When we adopt a dog out to a new family, we always encourage our adopters to give their new family member some time to adjust. A guideline that we have found extremely useful has been the 3-3-3 rule. The rule of 3 explains how your new family member may feel after 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months of being with you. It is completely understandable that a newly adopted dog will need adequate time to adjust to their new family and routines.
With that being said, research has shown that within 3 days, your dog may feel overwhelmed, may be scared of their new environment, may not have an appetite, and may shut down. It truly depends on the dog. Depending on age, amount of trauma and personality of the dog it may take more or even less than 3 days. Patience is a virtue when adopting a new family member. And because they can't talk, we truly have no idea what our rescues have been through. This is something to keep in mind when adopting from any rescue or shelter.
Within 3 weeks, you may see you dog coming out of their shell. At this point, your pup may be feeling more settled and more in a routine. They have figured out there people a bit more, as well as their environment. They may be feeling a bit more comfortable so there is a possibility that you will see some new behaviors that have emerged. On a positive note, you may also get to see who they really are as they will feel more comfortable showing their personality. *This is why we have adopters meet our rescues at our facility. Our rescues have had time to adjust and feel most comfortable in an environment they know.
In 3 months, your new family member could feel entirely comfortable in their new environment. At this time, you may have developed a better relationship and bond with your pup. They should also be more comfortable, if not completely comfortable, in their routine. It will feel more like a furever home for them.
Of course, nothing is set in stone. These are more of guidelines to have a better understanding of how long it may take for your new family member to adjust. Being patient with your new pup is going to be vital in developing a strong bond that we have seen between (wo)man and dog over the years. This is not an easy process for families or dogs. It can take longer than 3 months or it could be way less. It is truly dependent on the dog and family. But, at least with the rule of 3's, you can have more empathy and understanding of the process.
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