Fourteen months ago, I put up my future dogs and fell in love. I was committed from the beginning to having a successful adoption and providing 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 mixed female beagles, who had not been bred together. He had no special training for this task, just a love for dogs. Here are my tips based on experience.

1. Puppy proof in 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 nagging, especially in the beginning. Reba had been abused and was very sensitive to correction. She would hide when scolded.
2. Try a good adoption group. Breed rescues are particularly good. They should interview you and your family to verify your suitability. One of my dogs had been in foster care prior to the adoption, so the foster mother stayed 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 get to know dogs better. 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 food will prevent gastrointestinal upset during a stressful period. You can always change it later.
5. Provide a safe place, such as a crate, for the dog to have a place to retreat and rest. Adjustment can be very tiring.
6. Select a behavior to work on at the moment. Pick 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 in 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 is a great commercial on television about bonding with a rescued dog. The woman was rolling a ball towards the dog several times with no response, so she stops and the ball returns followed by the dog. Trust takes time, especially if the dog was abused, but with love and time comes. Reba was afraid of men from her previous experience, but without pressure she felt comfortable.
8. Register the microchip right away so that if your dog gets loose, they can find it. Reba dug for the first month and left her necklace. I was able to get her back thanks to that tag and another dog lover.
9. Consider obedience training for both of you. It can strengthen the bond.
10. Know that dogs play fight. He did not know this because he had always had only one dog at a time. It was a huge shock, but Coco’s foster mother helped me get through it. Now if I tell them to stop they lick each other to show it was a game.

Coco, Reba and I are a 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 under 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 is not always easy but when they look at you, it is very clear that they know that you rescued them and they love you for it.