What is the difference when choosing a training program for a rescued dog versus a dog that you purchased from a breeder?
Generally, it is important to start with a conversation with a dog trainer to work up a full background picture of your new dog. A good evaluation provides valuable information that can be used to come up with a training plan for that dog. There are several specific topics I seek to know prior to doing anything with any dog. I don’t just jump right in without knowing the background, especially if the dog was rescued.
I have seen a lot of training “failures” over the years. Generally, a pet store training program has the greatest potential to backfire if the dog has any serious problems or is outside the general nature of what they will do with the dog. Many dogs are scared in those environments and evoke problems. A similar problem is with dogs that are tossed into a board and train program. Here the dog has already been abandoned, now abandoned again. Dogs do best by settling into their new home and allowed to more naturally adapt to that new family culture and territory. Volunteers have known for a long time that it can take up to 3 months for many dogs to settle into the home. At the same time, the training can’t be held off if leftover problems aren’t being actively addressed during those first 3 months. A good example is house training. That just can’t be put off, and a boarding program isn’t a good place to do that. A pet store house training program is often insufficient and off base for a dog that has a longer-term problem with not pottying in the home.
When I first started out, most new dogs were purebreds from a breeder. Today, that has completely flipped around. The purebred puppies typically need a different approach than the rescued dogs (that can be adopted at any age and have varying problems).
The biggest mistake of either group of owners, whether purebred from a breeder, or rescued dog, is expecting too much from an untrained dog, jumping right in and punishing actions that they haven’t taken the time to understand. The biggest mistake the rescued dog owner makes is to not recognize there might be some trauma the dog is dealing with and not recognizing they should be helping this dog along properly from the very start.
Got a rescued dog? You need to start doing right by your new dog and puzzling them out and then adjusting their new experiences and training to fit their needs and yours.
Plan accordingly.