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This article was co-authored by Dominik Feichtner. Dominik Feichtner is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of The Dog Behaviorist NYC out of New York, New York. With over eight years of experience working with dogs, Dominik specializes in general obedience, behavior modification, and puppy training. His commitment to a balanced, common-sense approach led to his recognition as one of the “Best Dog Trainers in Brooklyn” and one of the “Best Dog Trainers in NYC” by Pooch and Harmony in 2020.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 3,523 times.
Rescue dogs can be wonderful pets that bring love and affection into your life every day. However, rescue dogs can pose some unique challenges when you train them because you won’t necessarily know all of their life history. With this in mind, when you train your rescue dog it’s important to start by establishing trust with it. Then you can move on to working on basic training commands and working on the particular challenges associated with your specific dog.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Establishing Trust
Be cautious when you first bring home your rescue dog. Bringing a rescue dog into a new home can be very stressful and scary for the dog. Keep this in mind and don’t try to have a lot of physical contact with your dog right from the start. Instead, give it some space and focus on attending to its basic needs, such as giving it food and proper shelter.- Your dog is likely to be skittish and stressed out for about a week. Be patient and understanding as it gradually calms down.[1]
Feed your dog by hand. One of the best ways to establish trust with a dog is to show it that you are going to supply it with food. For at least the first couple of weeks that your rescue dog is in its new home, feed it kibble from your hand instead of from a bowl.[2]- This will make your dog associate both good feelings and good smells with you.
Tip: If your dog is so skittish that it won’t eat out of your hand, continue to offer it from your hand at first but then give your dog a bowl of food.
Wait for your dog to come to you. Part of building trust and love with a dog is allowing it to interact with you on its own terms. You can encourage your dog to come to you by saying its name or offering it a treat but don’t force affection right off the bat. Going in for a pet or hug can be seen as an aggressive act to a dog that doesn’t trust you yet.- One good way to get your dog to interact with you on its own terms is by offering to play fetch with it. A lot of the activity is away from your body but your dog will need to get close to you occasionally to keep the game going.
Be consistent and stick to a daily schedule. In order for your new dog to trust you, it needs to know that it can depend on you for food, housing, exercise, and love. To show your dog that you will do this, create a dependable routine of feeding and exercise every day.[3][4]- It is especially important to stick to your routine for the first couple of weeks that you have your dog.
Don’t punish or yell at your dog when it does something wrong. Instead, use a firm and calm voice to reprimand it. Hitting or yelling at your dog will only make training it harder since you'll lose its trust. It could even lead to other behavioral problems, like aggression.[5]- By not hurting or yelling at your dog, you'll help it learn to trust you, which will go a long way in making your training easier.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Teaching the Basics
Assess your dog’s previous training. When you bring your new dog home, see if it will respond to the words “sit,” “stay,” and “heel.” Say a wide variety training commands to it. People use a wide variety of commands with dogs, so yours could know unique ones.[6]- Many rescue dogs that are available for adoption already know how to respond to commands. Not needing to do this foundational work is often one of the great things about getting a rescue dog!
Tip: It may take a few days or weeks for your new dog to trust you enough to respond to your verbal commands. If you try commands and your dog seems to be tempted to do what you ask but doesn’t, it may mean that it knows what you want but needs a little more time to respond reliably.
Get treats to use during training. Dogs tend to respond best to training when they are given treats for completing the correct action. Go to your local pet store or shop online for high-value treats for your dog. This means that they are treats that are tasty to the dog but don't add a lot of calories to your dog's diet.[7]- Training treats should be small. One little nibble should be given for each command your dog follows.
Train your dog to sit on command. If it doesn't know how to follow commands when you bring it home, start by teaching it to sit. When you are on a walk with it and you come to a natural stop, say the word “sit” when the dog naturally sits on its own. Do this every day and every time you see your dog sit, so that it learns to associate the word you are saying with the action it is doing.[8]- After several weeks of saying the word “sit” when your dog naturally sits, start saying the word when you want it to sit. If your dog sits when you ask it to, give it a treat. This will reinforce the action.
- Some people also have great success by using a training clicker to let their dog know when they should complete a command. This is an advanced training technique that is great if you plan on teaching your dog a lot of commands.
- Even if you adopt an older rescue dog, you can still train it to respond to a wide variety of commands.
Move on to additional commands once your dog masters “sit.” Once you and your dog understand how to communicate with each other, you can teach it a variety of commands. Repeat the process that you used with the sit command for additional skills. When your dog naturally does the action, say the word you want to use as a command. Gradually transition into saying the command when your dog isn’t doing the action and give it a treat if it does the action when you ask it to. Some great commands to teach your rescue dog include:[9]- Lie Down
- Heel
- Drop it
Teach your dog games and tricks that you think it will enjoy. Once your dog has some training skills and trust in you, expand the activities you do with it. Try teaching it tricks, like playing dead, or skills, such as jumping for Frisbees.[10]- Playing games and doing tricks is fun for your dog and it advances its training. That means these types of activities are basically a win-win for your rescue dog.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Working Through Unique Challenges
Identify any bad behaviors that need to be changed. You won’t know your rescue dog’s entire life history when you adopt it and you won’t know your dog’s whole personality until it adjusts completely to its new home. Because of this, it’s likely that you will see new behaviors pop up once your dog settles in. Identify the behaviors that you want to work on so that you can start retraining right away.- Many rescue dogs respond negatively to items or situations that you wouldn’t expect them to respond to. For example, your dog could bark only at men wearing hats, the noise of a motorcycle, or little kids. Whatever its trigger is, take note of that so you can work on it.
Use redirection to eliminate bad behaviors. Many bad behaviors that rescue dogs exhibit can be changed by training the dog to focus on something else. For example, if your dog barks at your doorbell, it's hard to prevent that behavior by saying “no.” Instead, work on training it to lay down when the bell rings by using positive reinforcement and treats.[11]
Be persistent and committed to your training sessions. Even if you have an older rescue dog that was never trained or a young, ill-behaved dog that experienced trauma, being persistent and not giving up on training will make a huge difference in its life over time. Just remember, an old dog can learn new tricks if you just give it enough time and patience.[12]
Hire a pet behaviorist or trainer, if necessary. Some rescue dogs have experienced a lot of trauma and they have a hard time functioning and being trained. If your dog is like that, then it’s a good idea for you to hire a professional to work with it.[13] Both a professional behaviorist and a professional trainer will have the skills and knowledge to help you and your dog.[14]- There is a difference between trainers and behaviorists. Pet behaviorists typically have graduate degrees in animal behavior. However, both are typically experienced with working through behavior problems.
Tip: Talk to your veterinarian about getting a referral to a pet behaviorist in your area. Veterinarians usually know who will work well for your specific dog.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionAre rescue dogs harder to train?
Dominik FeichtnerDominik Feichtner is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of The Dog Behaviorist NYC out of New York, New York. With over eight years of experience working with dogs, Dominik specializes in general obedience, behavior modification, and puppy training. His commitment to a balanced, common-sense approach led to his recognition as one of the “Best Dog Trainers in Brooklyn” and one of the “Best Dog Trainers in NYC” by Pooch and Harmony in 2020.
Dog Trainer & BehavioristThey're not necessarily harder to train, but if they already have bad behaviors like biting, then the issue will get worse if you avoid structured training. - QuestionHow can I help my rescue dog with anxiety?Dominik FeichtnerDominik Feichtner is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of The Dog Behaviorist NYC out of New York, New York. With over eight years of experience working with dogs, Dominik specializes in general obedience, behavior modification, and puppy training. His commitment to a balanced, common-sense approach led to his recognition as one of the “Best Dog Trainers in Brooklyn” and one of the “Best Dog Trainers in NYC” by Pooch and Harmony in 2020.
Dog Trainer & BehavioristMake sure you give your dog a routine to follow every day so it's able to adjust easier. - QuestionHow do you help a rescue dog adjust?Dominik FeichtnerDominik Feichtner is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of The Dog Behaviorist NYC out of New York, New York. With over eight years of experience working with dogs, Dominik specializes in general obedience, behavior modification, and puppy training. His commitment to a balanced, common-sense approach led to his recognition as one of the “Best Dog Trainers in Brooklyn” and one of the “Best Dog Trainers in NYC” by Pooch and Harmony in 2020.
Dog Trainer & BehavioristShow your dog that it can depend on you for food, water, housing, exercise, and love. Create a routine for your dog so it knows it can depend on you. This will help your dog learn to trust you.
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References
- ↑ http://www.texasanimalguardians.org/help-rescue-dog-bond-adjust/
- ↑ http://www.texasanimalguardians.org/help-rescue-dog-bond-adjust/
- ↑ Dominik Feichtner. Dog Trainer & Behaviorist. Expert Interview. 18 March 2021
- ↑ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/
- ↑ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/
- ↑ https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/bringing-a-dog-home/tips-for-first-30-days-dog/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-training-treats/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/articles/why-trick-training-is-good-for-dogs/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/articles/why-trick-training-is-good-for-dogs/
- ↑ https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/articles/have-fun-with-your-dog-teach-a-simple-trick/
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet
- ↑ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/
- ↑ Dominik Feichtner. Dog Trainer & Behaviorist. Expert Interview. 18 March 2021
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet
About this article
Dominik Feichtner
Dog Trainer & Behaviorist
This article was co-authored by Dominik Feichtner. Dominik Feichtner is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist and the Owner of The Dog Behaviorist NYC out of New York, New York. With over eight years of experience working with dogs, Dominik specializes in general obedience, behavior modification, and puppy training. His commitment to a balanced, common-sense approach led to his recognition as one of the “Best Dog Trainers in Brooklyn” and one of the “Best Dog Trainers in NYC” by Pooch and Harmony in 2020. This article has been viewed 3,523 times.
Co-authors: 4
Updated: April 5, 2021
Views: 3,523
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,523 times.
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