Your first week with a rescue dog

Bringing a rescue dog home is exciting for you and overwhelming for them. They've left the only routine they knew (a foster home, a kennel, maybe a street) and arrived somewhere that smells, sounds and works completely differently. The single best thing you can do in week one is make life predictable and a bit dull.

The 3-3-3 rule

Rescue carers often describe settling-in in three stages. Every dog is different, but it's a useful way to set expectations:

• The first 3 days: your dog may be shut down, clingy, or restless. Some won't eat much. Some won't toilet in front of you. That's normal decompression, not their "real" personality.
• The first 3 weeks: they start learning your routine and testing the edges of it. You'll see more personality, including the less charming bits.
• The first 3 months: most dogs finally feel at home. This is when trust really builds and training sticks.

If you're three days in and worried that the dog in your lounge room isn't the dog from the listing, give it time. If you're three weeks in and something genuinely isn't working, call the rescue. That's what they're there for.

Before pick-up day

• A bed or crate in a quiet corner, away from the front door
• The same food the dog is eating in foster (ask the rescue). Change food slowly over a week
• A martingale collar or well-fitted harness, lead and ID tag with your mobile number
• Two bowls, poo bags, a few chew toys and a snuffle mat or lick mat
• Baby gates if there are rooms you'd rather the dog didn't explore yet
• Check fences and gates. New dogs are most likely to bolt in the first fortnight

Days one to seven

Keep the house calm. Postpone the welcome barbecue. Visitors can meet the dog in a couple of weeks.

Same times, every day. Meals, toilet breaks, walks and bedtime at roughly the same times helps an anxious dog predict what happens next.

Short, quiet walks. Sniffing is calming. Choose quiet streets over busy dog parks for now.

Practise being apart. Even if you're home all week, leave the room or pop out for a few minutes at a time so the dog learns that you always come back.

Let them come to you. Especially with shy dogs, sitting on the floor and ignoring them is often the fastest way to make friends.

Update your details

In Queensland and most states, your new dog must be registered with your local council, and the microchip record must be transferred to your name. The rescue will usually start the transfer. Make sure you complete it.

When to ask for help

Call the rescue if you see growling over food or toys, snapping, constant howling when left, or anything that makes you feel unsafe. Asking early is not failing. Most problems are much easier to solve in week two than month six.