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Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

  • 1.  Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 05-23-2025 07:57 AM

    Chancel Siebuhr, Animal Care & Behavior Manager, PAWS of Coronado, discusses how to help a foster or adopted dog transition into a new home.  

    Register for the session so that you can receive notifications about upcoming webcasts and participate in discussions after the webcast.  
     


    Webcast Description:  

    From environmental changes to grief and loss, Chancel's presentation explores how emotional readiness, health, and home setup play crucial roles in a successful transition. She'll challenge the often-cited "3-3-3 rule," examine how unresolved health conditions can mimic or worsen behavioral problems, and discuss practical tools for managing stress, building trust, and setting dogs up for success. Topics include behavior management, crate/confinement training, enrichment, multi-dog dynamics, and what to expect emotionally during the early days of fostering or adopting. 


    About Chancel Siebuhr:
     

    Chancel Siebuhr worked in animal welfare for nearly 20 years, driven by a lifelong love for animals and a desire to help them live better lives. Her journey began with an ROP Veterinary Assistant certification class-not because she wanted to pursue the medical side of animal care, but because she wanted to understand as much as possible about the field.  

    As she explored different paths, she found herself drawn to animal behavior. Chancel started as a volunteer, then became an external trainer, and eventually stepped into the role of main trainer at the Behavior Center at San Diego Humane Society. After leaving SDHS, Chancel continued with private training and supported various shelters and rescues throughout San Diego.  

    For the past seven years, Chancel has been with PAWS, and for the last two years, she's served as the Animal Care and Behavior Manager. During that time, Chancel adopted a dog from PAWS-an incredibly humbling experience that brought new perspective. Even with years of experience and knowledge, Chancel faced challenges. It helped her truly understand what many adopters go through and deepened my empathy for both ends of the leash.  

    Now, Chancel is passionate about helping people better understand what it's like for a dog navigating a significant life change. Her goal is to bridge that gap, offering guidance, compassion, and insight to create lasting, successful bonds between people and their animals. 


    #AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #FosterPrograms

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    Kelly Duer
    Senior Shelter Solutions Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-03-2025 05:12 PM

    Thanks for sharing this, Kelly! Chancel's approach sounds thoughtful, especially challenging the "3-3-3 rule" and highlighting how health issues can affect behavior. It's so important to recognize how complex the transition period is for foster and adopted dogs. Looking forward to learning more during the session!



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    laura bairdd
    Office Clerck
    American Red Cross
    SC
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  • 3.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-04-2025 07:51 AM

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



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    Melissa Fitzgerald
    Volunteer
    Pawfect Life Rescue
    MA
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  • 4.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-05-2025 12:58 PM

    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.



    ------------------------------
    Kelly Duer
    Senior Shelter Solutions Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 5.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-05-2025 02:22 PM

    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.



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    Chancel Siebuhr
    Behavior and Training
    Paws of Coronado
    CA
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  • 6.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-06-2025 06:13 AM

    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?



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    Kim Jackson
    AKC CGC Evaluator
    President/Founder For The Puppies Foundation Inc.
    Corinth, MS
    kimj@forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    www.forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-10-2025 10:12 AM

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



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    Chancel Siebuhr
    Behavior and Training
    Paws of Coronado
    CA
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  • 8.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-10-2025 06:10 PM

    It works very well for us.  We then add potty bells at the door. Touch and targeting. We have been doing it for so long, we know when all the dogs will need to poop! lol



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    Kim Jackson
    AKC CGC Evaluator
    President/Founder For The Puppies Foundation Inc.
    Corinth, MS
    kimj@forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    www.forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-06-2025 06:38 AM

    Tank you. We'll try it. 



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    Tammy Fabian
    Executive Director
    Friends For Life Animal Rescue
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  • 10.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-05-2025 03:19 PM

    In chat, @Monika Kovacova (did i remember your last name?) had asked about info on bringing home a foster cat and I found one. This flash class has a GREAT video from Cat Town about setting up for success!  https://www.maddiesfund.org/bringing-your-foster-cat-home.htm

     



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    Sheila Segurson, DVM, DACVB
    Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist
    Director of Shelter Solutions
    Maddie's Fund
    Pleasanton CA
    9258608284
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  • 11.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-09-2025 09:50 AM

    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!



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    Ron Wenaas
    Volunteer
    Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest
    MN
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  • 12.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-09-2025 10:35 PM

    Ron,

    I could not agree more about the 333 "rule". We need to replace the word "rule" with something else like guidance, suggestions or something that conveys flexibility.  The person who created 333 meant well. It is easy to remember but it can set people up for disappointment with their pups. Maybe we should do away with it altogether. Thank you for your work in finding lost pets. 



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    Julielani Chang
    The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
    Davis CA
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  • 13.  RE: Homeward Hound: Bringing home your new dog- June 2025 in Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection

    Posted 06-11-2025 06:35 AM

    @Ron Wenaas

    I agree completely with your statement:  "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 recently had a someone tell me:  "a dog who does not come back, is not a dog worth having."   I am still in shock at this statement.   The above statement I quoted from your reply was explained using the 333 rule with training and bonding with a new adult dog going into a new home. This conversation took place before your reply.

    My thoughts about this:  Do you really expect a dog from a rescue/shelter to know that the adopters home is there home now on the first day?   



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    Kim Jackson
    AKC CGC Evaluator
    President/Founder For The Puppies Foundation Inc.
    Corinth, MS
    kimj@forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    www.forthepuppiesfoundation.org
    ------------------------------