The first pillar of dog training is promoting your relationship with your dog through training. Bonding with a dog you recently rescued isn’t what you think. It’s a dog, not a human. Prioritize giving the dog a safe space, which includes air, food, water, and shelter. Talking to your dog like a baby or forcing affection on a canine isn’t how you establish a bond with your dog.
Most rescue dogs have never had clear expectations and fluent communication. Get your dog a kennel, high quality food, and clean water. Identify all forms of conflict in your home such as loud noises, small children, automated vacuum cleaners, and come up with a plan to resolve those conflicts for the dog.
Provide your newly rescued dog a simple, easy to understand life. If the dog is stressed and anxious in the home, it will always be stressed and anxious. Use food to positively reinforce desirable behaviors like sit, down, recall, and being calm and settled in the house. Ignore undesirable behaviors like jumping, scratching, and barking.
Control the outcome for success by keeping items the dog may chew on like shoes, electronics, and blankets out of reach. Provide the dog a couple indestructible chew toys that can store food or treats like peanut butter. Avoid toys that the dog can easily destroy as that reinforces the dog engaging in destructive behavior.
Be intentional about the pictures you paint for the dog. Ignore the dog when you enter the home. Mark and reward the dog engaging in desirable behaviors to communicate what you like as the owner/handler/trainer.
Canines are den animals by nature. Get a kennel and ensure it represents a safe place where the dog can calm and settle when struggling to control its impulses or is overstimulated.
