First Steps in Training a Rescued Dog

The very first thing that Sgt. Fluffington needs to learn - even before learning to do her business outside or not to eat your slippers - is trust.

My wife and I provide foster care to dogs from the local Humane Society, and we have taken in dogs in a variety of conditions, from starving and shy to rowdy and ill-mannered. Some never lived inside a house before coming to ours. Some were abandoned by their former long-time families. None had reason to trust humans, and yet most did quite quickly. Still, it took patience and a whole lot of love.

For an extremely timid dog, you can begin by providing food, water and peace. Keep your palms open and turned up around the dog. This is a hard habit to break, particularly when you want to pet the dog, but this shows that you are not trying to grab or hit the dog.

In teaching trust, give them space when they want it. Keep at arms distance unless the dog comes to you. Dogs that tuck their tails between their legs usually want privacy, unless they are pressing up against your leg. Also, most dogs want to privacy while they eat their food.

Conversely, provide them with loads of praise and treats when they are behaving well. Reassure them. Play with them. Watch them for cues on when they need affection and reassurance.

Eventually, however, they'll do a bad bad thing. When they do, be firm, but not harsh. As a friend of mine says, be "a benevolent ruler."

You can almost immediately practice some commands such as sit, come and stay. Some dogs can even learn these from an experienced owner in an hour or so! However, the training you are probably most worried about - housebreaking - takes constant vigilance and much more time.

Never, ever yell at a rescued dog. Eventually they are going to do horrible, terrible things to either your carpet, furniture or your clothing... probably all three. Something you hold dear is going to be shredded, barfed on or otherwise destroyed. You just need to accept this now, so that you can react appropriately (i.e. screaming only on the inside) when it actually happens.

Remember that you cannot reprimand a dog unless you catch them in the act. They will have no idea why they are being punished. Think of your dog as maxing out at the level of a three-year-old person. If you scold them, it has to be for the exact thing they were just doing.

By extension, realize that rubbing their nose in a mess - besides being somewhat cruel - does not work.

To avoid accidents use crate training. When you are unable to watch the dog, keep them in a suitably-sized crate. Then, immediately take them outdoors when you take them out. After that, play with them and let them spend as much fun time with you as possible to establish a close bond.

Some will howl or bark when you first put them in; unless you think they are in pain or need to do their business, ignore it. They will eventually stop.

At first, you cannot keep them locked up for more than a few hours, except over night. When at work, you'll need to come home on lunch to let them out until they get the hang of things. Then, before you know it, you'll barely need to watch them. Eventually, most dogs can be left to roam the house all day and night.

In the end, when properly cared for, most dogs can become comfortable with their new home in a matter of days. Adults can usually be completely housebroken in a week or two (females learn fastest, then neutered males usually catch on). And they'll be kicking you out of the bed in no time!