Animal Welfare Professionals

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

Question from Tammy: We have a dog in foster who has a routine of going out. He'll pee outside but each time goin in he'll go to the foster room and  pooping there. Every day. No matter how long they spent outside.

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

I typically recommend if there is a pattern like this that when you come back inside, you keep the dog with you on leash for about 10-15 mins and then try to take them out again. It can take some time to get in that routine but if you know the dog needs to eliminate I would try that. Dogs can be picky about where they go potty, my dogs before would go anywhere and on any surface, but my current dog is extremely picking about where he goes. If you have access to a yard you might try putting him in the yard after the walk, some dogs also do not like an audience while they potty.

Question from Tammy: We have a dog in foster who has a routine of going out. He'll pee outside but each time goin in he'll go to the foster room and  pooping there. Every day. No matter how long they spent outside.

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

We had dogs do this. Would you recommend a feeding and potty schedule to help with this? We put all dogs on a feeding and potty schedule on the first day of coming in. It has worked well for us. But, we had some dogs who were using puppy pads before coming to us.  It would take a little longer than 3 days for the dog to adjust to the schedule.   

What are your thoughts about this?

I typically recommend if there is a pattern like this that when you come back inside, you keep the dog with you on leash for about 10-15 mins and then try to take them out again. It can take some time to get in that routine but if you know the dog needs to eliminate I would try that. Dogs can be picky about where they go potty, my dogs before would go anywhere and on any surface, but my current dog is extremely picking about where he goes. If you have access to a yard you might try putting him in the yard after the walk, some dogs also do not like an audience while they potty.

Question from Tammy: We have a dog in foster who has a routine of going out. He'll pee outside but each time goin in he'll go to the foster room and  pooping there. Every day. No matter how long they spent outside.

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

I think the schedule does help anticipate accidents. If it is working for you, that is great!

We had dogs do this. Would you recommend a feeding and potty schedule to help with this? We put all dogs on a feeding and potty schedule on the first day of coming in. It has worked well for us. But, we had some dogs who were using puppy pads before coming to us.  It would take a little longer than 3 days for the dog to adjust to the schedule.   

What are your thoughts about this?

I typically recommend if there is a pattern like this that when you come back inside, you keep the dog with you on leash for about 10-15 mins and then try to take them out again. It can take some time to get in that routine but if you know the dog needs to eliminate I would try that. Dogs can be picky about where they go potty, my dogs before would go anywhere and on any surface, but my current dog is extremely picking about where he goes. If you have access to a yard you might try putting him in the yard after the walk, some dogs also do not like an audience while they potty.

Question from Tammy: We have a dog in foster who has a routine of going out. He'll pee outside but each time goin in he'll go to the foster room and  pooping there. Every day. No matter how long they spent outside.

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

I typically recommend if there is a pattern like this that when you come back inside, you keep the dog with you on leash for about 10-15 mins and then try to take them out again. It can take some time to get in that routine but if you know the dog needs to eliminate I would try that. Dogs can be picky about where they go potty, my dogs before would go anywhere and on any surface, but my current dog is extremely picking about where he goes. If you have access to a yard you might try putting him in the yard after the walk, some dogs also do not like an audience while they potty.

Question from Tammy: We have a dog in foster who has a routine of going out. He'll pee outside but each time goin in he'll go to the foster room and  pooping there. Every day. No matter how long they spent outside.

Looking forward to this session! Hoping to hear some advice for introducing a foster dog to an existing dog in the home. 

Thanks for the informative discussion Chancel! I'm the Director of Education for The Retrievers volunteer lost dog search team. We search for far too many dogs that have arrived "home" to a new environment and are then expected to immediately feel safe and perfectly settled. We've had families arrive home from the shelter, open the car door and expect a dog that came from a hoarding house, a high-volume breeding farm or off the streets to calmly walk in the door and cuddle up by the fireplace.

Expertise like yours is crucial and we frequently work with rescue groups or shelters that don't have the time or resources to properly help people adapt to the challenges they face in bringing high-risk dogs into their lives. I firmly believe that the problem is not the dog. It's people's expectations of what a good dog behaves like, imposed on one that may have never lived like a pet. So clear, quick guidance about taking your time, allowing the dog to settle in and letting him or her adapt at their own pace is the key.

I would like to address your comments about the "3-3-3 Rule." Whenever we talk to groups or individuals, we stress this as guidance, not as a set of "Rules" to impose on the dog. It's a good way to get people thinking about slowing their approach to their dog's introduction to it's new home. To us, "3-3-3" is not a schedule -- it's a concept guiding people to let the dog adapt at it's own pace, under safe precautions, such as those you've presented.

Thanks again for everything you do to help your foster, adopters and others in the world of dogs keep their dogs safe!

Thanks for the informative discussion Chancel! I'm the Director of Education for The Retrievers volunteer lost dog search team. We search for far too many dogs that have arrived "home" to a new environment and are then expected to immediately feel safe and perfectly settled. We've had families arrive home from the shelter, open the car door and expect a dog that came from a hoarding house, a high-volume breeding farm or off the streets to calmly walk in the door and cuddle up by the fireplace.

Expertise like yours is crucial and we frequently work with rescue groups or shelters that don't have the time or resources to properly help people adapt to the challenges they face in bringing high-risk dogs into their lives. I firmly believe that the problem is not the dog. It's people's expectations of what a good dog behaves like, imposed on one that may have never lived like a pet. So clear, quick guidance about taking your time, allowing the dog to settle in and letting him or her adapt at their own pace is the key.

I would like to address your comments about the "3-3-3 Rule." Whenever we talk to groups or individuals, we stress this as guidance, not as a set of "Rules" to impose on the dog. It's a good way to get people thinking about slowing their approach to their dog's introduction to it's new home. To us, "3-3-3" is not a schedule -- it's a concept guiding people to let the dog adapt at it's own pace, under safe precautions, such as those you've presented.

Thanks again for everything you do to help your foster, adopters and others in the world of dogs keep their dogs safe!