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Congratulations on choosing to adopt a rescue dog! Rescues and shelters everywhere house wonderful dogs, each of them just waiting to become a member of your household. While shelter dogs come from various backgrounds and experiences, they all share one important fact: they are dogs, and the dog you choose needs to be understood and treated as such. Just like us, dogs need order and leadership. They seek structure, structure which you must provide. Your dog needs to know that you that you have a set of house rules. This makes the transition from the shelter to your home easier, faster and more rewarding.

Below are tips to help ensure a smooth transition for your new furry friend.

• Hold a family meeting to create rules about caring for the dog. Will he be allowed on the couch, the bed, and in all rooms of the house? Where will he sleep and eat? Who will walk him and clean up after him? As a family, you must all be consistent with your decisions or you will confuse the dog, usually resulting in the dog making his own rules and causing unnecessary tension.
• Have the necessary items your dog will need from the start: ID tags, a collar and a 6 foot leash, food and water bowls, food, dog toys, a crate and bedding, and basic grooming tools.
• Bring your new dog home when you can be there for a few days (ideally) so you can supervise him as he learns your house rules.
• Just before you bring your dog into the home, take him for a walk to tire him out a little. Walks are not only good exercise, but they also serve as a training tool and an opportunity to establish the lines of communication that better educate him.

Establish Ground Rules in the First Days

• At first, limit your dog to one room or area. This allows him time to become familiar with the smells and sounds of his new home. Try to limit your time away from home those first days; your spending time with him will help him to become more comfortable in his new, unfamiliar home.
• Keep your dog on leash while inside your home for the first few weeks so you can immediately teach him what behaviors are and are not acceptable by showing and guiding him through the appropriate exercises. For safety’s sake, NEVER leave a leash on your dog when he is unsupervised.
• Your rescue dog should NOT be left alone in the house with your existing pets until you have carefully monitored and controlled their interactions for a period of time.  [See our dog to dog and dog to cat intro articles for tips.]
• Expect housetraining accidents. Your dog is in a new territory and is establishing a new routine, so accidents probably will happen. Review housetraining information available from the shelter, your veterinarian or your local Bark Busters trainer. [More housetraining tips here.] The key is to be consistent and maintain a routine.
• Dogs instinctively like to den, and a crate makes the ideal place for your dog to sleep and get away from household hubbub. While crate training also makes housetraining and training in general easier, limit the amount of time the dog is crated. The crate should be roomy enough to allow your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. An alternative to a crate is a dog-proofed part of your home, such as a laundry or mud room. You can use a tall climb-proof baby gate or dog gate to block off the area from the rest of the house.
• Most rescue dogs have been given basic vaccinations and many have already been spayed or neutered. It is important that your dog is examined by a veterinarian within a week after adoption for a health check and any needed vaccinations. While there, arrange for the spay/neuter surgery if needed.
• For the first few days, limit guest visits to allow your dog to get comfortable with his new family. When you do have guests, ask their help in training your dog by instructing them not to pay attention to him until he has calmed down. One way to communicate this request is to post a sign on your front door informing visitors that you have a new dog in training.

A Trained Dog Makes for a Happy Human-Canine Bond

• • Get guidance for training your dog. A well-trained dog is a happier dog and a joy to have around. Your animal shelter may have performed a behavioral evaluation on your dog to help the adopter understand what, if any, potential behavioral issues the dog may have. Knowing this information ahead of time may be helpful when you begin training with your new dog. If you already have a dog, whether he was adopted from a shelter or not, a helpful tool (called the Behavioral Rating Quiz) to determine how he compares to other dogs is available at www.BarkBusters.com.
  • Dogs need consistent pack structure. If they don’t have a consistent set of rules to follow, then they try to become the leader, which can create numerous behavioral problems. Thus, you—and all humans in your home—need to be consistent. Practice obedience training, set rules and apply them calmly and consistently, and praise your dog’s good behavior. He will be much more comfortable in a pack with structure and will bond more quickly to you.
  • It is amazing how quickly dogs learn what is acceptable and what is not.Dogs have a language of their own, and once we understand it, we can communicate better what we expect of them.

A Bright Future

Hats off to you for bringing home a rescue dog! Your patience and training will help to create a bond that will reward you both for years to come. With the right balance of discipline, understanding and affection, your rescue dog will become a loyal, grateful and loving companion.

This guest blog article is written by By Liam Crowe, CEO and Master Dog Behavioral Therapist at Bark Busters USA. 

Liam Crowe is the CEO and grand master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA (www.BarkBusters.com), the world’s largest dog training company. Since inception, over 500,000 dogs have been trained worldwide using Bark Busters’ dog-friendly, natural methods, which focus on fostering a positive relationship between owner and dog to establish a lasting emotional bond based on respect and trust.

Good news! Recently, Adopt-a-Pet.com issued a press release encouraging the Department of Homeland Security to please consider shelter dogs for duty, instead of breeding up to 12,000 dogs to find 3,000 dogs for the expansion of their canine force. Now, months later, we have good news to report!  Homeland Security listened to our plea (and thousands of others from animal lovers and organizations across the nation), and is encouraging shelters to submit dogs for their program! We’ve included the basic requirements and how to submit a shelter dog below.

Previously, the Los Angeles Times posted a story which outlined the Department’s plans to purchase 3,000 additional bomb sniffer dogs at an average cost of $4,535 each. Adopt-a-Pet.com Executive Director Abbie Moore responded, “There are thousands of wonderful, energetic, and highly-trainable dogs in U.S. animal shelters who would be perfect for the Department of Homeland Security’s current needs. In addition to saving 3,000 worthy lives, recruiting shelter dogs makes fiscal sense and stands to save taxpayers well over $1 million. I can’t think of a downside to adopting versus buying these dogs. It’s the humane and prudent thing to do.”

According to an August 10th, 2010 letter (click to see a PDF of the actual letter), from Rafeael Borras, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Securty: “DHS has found that there are a number of specialized characteristics that are essential to a canine’s success in our rigorous training program. I encourage animal rescue facilities to submit proposals to be considered for an award if they can provide the type of dogs required and meet the contract requirements.” (Note: that is our bold emphasis.)

Mr. Borras continues, “DHS dogs are trained with respect and receive a high degree of veterinary care. They typically live with their handlers, whom often adopt the dogs after they have been retired from DHS service…. please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 447-3400.”

Animal shelters and breed-rescue groups are encouraged to submit proposals to the DHS for their eligible dogs to:

Att: Unsolicited Proposal Officer
Training and Development Division
Program Directorate
Office of Procurement
Customs and Border Protection Agency
1310 PA Ave, NW
Washington DC

Candidates must be:

• Twelve to 36 months old
• Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, or Belgian Malinois
• Alert, active, outgoing, and confident
• Able to pass a series of tests for courage and toughness

Read our original Adopt-a-Pet.com Press release here.

If you are unfamiliar with the term “catio,” it is an enclosed patio designed especially for cats. Cats who roam freely outside generally have shorter lives than cats who remain indoors. A catio provides a fully protected outdoor environment for otherwise indoor cats. The wonderful Catio Showcase website showcases the many fabulous catios that people have created for their beloved cats in order to inspire you to create your own. They also feature products that can help you easily create an outdoor space for your cats without extensive construction. And of course, many fabulous photos of incredible catios and other outdoor cat enclosures (like a Catitat) submitted by cat-lovers around the world!

Dog parks can be a great way to socialize your dog — but can also be unsafe if proper measures aren’t taken. The following tips are to help you keep your dog safe and happy at the park.

• Know your dog. Not all dogs enjoy meeting new dogs. Don’t let your dog get overwhelmed by meeting too many dogs at once. If your dog has not interacted regularly with other dogs, find out how he will react. You can perform a test by introducing your dog to a friends’ dog that you know interacts well with other dogs. Testing your dog in a controlled environment is ideal before you go into the dog park.
• Keep your dog healthy. Be sure your dog isn’t vulnerable to picking up infections from other dogs by keeping him up to date on his vaccinations and worming medications.
• Observe. Consider visiting the park without your dog for the first time to familiarize yourself with the park itself and the dogs that play there. Before bringing your dog inside the park, spend a few minutes watching the other dogs and how they interact. If the dogs seem too rough for your dog, come back at another time or try a different dog park. On your next visit you may want to bring your dog and sit quietly with him outside the park. Having your dog with you to observe from outside the park enables you to watch how he reacts to seeing the other dogs.
• Start out slow. The first few visits to the dog park should be short, no longer than 15 minutes. Slowly increase the length of your stays as your dog becomes more comfortable with the dog park atmosphere.

Choose a time that is less busy for your first few visits to the park. Weekday evenings are peak, high-traffic times at dog parks, and weekends and holidays tend to be busy all day long. Acquaint your dog with the dog park when the park isn’t as crowded.

• Closely supervise your dog. Don‘t get distracted while talking to other owners. Keep an eye on your dog at all times to make sure his interactions with other dogs are safe. Watch his body language to help you avoid any trouble before it begins. Watching his actions also enables you to quickly clean up after your pet.
• Let your dog off leash as soon as you enter unleashed areas. Mixing leashed and unleashed dogs can create a hostile situation. Leashed dogs, and their owners, often display body language and behavior that is threatening to the unleashed dogs and may encourage them to be aggressive and defensive in return. A leashed dog cannot make the choice his natural instinct tells him of “fight or flight” — if he cannot take flight, he may have to fight.

Potential hazards. Be aware of potential hazards that may be in the park, such as toxic chemicals, garbage or noxious plants. Be sure to wash any chemicals, such as fertilizer or pesticides, off of your dog’s feet and legs to ensure they aren’t licked and ingested.

• Leave children at home. Don’t bring children with you to the dog park. You will not safely be able to watch your kids and your dog at the same time. Many dogs have not been socialized to children. Both frighten and excite easily — and react differently — creating a dangerous atmosphere. It’s simply too easy for a child to get hurt at a dog park.
• Leave small puppies at home. Puppies less than four months old aren’t fully immunized yet and are at higher risk for contracting diseases. They are also very vulnerable to being traumatized by another dog’s aggressive behavior.
• Do not bring toys or food. Most parks are already littered with balls and toys that other people have brought. Rewarding your dog with treats or giving him toys in front of other dogs can create jealousy and aggression.
• Body language. Educate yourself about dog body language and communication signals so you can tell the difference between fear, play and anger. Your local Bark Busters trainer can help you learn to “read” your dog’s body language.
• Know when to leave. You should remove your dog from the park if he is being threatened or bullied and seems fearful; begins to display aggressive behavior by becoming overexcited or threatening toward other dogs; is panting heavily; or seems overly tired. Keep your dog’s welfare a top priority.
• DO NOT physically intervene in a dog fight. Never reach in to break up fighting dogs. Squirt the dogs in the face with a water bottle or try to distract them by throwing something near them, but never physically intervene.
• Prevent injuries. Be aware of the signs of a possible dog fight before it might happen. Don’t allow a dog’s overexcitement turn into a fight. If your dog injures a person or dog, give your name and phone number to the injured party. Report to law enforcement authorities any handlers who refuse to take liability for damages or injuries and who are endangering the safety of others.

About the Post Author

Liam Crowe is the CEO and grand master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA (www.BarkBusters.com), the world’s largest dog training company. Since inception, over 500,000 dogs have been trained worldwide using Bark Busters’ dog-friendly, natural methods, which focus on fostering a positive relationship between owner and dog to establish a lasting emotional bond based on respect and trust. Find a dog trainer at Bark Busters.

The new Dog Park Finder Plus iPhone App compiles photos and reviews to provide all the information you would need for a quick trip to the dog park or for a vacation across the country with your pooch. Displaying local dog parks and search results in both map and list pages, Dog Park Finder Plus includes details such as user ratings, fenced and un-fenced markers, on-leash rules, hours and days of operation and many other features. Over 5,000 dog parks are listed as well as dog friendly beaches and hiking trails, and it even includes further information such as restrooms and bench availability in parks!

The people at DogParkUSA.com who developed Dog Park Finder Plus are committed to the promotion of happy and health canine friends by promoting responsibly maintained public dog play areas. But they are also committed to the idea that every dog should be lucky enough to enjoy a day at the park so they are generously donating 15% of their proceeds to Adopt-a-Pet.com to help us in our mission to find a happy home for every pet! Not only is the Dog Park Finder Plus a useful app to have, it also helps support our free service and promote pet adoption! What a great way to help get many more dogs in need into loving homes and into those fun dog parks indeed.

The Dog Park Finder Plus app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Download it today so you can know all about new and old dog parks, and help homeless pets!

People are loving the new MixItUp With Adopt-a-Pet.com iPhone app by iMatte Inc. which allows users to insert a picture their pet into three famous paintings from the 1903 Brown and Bigelow calendar of dogs playing poker! The famous paintings of dogs playing poker remind us that every dog has an individual personality, emotional capacity, and a precious soul. Each dog and cat has their own unique poker face! The people at MixItup know that all animals deserve a chance to be a part of a loving family who cherishes them, so they decided to donate a percentage of proceeds from each app download to Adopt-a-Pet.com!

Our staff cracked up when we saw the app, and we knew our fans and their friends would enjoy it, too. We are thrilled to work together on MixItUp as a way to benefit homeless pets, and we’ve had a blast seeing the photos that have been sent in on our Facebook page. Being able to place your own pet at the poker table with the other dogs is a fun and funny way to show off your furry best friend! The MixItUp with Adopt-a-Pet.com app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store and additional apps will soon follow so you can immortalize your pet in other spectacular ways!

Support Adopt-a-Pet.com and make yourself smile at the same time – download the MixItUp app today and enjoy!

The new Dog Park Finder Plus iPhone App gives you all the information you need for a quick trip to the dog park or for a vacation across the country with your pooch, and a percentage of the proceeds from each download supports homeless pet adoption.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 3, 2010

Release Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/dog-park-finder-app/2010-09/prweb4463444.htm

 

Powered by DogParkUSA.com, the new Dog Park Finder Plus iPhone App compiles photos and reviews to give you all the information you need for a quick trip to the dog park or for a vacation across the country with your pooch. The Dog Park Finder Plus app displays local dog parks and search results in both map and list pages. Park details include user ratings, fenced and un-fenced markers, on-leash rules, hours and days of operation and many other features.

DogParkUSA.com is committed to the promotion of happy and healthy canine friends by advancing the awareness of responsibly maintained public dog play areas. “With so many dog loving people out there who want to know about new dog parks and news about current parks, we thought we should let people know about all the pets in need at shelters, so we contacted Adopt-a-Pet.com,” said Greg Holsclaw, member of the creative team who designed the app.

DogParkUSA.com is donating 15% of their proceeds to Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit homeless pet adoption website, to support them in their mission of helping to find a happy home for every homeless pet. Adopt-a-Pet.com, which displays 155,000 pets for adoption at over 9,200 animal shelters across North America, is sponsored by Purina and Bayer Animal Health.

“When I saw the app and realized it had over 5,000 listings for dog parks, dog friendly beaches and hiking trails, I just thought it was a very useful and fun tool for new pet adopters. We are thrilled that Dog Park Finder Plus will help promote pet adoption and let more people know about our free service, so that we can help get great pets into loving homes.” says Adopt-a-Pet.com President and co-founder, David Meyer.

The Dog Park Finder Plus App can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Says Holsclaw, “Through the use of innovative new tools, we hope to broadcast new dog parks and news about current parks to loving pet owners through our improved Dog Park Finder Plus, and we’re very excited to benefit homeless pets while we do so that every dog can be lucky enough to enjoy a day at the park.” There is also a free version of the app, Dog Park Finder that offers half the number of listings and does not include further information such as restrooms and bench availability in the parks.

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, it is so much nicer to stay at a hotel with your best furry friend right at your side Hotel Indigo will let you do just that, and you can help earn a dollar for homeless pets right now, just by clicking the  Hotel Indigo’s ‘Like’ button on their Facebook page! Hotel Indigo is an upscale boutique brand that is truly reflective of the local community. It also happens to be run by pet lovers! Not only does this hotel chain deliver a refreshing, inviting, comfortable guest experience that is also environmentally conscious, but their hotels are as pet friendly as can be.

Beyond just being pet lovers, the staff at Hotel Indigo encourages pet adoption and wants every animal to have the chance to be a part of a family, which is why they are pledging their support to Adopt-A-Pet.com and here is how you can help Hotel Indigo is donating $1 per “Like” on their Facebook page and will give as much as $20,000 to help us in our mission to find a home for every homeless pet.

Please support Adopt-a-Pet.com by clicking Hotel Indigo’s ‘Like’ button on their Facebook page. Their donation will even double to $20,000 if the Hotel Indigo Facebook page receives 15,000 “Likes” or more before October 15th! And make sure to tell your friends to do the same! Feel free to share your own pet travel or pet adoption stories in the comments section of Hotel Indigo’s Facebook page!

Recently Savvy Source and Yes Kidz Can teamed up with Adopt-a-Pet.com to help inform kids about what they can do to help homeless animals. Adopt-a-Pet.com recommended 5 activities that kids can easily do to help pets in their community. Before starting parents and kids should first, double check with your area rescue groups or pet adoption agencies about their age limits for volunteers. Many will let 12-year-olds volunteer. And, younger kids may be allowed as well if they are accompanied by a parent. Read the top 5 things kids can do to help homeless animals.

Dr. Pia Salk Visits The Martha Stewart Show: A Behind-The-Scenes Look Adopt-a-Pet.com’s spokesperson Dr. Pia Salk recently made her second appearance on The Martha Stewart Show to talk about pet adoption. Did you miss it? Check out video of her appearance here.