Adopting a Rescue Dog – The First 7 Days

Oh my gosh, bringing home your new dog is so exciting. You are starting a new life journey with your dog. They are forever now part of your family!

The first few days and even weeks can also be overwhelming for you and your rescue pup. So, let’s ensure the first week goes as smoothly as possible.

This day-by-day guide will help you get the best out of this first week together.

Day 0: BEFORE you bring home your new rescue dog

A successful transition from shelter to home starts even before you bring your dog home. Do these four steps to prepare your home for a dog:

1. Dog/puppy proof your house.

Make sure no electrical wires are hanging on the floor, pick up small items a dog may find enticing to chew, and gate off areas of the home you don’t want the dog to have access to.

📖 READ: Puppy proofing checklist.

2. Walk through your yard.

Check that your fence is in good condition with no areas where the dog may squeeze or dig under the fence. Check the gates to make sure they are closed and latched.

3. Create a safety zone for your dog.

Give your new rescue dog a safe area to decompress, this will help them feel more comfortable.

An open crate in a quiet room is a great tool to create a comforting den-like area.

If you choose not to use a crate, then set up an area with a dog bed, blankets, water, and chew toys.

📖 READ: How and Why Crate Train Your Dog in 3 Easy Steps

4. Stock up on supplies.

It’s best to go to the store or order your dog supplies before you bring home your pup. Do not take your new dog to the pet supply store on the way home. This would be much too overwhelming to start your relationship together.

You will need food, food/water bowls, a collar, a leash, and an ID tag. Of course, a few toys and a chew bone would be nice too.

Here is my Amazon shopping list for my recommended dog products.

Day 1: Bringing your dog home

We have adopted eight dogs and fostered many more over the years, so to say I’ve gone through this phase many times is an understatement.

The following advice works and will make your life easier and your dog’s transition into your home much smoother. Take your time, do not rush any of these steps.

1. Outside before inside

When you arrive home after picking up your new pup, introduce them to the outside of your house first. Let them take in all the new smells and surroundings.

Show them where they will go potty in your yard. And then take them for a long walk, at the very least around the block.

2. Introducing your new dog to the inside of your home

After the walk, enter and introduce your dog to your house slowly.

They will be stressed for the first few days so the smaller the new area is, the more comfortable they will be. Restrict access to one area of the home.

Keep them on a leash for at least the first day, preferably the first three days. You don’t always have to hold on to the leash, they can drag the leash around with them, but this gives you quick access to them if needed.

I do this with each of our foster dogs. It helps the dog not get overwhelmed, stay out of trouble and limits potty accidents.

3. Keep the first day and week quiet and low-key

The first day your adopted dog comes home should be uneventful. Keep things quiet and calm. As tempting as it may be, don’t invite your friends to meet your new pup.

Don’t take them to the dog park. Avoid overwhelming situations altogether.

Wait until they have a chance to get to know you and their new home first. Give them plenty of quiet time to settle in.

4. Get to know your new dog

Sit back and observe your new best friend. Let them approach you. Don’t overwhelm them with too much affection right away. Remember, the first few days are all about decompression.

If you have kids, don’t allow them to hang on the dog, hug them, put their faces to the dog’s face, etc. In other words, help your kids understand the dog needs time and space for a little while.

Learn to read your dog’s body language. It will help you bond and understand your dog so much better!

5. Bringing a new dog home to another dog

If you have other pets in the home, keep them separated for the first 24-48 hours.

Remember, your new dog is stressed. Meeting another dog just adds to that stress and can result in a dogfight.

Even if they are the friendliest dogs in the world or if the dogs have met before. Bringing another dog into your home is different than a casual meeting and dogs react differently when it is in their territory.

Whenever we bring in a new foster dog, they are separated from our dogs for a full 24 hours. The 24-hour rule is required by the rescue I work with. I will admit, it was very hard the first few times we brought in a foster dog.

It’s so tempting to want to bring the dog in and let everyone play.

To get my full protocol on adding a second dog…

📖 READ: The Best Way to Introduce a Second Dog Into Your Pack.

The first meal

Don’t worry if your dog doesn’t want to eat the first few days, this is completely normal. Most dogs won’t eat when they are stressed.

If you can feed them the same food, they were eating in the shelter to alleviate any upset stomachs and diarrhea. And make sure they drink plenty of water.

Wean them to a new food next week. For this first week keep things simple.

📖 READ: How long can a dog go without eating?

The first night

Your new dog is most likely going to be exhausted the first few nights. But some dogs may cry, howl, or bark when it’s time for bed.

We put a crate in our bedroom for our new foster dogs to sleep, this helps the dogs feel more comfortable knowing they aren’t alone.

Some people feel that a crate is cruel. It is not… a crate will keep them safe when you are sleeping. Imagine if they were allowed to roam around the house without supervision, a house they aren’t familiar with… oh the trouble they could find!

Day 2: Expanding their world

Your dog may want to explore their surroundings more. You can open another area of the home for them to get to know.

Every dog is different; so, don’t be concerned if your newly adopted dog prefers to hide under the table or in their crate. This is perfectly normal and part of the decompression process.

But if your dog is ready to explore, take it slowly. Do not give them full access to your home just yet.

Keeping their “freedom” to a minimum will help keep unwanted behaviors at bay. I know… you look into those puppy eyes and wonder what they could do that would be so terrible!

When a dog is stressed and in a new environment stuff happens… potty accidents, chewing, marking, and who knows what else!

Other pets

If you have other pets, you may introduce them now. If it is another dog, make the meeting outside in a neutral area. Take them both for a long walk together before entering the home again.

If you have a cat, then I suggest keeping the introduction on the cat’s terms. Using a baby gate to give the cat a space to escape if desired.

Remember, your new dog may have never seen or experienced things you take for granted. Stairs, TV, kids, bicycles, etc. can all be strange to a new dog.

It’s always interesting to me with every foster dog we bring in, each one has some sort of quirk. A many of our fosters have never been on a structured walk, so when we walked by a big boulder, or someone riding a bike, the dog would jump back out of fear.

It’s important to keep all this in mind when introducing and exposing your dog to new experiences.

Always be patient, positive, and reassuring. Don’t avoid the things that make him fearful, but slowly show him there is nothing to be afraid of.

Eating and pooping

Most dogs will eat on the second day, but again, there is no reason to panic if they don’t want to eat yet. As long as they are drinking water, they will be okay.

Some dogs also don’t like to potty in strange places, so don’t be surprised if they haven’t pooped yet… especially if they haven’t eaten.

This is a little gross but look at their poop for the next few weeks. Even if the shelter or foster home gave them a clean bill of health, sometimes worms and parasites can creep up under times of stress. Any signs of abnormal poop warrant a visit to your vet.

Days 3-7: Getting to know your new dog

The next few days are all about making your dog more comfortable and getting to know each other.

Take time to sit on the floor and let your dog approach you, watch and observe them.

Open up the house to let them explore while you follow their lead. Take note of where they feel most comfortable and consider moving their safety zone to that space.

Creating a routine

Creating a routine will help your dog feel more comfortable. Schedule their feeding, walks, sleep, and even playtime.

The sooner you establish a routine, the better you both will feel. A feeding schedule will help with potty training too.

Expanding their world even more

Slowly add activities throughout the first week. Simply going for daily walks to explore the neighborhood is enough.

Every dog will be different. And each dog will need a different amount of time to adjust to their new home.

Learn to read your dog’s body language and take it slow.

Potty accidents

If you thought your dog was potty trained but is having accidents in the house, don’t be alarmed… this is pretty normal. Go back to the basics of potty training.

If he is marking in the house, keep your dog on a leash or crated until you can trust him. Don’t be surprised if this takes several months.

Be a confident leader

The term pack leader has gotten a bad rap in recent times. But I feel that being a confident leader, or dog parent, or whatever you want to call it, is important.

Your dog needs to know they can trust you to take care of them. To have their back sort of speak.  

Give them loads of love and be compassionate for their well-being. But don’t feel sorry for them. Feeling sorry for them is only going to hold them back.

Our dogs are our mirrors, when you are stressed, they are stressed. When you are happy, they are happy.

What happens after the first week?

Congrats, you made it through the first week with your new rescue dog. Was it easier or harder than you thought?

I can’t stress enough, that every dog and every situation is unique. Don’t compare your dog to someone else who just adopted a dog too. Your dog will go at their own pace.

📖 Please read the 3-3-3 rule/guideline next.

You’ve got this, the first week, and few months are the hardest… you will look back at this week sometime in the future and smile… and realize how far you’ve both come.

Some people get depressed and worry they’ve made the wrong decision to adopt a dog. I want you to know you aren’t alone. Rescue Dogs 101 is here for your entire journey. We have the resources to help you through the good and bad.