Have you ever ever heard of the 3-3-3 rule of adopting a model new canine?

It’s a set of suggestions for transitioning a model new canine into your individual dwelling. Don’t let the phrases “rule” or “suggestions” trick you into contemplating it’s a hard-and-fast state of affairs. Pretty, I like to consider it additional as a framework or mindset to help your new canine settle.

Let’s dig in, and I’m going to share how our new pup, Penny, is doing on the equivalent time.

Proper right here’s the gist of the 3-3-3 rule:

The first 3 days are to your canine to acclimate to his or her new atmosphere. That’s the “the place the heck am I” and “am I staying proper right here” half. At this stage, your canine isn’t displaying his or her true colors as a result of overwhelm.

The first 3 weeks are to your canine to review the household tips and bounds in a loving, kind, constructive technique. It begins your bonding course of off on the becoming foot (er, paw?) and establishes the muse of your relationship.

The first 3 months are for socialization, teaching, and new experiences. By the tip of three months, your canine ought to actually really feel settled and protected. A part of the family.

All by way of these first three days, weeks, and months, your job is to stay affected individual. Arrange kind boundaries. Keep calm. Current your canine with a protected, quiet space to utilize at his or her will. Be fixed and type. Reward what you want. Ignore or redirect what you don’t want. Start basic teaching. Stroll every day, when you may. Understand upfront your canine will start to check out boundaries. Be affected individual and hold fixed.

Your canine’s job? Sniff, uncover, check out, experiment. Truly, it’s to verify the boundaries and work out what’s and isn’t acceptable habits in your own home. As your pup turns into safer in your own home, you’ll start to see rather more of his or her true persona shine through.

After three months, proceed to educate, drawback, and socialize alongside together with your pup, though he or she have to be assured that your family members is true right here to stay–no additional shelter for you, pupperoo!

So, how’s Penny doing?

In case you haven’t however met Penny, proper right here’s the first submit the place I launched her and outlined a little bit little bit of her background and quirks. Wanting once more at that submit, I am amazed at how far she’s come… nevertheless additional on that in a sec.

Holding the 3-3-3 rule in ideas, I moreover updated on her progress after the first month. On this event, I stretched these first three weeks into 4 largely on account of week one for Penny consisted of sleep, sleep, and additional sleep. Trauma restoration, we anticipate.

Now, we’re merely earlier the three-month mark, and there’s an entire lot of progress to share!

Trying again, at three days, Penny wasn’t even capable of cope with household routines. She needed to sleep and eat. That was it.

At three weeks, she felt safer and additional built-in into the household, nevertheless her concern nonetheless dominated. Even at 4 weeks, as soon as I wrote that last change, she nonetheless oscillated between comfort and concern every single day.

Penny’s 3-month change

She’s doing amazingly properly.

Penny walks throughout the neighborhood most days. Some days–twice last week–one factor scares her, nevertheless she trusts us ample to know that when she freezes and turns in the direction of residence, we’ll adjust to instead of push.

She performs with toys. Now she should examine the excellence between canine toys and baby toys, nevertheless really? That’s on the individuals, not the canine. Violet and Astrid shortly found the consequence of not deciding on up their toys and stuffed animals.

She sleeps a normal schedule now, which is a big discount.

Penny recently entered the kitchen–twice–all on her private. We doled out reward and treats, nevertheless that wasn’t ample to influence her it’s a protected space however. She hasn’t returned since.

She nonetheless hasn’t walked down the doorway hall. Probably she’s going to someday. Probably she gained’t. For now, she’s established an prolonged route through the lounge to get to the steps and skips the hallway altogether. And that’s OK. She’ll get there… or she gained’t. As soon as extra, I’m not ready to push on points that don’t matter.

Lest the 3-3-3 rule seem too good

I checked out an entire lot of infographics that implied your canine will most likely be fully settled in at three months! Congrats! You made it!

Moreover. Nuh-uh.

Probably your canine fully match correct into your family members and your loved ones and by three months hit a secure stride.

It’s attainable, however it seems a lot much less probably than your canine needing a bit longer than that mark, which is why I like to consider it additional as a result of the 3-3-3 guideline.

Penny nonetheless flinches whilst you elevate an arm or leg near her (though she hangs out as soon as I observe yoga, so that’s massive progress). She gained’t stroll down the hallway–or enter a bathroom, the consuming room, or the laundry room, for that matter. She feels safer lounging in her crate than she does snuggling on my mattress.

Sweet Penny whines and cries when she realizes any individual is someplace she’s going to be capable of’t entry (like the bathroom or consuming room) and will not go to the bathroom on a stroll.

She drinks water from puddles inside the yard and is just now starting to perception the canine bowls of latest water on the deck and within the dwelling.

At three months, your canine most likely understands he or she is true right here to stay. And that’s superior. That’s an infinite hurdle for canine who’ve been bounced spherical from shelters or rescues or foster properties or unstable, unsafe circumstances like Penny’s.

The remaining will depend upon the canine’s persona and the household individuals’ canine experience.

So, if you’re any individual who reads one factor like this set of suggestions and feels corresponding to you’re failing on account of your canine continues to be scared / reactive / untrained / regardless of on the three-month mark, rest assured that you just simply’re optimistic. Your canine is okay. I suggest, heck, I labored with Cooper for larger than 13 years and he on no account “overcame” his concern or his reactivity.

It’s not about having a “good” canine after three months. It’s about establishing a bond alongside together with your canine, establishing perception and security. Giving your canine a method of safety.

The remaining, like Penny’s hallway, will each come or it gained’t.

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Within the occasion you liked this submit, you’ll most likely get pleasure from my forthcoming book, For the Love of Canine, from Regalo Press in February 2025. It’s chock filled with the most recent evaluation in canine cognition combined with tales of my canine to convey the knowledge to life. To stay up-to-date on the most recent with Penny and my publication info,  be a part of the mailing document or adjust to alongside on Instagram.

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