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.

See Closeup of book cover

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.