The three-3-3 Rule of Canine Rescue and a Penny Progress Change
Have you ever ever heard of the 3-3-3 rule of adopting a model new canine?
It’s a set of suggestions for transitioning a model new canine into your own home. Don’t let the phrases “rule” or “suggestions” trick you into contemplating this generally is a hard-and-fast state of affairs. Barely, I like to think about it additional as a framework or mindset to help your new canine settle.
Let’s dig in, and I’m going to share how our new pup, Penny, is doing on the same time.
Proper right here’s the gist of the 3-3-3 rule:
The first 3 days are to your canine to acclimate to his or her new atmosphere. That’s the “the place the heck am I” and “am I staying proper right here” half. At this degree, your canine isn’t displaying his or her true colors as a result of overwhelm.
The first 3 weeks are to your canine to check the household tips and limits in a loving, type, constructive method. It begins your bonding course of off on the appropriate foot (er, paw?) and establishes the muse of your relationship.
The first 3 months are for socialization, teaching, and new experiences. By the highest of three months, your canine ought to essentially really feel settled and protected. A part of the family.
All by these first three days, weeks, and months, your job is to stay affected individual. Arrange type boundaries. Keep calm. Current your canine with a protected, quiet space to utilize at his or her will. Be fixed and type. Reward what you want. Ignore or redirect what you don’t want. Start elementary teaching. Stroll each single day, ought to you possibly can. Understand upfront your canine will start to examine boundaries. Be affected individual and maintain fixed.
Your canine’s job? Sniff, uncover, examine, experiment. Really, it’s to examine the boundaries and work out what’s and isn’t acceptable habits in your own home. As your pup turns into safer in your own home, you’ll start to see far more of his or her true character shine by way of.
After three months, proceed to teach, downside, and socialize alongside together with your pup, though he or she have to be assured that your family members is correct right here to stay–no additional shelter for you, pupperoo!
So, how’s Penny doing?
In case you haven’t however met Penny, proper right here’s the first publish the place I launched her and outlined a bit little bit of her background and quirks. Wanting once more at that publish, I am amazed at how far she’s come… nevertheless additional on that in a sec.
Conserving the 3-3-3 rule in ideas, I moreover updated on her progress after the first month. On this event, I stretched these first three weeks into 4 largely because of week one for Penny consisted of sleep, sleep, and further sleep. Trauma restoration, we predict.
Now, we’re merely earlier the three-month mark, and there’s plenty of progress to share!
On reflection, at three days, Penny wasn’t even capable of type out household routines. She needed to sleep and eat. That was it.
At three weeks, she felt safer and further built-in into the household, nevertheless her fear nonetheless dominated. Even at 4 weeks, after I wrote that remaining substitute, she nonetheless oscillated between comfort and fear every single day.
Penny’s 3-month substitute
She’s doing amazingly successfully.
Penny walks throughout the neighborhood most days. Some days–twice remaining week–one factor scares her, nevertheless she trusts us adequate to know that when she freezes and turns in the direction of home, we’ll adjust to instead of push.
She performs with toys. Now she should examine the excellence between canine toys and baby toys, nevertheless truly? That’s on the folks, not the canine. Violet and Astrid quickly realized the consequence of not deciding on up their toys and stuffed animals.
She sleeps a conventional schedule now, which is a large assist.
Penny not too way back entered the kitchen–twice–all on her private. We doled out reward and treats, nevertheless that wasn’t adequate to influence her it’s a protected space however. She hasn’t returned since.
She nonetheless hasn’t walked down the doorway hall. Presumably she’s going to someday. Presumably she gained’t. For now, she’s established an prolonged route by way of the lounge to get to the steps and skips the hallway altogether. And that’s OK. She’ll get there… or she gained’t. As soon as extra, I’m not ready to push on points that don’t matter.
Lest the 3-3-3 rule seem too good
I checked out plenty of infographics that implied your canine may be fully settled in at three months! Congrats! You made it!
In addition to. Nuh-uh.
Presumably your canine fully match correct into your family members and your loved ones and by three months hit a steady stride.
It’s potential, however it seems a lot much less probably than your canine needing a bit longer than that mark, which is why I like to think about it additional as a result of the 3-3-3 guideline.
Penny nonetheless flinches whilst you enhance an arm or leg near her (though she hangs out after I observe yoga, so that’s massive progress). She gained’t stroll down the hallway–or enter a bathroom, the consuming room, or the laundry room, for that matter. She feels safer lounging in her crate than she does snuggling on my mattress.
Sweet Penny whines and cries when she realizes any person is someplace she is going to be capable of’t entry (like the bathroom or consuming room) and will not go to the bathroom on a stroll.
She drinks water from puddles inside the yard and is barely now starting to perception the canine bowls of up to date water on the deck and within the dwelling.
At three months, your canine most certainly understands he or she is correct right here to stay. And that’s superior. That’s an unlimited hurdle for canines who’ve been bounced spherical from shelters or rescues or foster homes or unstable, unsafe situations like Penny’s.
The rest depends upon the canine’s character and the household folks’ canine experience.
So, do you have to’re any person who reads one factor like this set of suggestions and feels akin to you’re failing because of your canine continues to be scared / reactive / untrained / irrespective of on the three-month mark, rest assured that you simply simply’re fantastic. Your canine is okay. I indicate, heck, I labored with Cooper for larger than 13 years and he in no way “overcame” his fear or his reactivity.
It’s not about having a “good” canine after three months. It’s about establishing a bond alongside together with your canine, establishing perception and security. Giving your canine a manner of safety.
The rest, like Penny’s hallway, will each come or it gained’t.
Within the occasion you liked this publish, you’ll most certainly take pleasure in my forthcoming e-book, For the Love of Canine, from Regalo Press in February 2025. It’s chock full of the latest evaluation in canine cognition blended with tales of my canines to hold the data to life. To stay up-to-date on the latest with Penny and my publication info, be a part of the mailing file or adjust to alongside on Instagram.
