We rescued Bella from Romania. She has been living with us since the middle of March and has been a wonderful addition to our family. However, when you take in a Romanian rescue dog expect them to need a few months to settle in. It’s a big adjustment especially when their life has been very different previously.

Home Comforts

After their hardship on the streets, it was only natural you want to search for luxury dog beds. We were determined to make up for all the hardships Bella had ever endured during the first year of her life, by giving her the best of everything.

However, the main thing is to make sure your new rescue dog has their own save space. Somewhere quiet they can retreat too. Also be considerate of their long journey to get to you. Let them rest and recuperate those first few days. You might want them to play but they need to sleep and recover.

Bella travelled through so many different countries over quite a few days to get to us. She was exhausted by the time she arrived, so naturally she slept a lot for the first three days. Take their lead and give them fuss and attention on their terms.

Limit Guests

When you have a new dog, everyone can get very excitable and want to meet them. You should wait a full week before introducing anyone else to your rescue dog. That first week is for them to adjust to their new life and human family. Do not overwhelm them by throwing in visitors as well. They will be stressed and confused from their long journey to get to you.

Flight Risk

A rescue dog can be nervous and anxious. During the first three days a rescue dog can be overwhelmed. Make sure you keep them on the lead even in your own garden at first. Additionally, you need to make sure they cannot jump the wall and escape. See what you can do to secure your garden, hopefully you did a good check before your rescue dog arrived. Preparation is key to make your rescue dog feel at home.

Bella was easily startled at first, she was not keen on crowds of people. She would try and wriggle and could have easily slipped her lead. So, I recommend buying a good secure dog harness for walks. A harness does require more handling of your dog though so some timid dogs might find that hard. Bella did get used to her harness very quickly.

Introducing Another Dog

We already had Summer, so we had to introduce our dogs to each other. Introductions are best done outside. You have to go slowly as your established dog already has its own territory and toys! It is a big adjustment for them.

It took a month for our two to really get along properly. But we saw some progress after the first week. Watching the pair of them doing the play bow then chasing each other happily around the garden was a real highlight! The main thing is don’t panic if they are not best friends straight away.

Training

Work on your training straight away. We have found it much easier now Bella can respond to English commands. She has mastered sit, wait and gentle (essential for giving a treat and not losing a finger in the process!). Her vocabulary has built up, she understands walk, treat, bed which helps her understands her daily routine. She gets comfort from knowing what to expect with her day.

There are things we are still working on; she is very opportunistic and will happily jump up on the dining room table to see if there are any scraps! But we have a less woodlice and spiders in the house now, I don’t think she is one to miss a snack even of the creepy crawly kind!