A dog that came from a dog rescue shelter is basically like every other dog; the only difference is that it came from a family that failed to give it a nurturing environment complete with love and attention. As such, it needs proper training in order to help meld it into its new home. Due to the experiences the dog has had in the past, it may take some time before the dog owner would be able to develop a trusting relationship with the dog.
A dog rescue shelter is home to a number of dogs, and it is possible that a dog that is taken there may not receive enough love and attention from the people working there – there are tens, if not hundreds, of other dogs in the shelter as well. Hence, the brunt of the training would fall upon the dog owner that takes the dog from the dog rescue shelter.
The best time to begin training is after the owner has established a good relationship with the dog. Dogs are pack animals, and they are more compliant in following the orders of their “pack leader”. The dog owner should create a relationship with the dog where the dog views the owner as the leader. Once this is done, the owner can then begin training the dog and teaching it the rules of the house.
The best training ground would be a place that is quiet, allows the dog to run free, but prevents it from running off. A large garden would do the trick. Owners should introduce the dog into a training regime that is full of praise and rewards, which means that screaming, shouting, and yelling at the dog, including actual physical harm (spanking, etc.) should be avoided. If a dog owner finds that he/she is slowly getting frustrated with the way the training session is going, he/she should stop the session immediately. This would help prevent the owner from ending the session by smacking the dog on the backside for not following orders, etc.
Everyone likes a reward for a job well done, and giving the dog treats for every small achievement – or development – can certainly earn its trust more and cause it to respond more to the following training sessions. Training sessions should be brief but frequent (3 to 5 minutes is best), and owners shouldn’t aim to cover a lot of lessons in one go.
While training the dog with basic commands like “stay”, “come”, and “sit”, it is also a good idea to slowly develop the dog’s socialization skills afterwards. Some owners who feel that their dog can handle staying in a group of other dogs can enroll their dog in training classes. Owners should also slowly socialize the dog with the other members of the family. Taking the dog on walks and other family trips like camping and swimming can expose the dog to other people and form a bond with its new owners.
A dog rescue may be taxing at first, but with the right amount of patience, love, and determination to see things through, a dog owner will be rewarded with a bundle of love that is a far cry from the shy, awkward dog he/she got from the rescue shelter.
