After you do a good deed and adopt a rescue dog, the process doesn’t stop there. You will need to help your rescue dog adapt to your surroundings, and new environment, socialize it with humans, house train him, and do additional training your rescue dog might require.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should consider giving up on adopting a rescue dog. It’s the same process you would have to follow even if you purchased a dog and it’s something that will benefit you as the owner in the long run.
So if you’re looking to learn how to train a rescue dog, you’re in the right place as you get to follow the tips and steps down below!
Do You Need to Train a Rescue Dog?
Yes, training a rescue dog is highly recommended even if the dog is not a puppy. Why? Even though older dogs might have a certain level of training or obedience, you would still want to train your rescue dog to help him settle in and settle in your way of life, but also to keep him safe from possible danger and harm in the new environment.
Of course, even if your rescue dog already has a certain level of training, you would want to socialize it with humans or any other pets you have around your home.
While not everyone might find it necessary, it’s definitely something I highly recommend you do. It’s not hard, it’s all about learning the right way and staying consistent, and down below you can find out exactly what it is you should do!
How to Train a Rescue Dog
In order to train a rescue dog no matter of age, you will need to be patient, and predictable, pay attention to the dog’s comfort, and also safe both indoors and outdoors.
To start training your dog, you should set boundaries from day one that you’ll stick to and that you will want the dog to learn and stick to as well. This will help both you and your rescue dog to adapt to living together. This is a great step to dog-proof your home so lock all your cabinets that your dog could open, set guard gates for certain rooms, and start from the beginning assuming that the dog has no training.
If the dog has any training, it will show and you’ll easily go through training steps without missing anything important in the process.
Things You Should Start Doing
You want to start the training at your dog’s comfortable pace so don’t rush the whole process. Therefore, in the beginning, it’s important to set boundaries and to start implementing the simplest tasks such as taking your dog on regular walks, having people over to see how the dog reacts, when you feel that dog is getting more comfortable with you and people around him you should consider taking him to a dog park and pay attention to dog’s attitude.
There are plenty of things you can do yourself so you shouldn’t worry about getting professional help at the early stage. Chances are most people who adopt a rescue dog won’t ever need professional training help.
While you need to calculate the period of adjustment for a recently adopted rescue dog, and the main training system you should focus on is a reward-based system. You won’t be able to train a rescue dog with a dog collar, leash corrections, prong collar, or any other way.
Also, considering how a dog will take time to adjust, this is the period you’ll also be adjusting to your dog. Of course, you’ll be learning how your dog functions, its traits, and what he is good at, but also what needs to be corrected or taught.
When you arm yourself with the right treats, plenty of time, focus, and patience, you can start reinforcing good behavior and giving praise whenever your dog does something good.
There’s no one-size-fits-all process, yet it is all about building a foundation for your dog to follow from day one, sticking to boundaries and schedule, building a connection with your dog, and trying your best to be a good leader for your dog.
Also, finding a good place for training without distractions is recommended, and breaking your training into a couple of sessions with breaks is ideal because the dog’s attention span is quite short so this will help improve training efficiency.
Some of the most common commands you should train your rescue dog include: stay, come, sit, heel, and no. Be patient, take time with each command, and try learning your rescue dog one by one command for better efficiency. Reward good behavior with treats, don’t ever blame the dog, don’t ever lose patience, and additionally do your best to socialize your dog during the training period.
It might be harder to train an older rescue dog, but the whole environment change will help and as you stick to the schedule and training, it will be efficient.
Can You Do All the Training by Yourself?
Yes, you will be able to do all the training by yourself, but in some instances, some new rescue dog owners will need professional help.
The reward-based system is the best way to approach the training while crating might be off-limits for some dogs, especially if a crate has been used as a way of punishment for a rescue dog before.
In the beginning, you will need to supervise your dog a lot as it’s adjusting to your home, new surroundings, new people, or even new pets.
That’s why it’s important to bond with your dog, even slightly before you start the obedience training and command learning. You want your dog to trust you and to have a relationship with your dog so training goes as smoothly as possible.
Socialization is also an aspect you shouldn’t forget during the training. And while I can’t recommend any necessary steps as every dog is different, especially rescue dogs who might have a background – I can highly recommend you stay patient, create a schedule and boundaries, and wing the training via a reward-based system and you’ll definitely see the progress as long as you’re patient and stay consistent.
Did you ever train a rescue dog? What are some of the difficulties you faced?
