The Rescue Dog/ Adopt the Perfect Dog A practical guide to choosing & adopting an adult dog
The Rescue Dog will help owners choose and rehabilitate dogs that have been
given up by previous owners.
Written by Gwen Bailey, this
book will help owners overcome problems & ensure a new dog adjusts quickly
to its new home.
With easy-to-follow step-by-step photography, The Rescue
Dog will teach owners essential techniques for re-training & educating their
newly adopted dog.
Making sure you
are well prepared before taking a new pet into your home is the object of this
book. It aims to give you the information you need to choose the right dog for
you & your family and to make it easy to start off your relationship on the
right foot.
It is a sad fact that many dogs that are acquired with such high expectations
as puppies do not stay with one set of owners for life.
I worked as the Animal Behaviourist for one of Britain's largest animal welfare
charities. I have helped to sort out problems which have arisen between a new
dog & its owner, given advice to new owners to help dogs settle in more easily
& provide back-up advice for when anything goes wrong.
This book is an attempt to reach people who would otherwise not have benefitted
from this service. Dogs and new owners are so varied that a book cannot possibly
contain all you need to know, but it can give you some important guidelines to
start you off on the right foot and help you avoid basic mistakes that can so
easily result in the dog being returned.
It will help you to select & keep a companion that will, hopefully, spend
many happy years as an important member of your family.
Contents:
Foreword by Katie Boyle
Introduction
Which is the right dog for you?
Deciding what you want, Physical attributes
(male/female, neutered/entire, Age, Coat, Temperament, Breed, Good with children/
other pets/ strangers/ other dogs), Energy levels, How strong-willed? How cuddly?
How trainable? How independent?
Where to find rescue dogs, (Rescue
centres & dog's homes, breed rescue organisations, Through a friend, Via an
advertisement)
Why are dogs rehomed?, Strays, Reliability
of information
The adoption process
Finding your perfect rescue dog
Early days & introductions
Building a successful relationship
Understanding your dog's needs
Essential training
Coping with shyness & aggression
Alone at home
Why punishment doesn't work
Will another dog help?
Establish a good departure routine
Over-attachment to new owners, Symptoms,
Teach your dog to tolerate being alone, An attitude that works, Separation problems
due to fear, Tips to help with separation problems
Fear of things outside the house
Fear of things inside the house
Treatment, Drug Therapy
Bored dogs & what to do, Tips
Dogs not used to living in houses
Curing minor behaviour problems
General rules, Check your dog's health
Expert help for severe problems, Punishment,
Satisfy your dog's needs
Jumping up
Problems at night
House-training, How to house-train
an adult dog, How long will it take, Other house-soiling problems
Excessive barking, Barking through
frustration or excitement, Territorial barking, Barking for attention, Teaching
dogs to bark & be quiet on command
Bad manners, Environmental correction
Car travel, Car sickness & fear,
Chasing, Fear of things outside the car, Excitement in the car, Attention seeking,
Car travel tips
Running away
Beau's story
Useful addresses & index
A reader's feedback:-
"I rescued a one year old male GSD, Sam, just over three years ago.
I have just re-read 'The Rescue Dog' which I bought when I first
got Sam. The book has been invaluable for me and coupled with advice from local
trainers, has helped us to overcome the issues Sam had (fearfulness, separation
anxiety, non-existant recall etc. etc!).
I realised I no longer had a problem dog any more when it occurred to me
that I hadn't consulted your book for over 12 months!
I think your book should be recommended to everyone who takes on a rescue
dog. I read
Beau's story with great interest and it really made me smile when you
said you look back and remember how he used to behave, as I do it all
the time with Sam now. One of the things I like most about your book is
that you show that you too are only human and became frustrated with
Beau - I too have done the same with Sam out of sheer frustration, and then I've
beaten myself up over it for days thinking how awful it must have been for him
when I reacted this way.
Anyway, enough of all that - what I really wanted to say was that it's a
great book - keep up the good work! "
More Information:
If you have read through some of the Dog
Behaviour Problems listed on this site, you will soon see how problematic
life can be for rescue dogs who have not had the benefit of training for everyday
life.
Please also see Training for Life
(everyday life) easy & fun training classes you can do at home, including:
Audio tape of noises your dog must learn to be unafraid of
Video on how to raise a friendly, well balanced dog that can cope with everyday
experiences in the modern world
Explanation of training using rewards, toilet training, learning to be alone,
chewing, adolescence, setting boundaries and saying ‘no, solving behaviour
problems, tricks, games and having fun.