10 tips for a forever home for rescued dogs

Fourteen months ago I met my future dogs and fell in love. I made a commitment from the beginning to have a successful adoption and provide a forever home. It wasn’t easy, but it worked for all of us. I went from having a 14 year old purebred male beagle to 2 female beagle mixes, who had not been bred together. He had no special training for this task, just a love of dogs. Here are my tips based on experience.

1. Puppy proof any space the dog will be in. You are looking for anything that is dangerous or valuable to you before it can be damaged. My dogs, Coco and Reba, were about two years old but behaved more like puppies. They had no idea what was valuable to me. The goal was to reduce scolding, especially at first. Reba had been abused and was very sensitive to correction. She hid when she was scolded.
2. Try a good adoption group. Rescue breeds are particularly good. You and your family should be interviewed to determine your suitability. Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue was very helpful. One of my dogs had been in foster care prior to adoption, so the foster mom kept in touch and provided help adjusting.
3. An early visit to your vet is an excellent idea. The rescue of my race required it. Your vet will know the dogs best. My vet recommended a second heartworm test at six months as a precaution.
4. Find out the current food before arrival so that it is available. The same meal will prevent gastrointestinal discomfort during a stressful time. You can always change it later.
5. Provide a safe place, such as a crate, so the dog has a place to retreat and rest. The adjustment can be very tiring.
6. Select a behavior to work on at that time. Choose one that is important to you and focus on it. The behavior I selected was breaking and entering. One was supposed to be trained already, but the situation was different. I have a fenced yard and there are dog gates that are open all day. I guess it was obvious, but that was my mistake. It worked.
7. Don’t force a show of affection. It will come as the dog becomes more comfortable. There’s a great commercial on TV about bonding with a rescue dog. The woman was rolling a ball to the dog several times with no response, so she stops and the ball returns, followed by the dog. Trust takes time, particularly if the dog has been abused, but with love and time it comes. Reba was afraid of men from her previous experience, but with no pressure she felt comfortable.
8. Register the microchip immediately so that if your dog gets loose, it can be found. Reba dug for the first month and left the necklace behind. She was able to get it back thanks to that tag and another dog lover.
9. Consider obedience training for both. You can strengthen the bond.
10. Know that dogs play fight. He didn’t know this because she had always had only one dog at a time. It was a shock, but Coco’s adoptive mother helped me through it. Now if I tell them to stop, they lick it off to show it was a game.

Coco, Reba and I are family forever. The adjustment period had its ups and downs, but it was worth it. On the rescue group’s website, the following words are below each dog’s picture “I will love you more than you can imagine.” It’s so true. If you have love in your heart, I recommend adoption. It’s not always easy, but when they look at you, it’s very clear that they know you rescued them and they love you for it.