Have you ever heard of the 3-3-3 rule of adopting a brand new canine?
It’s a set of pointers for transitioning a brand new canine into your property. Don’t let the phrases “rule” or “pointers” trick you into pondering it is a hard-and-fast scenario. Moderately, I like to think about it extra as a framework or mindset to assist your new canine settle.
Let’s dig in, and I’m going to share how our new pup, Penny, is doing on the identical time.
Right here’s the gist of the 3-3-3 rule:
The primary 3 days are to your canine to acclimate to his or her new environment. That is the “the place the heck am I” and “am I staying right here” section. At this level, your canine isn’t displaying his or her true colours due to the overwhelm.
The primary 3 weeks are to your canine to study the family guidelines and bounds in a loving, variety, constructive manner. It begins your bonding course of off on the fitting foot (er, paw?) and establishes the muse of your relationship.
The primary 3 months are for socialization, coaching, and new experiences. By the tip of three months, your canine ought to really feel settled and safe. Part of the household.
All through these first three days, weeks, and months, your job is to remain affected person. Set up variety boundaries. Stay calm. Present your canine with a protected, quiet house to make use of at his or her will. Be constant and sort. Reward what you need. Ignore or redirect what you don’t need. Begin fundamental coaching. Stroll daily, in the event you can. Perceive prematurely your canine will begin to check boundaries. Be affected person and keep constant.
Your canine’s job? Sniff, discover, check, experiment. Really, it’s to check the boundaries and work out what’s and isn’t acceptable habits in your house. As your pup turns into safer in your house, you’ll begin to see much more of his or her true persona shine via.
After three months, proceed to coach, problem, and socialize along with your pup, although she or he must be assured that your loved ones is right here to remain–no extra shelter for you, pupperoo!
So, how’s Penny doing?
In case you haven’t but met Penny, right here’s the primary publish the place I launched her and defined a little bit of her background and quirks. Wanting again at that publish, I’m amazed at how far she’s come… however extra on that in a sec.
Maintaining the 3-3-3 rule in thoughts, I additionally up to date on her progress after the primary month. On this occasion, I stretched these first three weeks into 4 largely as a result of week one for Penny consisted of sleep, sleep, and extra sleep. Trauma restoration, we predict.
Now, we’re simply previous the three-month mark, and there’s lots of progress to share!
On reflection, at three days, Penny wasn’t even able to sort out family routines. She wanted to sleep and eat. That was it.
At three weeks, she felt safer and extra built-in into the family, however her worry nonetheless dominated. Even at 4 weeks, once I wrote that final replace, she nonetheless oscillated between consolation and worry each single day.
Penny’s 3-month replace
She’s doing amazingly effectively.
Penny walks across the neighborhood most days. Some days–twice final week–one thing scares her, however she trusts us sufficient to know that when she freezes and turns towards dwelling, we are going to observe as an alternative of push.
She performs with toys. Now she must study the distinction between canine toys and child toys, however actually? That’s on the people, not the canine. Violet and Astrid rapidly discovered the consequence of not selecting up their toys and stuffed animals.
She sleeps a standard schedule now, which is a huge aid.
Penny not too long ago entered the kitchen–twice–all on her personal. We doled out reward and treats, however that wasn’t sufficient to persuade her it’s a protected house but. She hasn’t returned since.
She nonetheless hasn’t walked down the entrance corridor. Perhaps she’s going to sometime. Perhaps she received’t. For now, she’s established an extended route via the lounge to get to the steps and skips the hallway altogether. And that’s OK. She’ll get there… or she received’t. Once more, I’m not keen to push on issues that don’t matter.
Lest the 3-3-3 rule appear too good
I checked out lots of infographics that implied your canine shall be completely settled in at three months! Congrats! You made it!
Besides. Nuh-uh.
Perhaps your canine completely match proper into your loved ones and your family and by three months hit a strong stride.
It’s attainable, however it appears much less doubtless than your canine needing a bit longer than that mark, which is why I like to think about it extra because the 3-3-3 guideline.
Penny nonetheless flinches if you increase an arm or leg close to her (although she hangs out once I observe yoga, in order that’s big progress). She received’t stroll down the hallway–or enter a toilet, the eating room, or the laundry room, for that matter. She feels safer lounging in her crate than she does snuggling on my mattress.
Candy Penny whines and cries when she realizes somebody is someplace she will be able to’t entry (like the lavatory or eating room) and won’t go to the lavatory on a stroll.
She drinks water from puddles within the yard and is barely now beginning to belief the canine bowls of recent water on the deck and in the home.
At three months, your canine most likely understands she or he is right here to remain. And that’s superior. That’s an enormous hurdle for canines who’ve been bounced round from shelters or rescues or foster properties or unstable, unsafe conditions like Penny’s.
The remainder is dependent upon the canine’s persona and the family people’ canine abilities.
So, in the event you’re somebody who reads one thing like this set of pointers and feels such as you’re failing as a result of your canine remains to be scared / reactive / untrained / no matter on the three-month mark, relaxation assured that you just’re high-quality. Your canine is okay. I imply, heck, I labored with Cooper for greater than 13 years and he by no means “overcame” his worry or his reactivity.
It’s not about having a “good” canine after three months. It’s about constructing a bond along with your canine, constructing belief and safety. Giving your canine a way of security.
The remainder, like Penny’s hallway, will both come or it received’t.
For those who loved this publish, you’ll most likely take pleasure in my forthcoming guide, For the Love of Canine, from Regalo Press in February 2025. It’s chock stuffed with the newest analysis in canine cognition mixed with tales of my canines to convey the info to life. To remain up-to-date on the newest with Penny and my publication information, be part of the mailing checklist or observe alongside on Instagram.
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