality of their new dog, and after you have trained your dog, they will be safer and well behaved enough to take almost anywhere. When searching for a dog training program, remember that training takes time, so be skeptical about any system that claims that your dog will be trained in just a few days.

Consider opting for a trusted program such as The Dog's Way, which is a DVD dog training program that teaches many basic skills including walking on a loose leash, sitting, staying, coming when called, staying quiet and understanding boundaries. In addition, these dog training videos with help you learn how to train a dog and keep them from barking at inappropriate times, chewing up your personal items and furnishings and jumping up on your guests, as well as a few other nuisance behaviors. In addition, with dog training DVDS, you have all the convenience of dog home training, which means you easily can fit training into your schedule.




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