Gary_and_Karen Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 We lost our beloved Angel of 15 years about a week ago, and we are looking to get a new female border collie or border collie mix from a rescue or shelter and it's been about 15 years since we got a new dog so I want to be sure to do everything just right so our new dog will feel at ease with us asap. We are hoping to preferrably get one that is about from 5 months to one year old, but will consider younger or older up to about 2 years old. What are the most important things to remember for the very first day she comes home ? What things over the first week or so ? I know part of the tips may depend on the age and if the dog has been housetrained yet, so please advise for both possibilities - a very young dog still needing housetraining, as well as things to remember for an older dog 1 - 2 years old that has to adjust to a new home after living elsewhere the first year or two. Thanks in advance for any help - we want to help our (hopefully soon) new family member feel at home and at ease with us asap. (note: this dog will not be used as a herding dog, but as part of our family as a companion, but we will be sure she gets her exercise, we live in a semi-rural area with about 1 1/2 acres of yard with a forest on one side) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rufftie Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 sorry to hear of the passing of your beloved. good luck in your search for a new friend. i'm sure others will give great advice. in my experience, i've found it takes anywhere from a couple days to several weeks for a dog to truly settle in. my nova (avatar) was a rescue dog, adopted when she was about 1 yr. old. when she first arrived we crated when we left the house and tied her to me when we were just hanging out. i tried not to overwhelm her by having her meet the whole neighborhood. one person at a time was plenty for her. we did start light obedience, just basic manners stuff: sit, stay, here, etc. mostly to give her mind and body some work and to help bond her to us. i found it worked. also, i never let her get away with things because she was the new dog or the shelter dog. the house rules are the house rules. there's no sense in confusing the dog by changing the rules after she settles in. can't wait for your new friend to adopt you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 I love tethering a new dog to me. That way I have to keep an eye on what they are doing. For a puppy, remembering "This too, shall pass." was most important. For an older puppy or dog, having a place for them to go to, to settle down is indispensible. Have fun with your new dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Since you do not know the age of the dog you may get, it is a little hard to be specific as to how you should interact with it the first week. I think rufftie and Gideon's girl have given good advice - be consistent, do not overwhelm it with new experiences or people at first (i.e. keep it low key until they begin to trust you), don't hover, etc. If you adopt a rescue dog, you may want to purchase (~$10) the Patricia McConnell book "Love at Any Age" (I think that is the title). It is a short book (<100 pages) that clearly and succinctly explains the major issues that might affect a rescue dog when they enter their new home and then suggests methods to address them. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_and_Karen Posted November 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 sorry to hear of the passing of your beloved. good luck in your search for a new friend. i'm sure others will give great advice. in my experience, i've found it takes anywhere from a couple days to several weeks for a dog to truly settle in. my nova (avatar) was a rescue dog, adopted when she was about 1 yr. old. when she first arrived we crated when we left the house and tied her to me when we were just hanging out. i tried not to overwhelm her by having her meet the whole neighborhood. one person at a time was plenty for her. we did start light obedience, just basic manners stuff: sit, stay, here, etc. mostly to give her mind and body some work and to help bond her to us. i found it worked. also, i never let her get away with things because she was the new dog or the shelter dog. the house rules are the house rules. there's no sense in confusing the dog by changing the rules after she settles in. can't wait for your new friend to adopt you. ....I like that - "can't wait for your new friend to adopt you" :-) Thanks for everyone's replies and excellent advice, I guess it would be good to keep things extra low key at first so as not to overwhelm the new dog. All the various tips were good ! But even on the first day wouldn't it be good to at least let the new dog briefly meet and sniff each person who lives in the house so they know those people are ok and not intruders ? (it is my wife and I as well as her elderly mom who uses a walker and wheelchair, so no young kids to over excite the dog, except when friends stop by to visit with their kids, but I'll make sure she's not in the same room if they bring their kids by within the first week) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 But even on the first day wouldn't it be good to at least let the new dog briefly meet and sniff each person who lives in the house so they know those people are ok and not intruders ? I have always had my new dogs, regardless of age, meet all household members right off the bat. That has always worked well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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