“My daughter has adopted a foreign rescue dog who is arriving in a few days. The dog was a street dog and we’ve been told by the rescue she is a calm-natured dog. My daughter already has another dog, but she will be returning to work in 2 weeks and the rescue dog will be coming to stay with me during the day and I have a dog and cat of my own. How do I get the new rescue dog used to my dogs? Should we crate train the new dog? I have a utility room next to my kitchen – would that be a good space for her?”
Dear Concerned Rescue-Dog-Grandparent,
Thank you for reaching out, and you’ve asked some really important questions so well done for considering these in advance.
Adopting an overseas rescue dog can be very rewarding, but it does come with its fair share of challenges and unknowns. Let’s dive into some key things to keep in mind as you prepare for your daughter’s dog’s arrival.
Managing Rescue Dog Temperament Expectations
First things first: you don’t know what dog you’ve got until they arrive. I’ve seen dogs ‘flip out’ on the journey to the UK, where they set off fairly balanced and chilled, but find the journey so incredibly stressful that what you end up with on the other end is a nervous wreck of a dog that takes a long time to settle.
On the other hand, you could have a very confident and happy dog that turns up. But most will need a period of decompression – read my guide on how to settle your new foreign rescue dog for more info.
Take it with a Pinch of Salt
Rescues, especially ones based overseas, often don’t have the full picture of the dog’s temperament, and it’s not their fault. Most dogs from a shelter or street environment haven’t been behaviourally tested in a typical home environment with kids running around, or with delivery drivers turning up. They’ve never experienced vacuum cleaners, doorbells, or the strange sounds of a home settling at night. A dog labelled as “calm” might become anxious once faced with these new experiences.
Likewise, some dogs that found the kennel environment stressful might thrive in a quiet home environment, so you never know.
These dogs have usually been living in pens with multiple other dogs, not in a home environment. They often don’t get one on one time with humans so might not have that keenness to train with you or engage with you that you might expect from a ‘UK’ dog. The other thing is that their genetics is set up to help a street dog survive which comes with other traits that are different to our UK dogs (I’ll do a separate post on that sometime!).
Be prepared for anything and give your new dog plenty of time to show you who they really are without putting too much stress on them.
Don’t Start Crate Training Right Away
I love that you’re thinking ahead about crates, but here’s an important note: don’t rush into crate training. I love crates and think they’re so useful but they have to be introduced correctly. My own dogs who have crates LOVE theirs and it’s their safe space, but it won’t be yet for your new rescue dog.
Why It’s Too Soon
Most rescue dogs won’t have been crate trained. In fact, they might have some unpleasant associations with cages or enclosed spaces, especially if they’ve travelled long distances in a crate or were confined during transport to you. The last thing we want is for your new dog to feel even more stressed during the transition period by putting them into a crate, or starting crate training which could feel quite intense having to train so early on.
Give them time to settle first, and only introduce the crate as a safe, cosy space when they’re more comfortable in their new environment. You could put one in their pen or safe room to retreat into if they so wish. I much prefer having a pen set up where they can move around more freely, or a separate room with a babygate to the rest of the house.
Introducing A New Dog to Your Home, Family and Other Pets
You mentioned that the new rescue dog will be spending some time at your home also.
Your home will be a BIG adjustment after the initial settling-in period at your daughter’s house, and it’s crucial to make this as smooth as possible. After all, the dog doesn’t know that your daughter’s home is it’s ‘proper’ home, and yours is just somewhere it’s visiting. They could be being abandoned for all they know!
Creating a Safe Space
Your idea of using a babygate to section off the utility room is really good – this way the dog has a quiet retreat where they can observe the goings-on of your household from a safe distance, and your dog and cat can see and smell and hear the new dog, but don’t have to interact. This gives your dog and cat a chance to get used to the newcomer at a manageable pace.
Remember, no pressure is the key here! Allow your new rescue dog to gradually explore and get used to your home and other pets at their own pace. If they are struggling then put a blanket over the babygate and gradually remove it once everyone is more used to each other.
For your daughter’s dog, some will not appreciate a newcomer encroaching on their home so a separate room where they can smell the other dog can be useful. Depending on the rescue dog, you could even be on lead in the garden for first meeting, however, be careful as many foreign rescue dogs bolt early on if they get off lead so be careful with any outside activities – I’d recommend keeping them on lead for toileting in the garden until you’re confident they won’t try and escape or jump fences (some are desperate to escape in those first few weeks – not because they don’t like their new home, but because they’re trying to get back to their ‘normal’ life).
Final Thoughts and Good Luck
Well done on thinking ahead about how to best manage these interactions – first impressions count and it’s much easier for everyone to be comfortable with each other gradually rather than things going wrong by rushing and retrospectively trying to fix the issue.
Best of luck to your daughter and to you in this new adventure!
Take care,
Carrie
