Firstly, if you have a 'Rescue' Congratulations and thank you for giving your new family member a second (or third or fourth..) chance at a forever home.

Adopting a rescue can be a wonderful rewarding experience and this is a huge commitment that often comes with little history available about your new companion, but for some reason, and through no fault of his or her own, they ended up in a shelter, rescue or pound (or gumtree) and found their way to you.

Many rescued dogs come with 'issues' and the essence of the unknown and its important to remember that dogs are sentient beings, meaning that they have emotions.

Moving into a new home can be a challenging  (and unsettling) time, it is definitely one of adjustment - Can you imagine how frightening it must feel like to be lose your home and everything your're familiar with, then be placed in a pound or shelter with a whole lot of  unfamiliar dogs and people and then to be taken to another home with more unfamiliar things, people and places?  

Often signs of separation anxiety, destructive behaviour, reactivity, timidness, inability to relax, over excitement and lack of basic training accompany your new companion, its not that they don't want to do 'the right thing' , its that often they just don't know how or understand what it is you expect of them. They will respond based on their life's  experience and what they have learned which enabled them to cope in the environment in which they lived.

Whilst we tend to see behavior as 'good or bad', 'wanted or unwanted', for the dog its neither, its simply what they have learned and adapted to survive in their world and they will continue to do the same things they have always done unless we enable them to develop alternate choices.

Depending on the 'issues' this can sometimes be a long process, that requires patience, kindness and dedication BUT the end result, a happy healthy balanced dog it so worth the effort and emotional roller coaster that often goes with the journey. 

Booking an in home consultation is a great way to help your Rescue settle in to their new home environment along with providing training,  behaviour and enrichment advice and assistance to help you & your Rescue  to build a wonderful relationship & live together.