A lot of the time, working with rescue dogs is incredibly rewarding and anyone working in rescue will tell you that seeing dogs come into their facility, get some time with the team and then head out to their forever homes is one of the most heart warming things you can ever be a part of. Having done some sort of rescue work many times over the years, I love nothing more than getting updates from my adopters and the dogs I've rehomed and seeing them living their best lives. However, working with rescue dogs isn't always sunshine and rainbows and with a lot of the dogs we work with having behavioral issues, it is often challenging and requires a lot of hard work.
Going into a rehoming facility, even one like ours that is in our family home, is stressful and most dogs can find the change in routine, people and everything else that comes with rehoming can cause varying levels of stress. Every dog deals with stress differently, some get super hyped up and can't settle, some get nervous and want to be left alone and there are lots of ways that dogs show their stress which can come out in different behavioral issues. So when new dogs come to us to begin their rehoming journey, there are sometimes a few extra hurdles we have to pop over to help the dog settle and get ready for their next steps.
Training is key
Because we understand that the rehoming process can be stressful, we do everything we can to make this process as minimally stressful as we possibly can. This varies for each dog but generally we stick to a good routine where they get plenty of exercise, crate or rest time and one on one time with one of the team to build relationships and get comfortable with the changes that come with going into the rehoming system. We also made sure that each one of our dogs is given at least one month with our team to do training to help them cope with the stress and changes as well as get them ready for their new home. This includes crate training all of our dogs and although not everyone loves crate training, in our experience in both training and rehoming, dogs who are nervous appreciate having a comfy crate to relax in and be left alone when they want to be. So we crate train all of our dogs to teach them where a safe space is for them as well as giving them a place to chill out away from the business of the life they have now stepped into. Each of our dogs get one to one training throughout that initial month to work on anything they need in order to be ready to move on to their new home in the best place they possibly can!
Sometimes less is more
A lot of the dogs we work with, when they first come in to begin their journey with us can find the big change very overwhelming. We are generally people they don't know very well, there are 8 - 10 other dogs in the house and everything is very different and it is not uncommon for some dogs to find it very overwhelming and need some time to come out of her shell. So although we will stick to a good routine from day 1 with the dogs we work with, we are not worried if some dogs need less from us in order to feel more comfortable. Going for a walk with a stranger can sometimes be a big enough step for one day and one of the best ways we can bond with more nervous dogs is by hand feeding them but if that is too much, we are not opposed to leaving them alone to come out of their shell when they are ready to do so. We have a minimum of one month for dogs to stay with us but we equally aren't opposed to having dogs stay with us for longer if they need it as we really aren't in a rush to rehome them if they aren't ready for another big change yet.
Some days are super hard
Sometimes, we work with dogs that are challenging, take a lot of time and energy and need a very specific and hard too find home. When working with rescue dogs, some will have unknown backgrounds, some will have a lot of trauma and potentially abuse and some will just find the rehoming process really challenging. Despite how wonderful it is to work with these dogs and see them finally come out of their shell and be rehomed eventually, it is now always a straightforward process and it can be really exhausting and a lot of hard work. Sometimes I just wish I could physically speak to a dog to let them know that I am not going to hurt them and I just want to help but sadly the world doesn't work that way and it can sometimes make working with these dogs super hard. It doesn't make me want to do it any less but it does make some days less enjoyable than others and it's totally okay to feel that way. Working in the rescue world is hard and it's okay to feel flat, overwhelmed and stressed sometimes, we're all human!
It really is so rewarding!
Despite everything, working with rescue dogs really is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do! Seeing a dog come in shy, scared, shut down or reactive and getting to be a part of their journey towards finding a forever home once they are ready is the most wonderful feeling. A lot of the dogs we work with are ones with behavioral issues that otherwise would likely be euthanised as other facilities simply can't or don't have the facilities and expertise to provide the training that these dogs need in order to be safely rehomed. Working with these dogs that would otherwise maybe not be given a chance and seeing them find a forever home and live their best life is the most rewarding thing you can ever be a part of. Being able to offer dogs a safe, loving and educational place to learn, grow and live whilst waiting for their forever homes is such a wonderful thing to offer and we wouldn't have it any other way.
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