Have you ever heard of the 3-3-3 rule of adopting a brand new canine?
It’s a collection of tips for transitioning a brand new canine into your own home. Don’t let the phrases “rule” or “tips” trick you into pondering it is a hard-and-fast scenario. Reasonably, I really like to think about it extra as a framework or mindset to assist your new canine settle.
Let’s dig in, and I’m going to percentage how our new puppy, Penny, is doing on the similar time.
Right here’s the gist of the 3-3-3 rule:
The primary 3 days are to your canine to acclimate to his or her new environment. That is the “the place the heck am I” and “am I staying right here” segment. At this level, your canine isn’t appearing his or her true colours on account of the crush.
The primary 3 weeks are to your canine to be informed the family laws and bounds in a loving, type, certain method. It begins your bonding procedure off at the proper foot (er, paw?) and establishes the root of your courting.
The primary 3 months are for socialization, coaching, and new stories. Via the tip of 3 months, your canine will have to really feel settled and protected. Part of the circle of relatives.
During the ones first 3 days, weeks, and months, your activity is to stick affected person. Determine type barriers. Stay calm. Supply your canine with a secure, quiet house to make use of at his or her will. Be constant and sort. Praise what you need. Forget about or redirect what you don’t need. Get started elementary coaching. Stroll on a daily basis, if you’ll be able to. Perceive prematurely your canine will begin to check barriers. Be affected person and keep constant.
Your canine’s activity? Sniff, discover, check, experiment. Actually, it’s to check the bounds and work out what’s and isn’t appropriate habits in your house. As your puppy turns into extra protected in your house, you’ll begin to see much more of his or her true character shine via.
After 3 months, proceed to coach, problem, and socialize together with your puppy, despite the fact that she or he will have to be assured that your circle of relatives is right here to stick–not more refuge for you, pupperoo!
So, how’s Penny doing?
If you haven’t but met Penny, right here’s the primary put up the place I offered her and defined slightly of her background and quirks. Taking a look again at that put up, I’m amazed at how a ways she’s come… however extra on that during a sec.
Preserving the 3-3-3 rule in thoughts, I additionally up to date on her development after the primary month. On this example, I stretched the ones first 3 weeks into 4 in large part as a result of week one for Penny consisted of sleep, sleep, and extra sleep. Trauma restoration, we predict.
Now, we’re simply previous the three-month mark, and there’s a large number of development to percentage!
On reflection, at 3 days, Penny wasn’t even able to take on family routines. She had to sleep and consume. That was once it.
At 3 weeks, she felt extra protected and extra built-in into the family, however her worry nonetheless dominated. Even at 4 weeks, once I wrote that closing replace, she nonetheless oscillated between convenience and worry each unmarried day.
Penny’s 3-month replace
She’s doing amazingly neatly.
Penny walks across the group maximum days. Some days–two times closing week–one thing scares her, however she trusts us sufficient to understand that once she freezes and turns towards house, we can practice as a substitute of push.
She performs with toys. Now she wishes to be informed the adaptation between canine toys and child toys, however in truth? That’s at the people, no longer the canine. Violet and Astrid temporarily realized the end result of no longer choosing up their toys and crammed animals.
She sleeps a typical agenda now, which is an enormous reduction.
Penny not too long ago entered the kitchen–two times–all on her personal. We doled out reward and treats, however that wasn’t sufficient to persuade her it’s a secure house but. She hasn’t returned since.
She nonetheless hasn’t walked down the entrance corridor. Perhaps she is going to one day. Perhaps she gained’t. For now, she’s established an extended direction via the lounge to get to the steps and skips the hallway altogether. And that’s OK. She’ll get there… or she gained’t. Once more, I’m no longer keen to push on issues that don’t subject.
Lest the 3-3-3 rule appear too easiest
I checked out a large number of infographics that implied your canine will probably be completely settled in at 3 months! Congrats! You made it!
Except for. Nuh-uh.
Perhaps your canine completely are compatible proper into your circle of relatives and your family and by means of 3 months hit a cast stride.
It’s imaginable, however it sort of feels much less most likely than your canine desiring slightly longer than that mark, which is why I really like to think about it extra because the 3-3-3 tenet.
Penny nonetheless flinches whilst you carry an arm or leg close to her (despite the fact that she hangs out once I apply yoga, in order that’s massive development). She gained’t stroll down the hallway–or input a rest room, the eating room, or the laundry room, for that subject. She feels more secure lounging in her crate than she does snuggling on my mattress.
Candy Penny whines and cries when she realizes anyone is someplace she will’t get admission to (like the toilet or eating room) and won’t pass to the toilet on a stroll.
She beverages water from puddles within the backyard and is handiest now beginning to consider the canine bowls of clean water at the deck and in the home.
At 3 months, your canine almost certainly understands she or he is right here to stick. And that’s superior. That’s an enormous hurdle for canine who’ve been bounced round from shelters or rescues or foster properties or risky, unsafe eventualities like Penny’s.
The remainder is dependent upon the canine’s character and the family people’ canine abilities.
So, in case you’re anyone who reads one thing like this set of tips and feels such as you’re failing as a result of your canine continues to be scared / reactive / untrained / no matter on the three-month mark, relaxation confident that you just’re tremendous. Your canine is okay. I imply, heck, I labored with Cooper for greater than 13 years and he by no means “overcame” his worry or his reactivity.
It’s no longer about having a “easiest” canine after 3 months. It’s about construction a bond together with your canine, construction consider and safety. Giving your canine a way of protection.
The remainder, like Penny’s hallway, will both come or it gained’t.
In the event you loved this put up, you’ll almost certainly experience my imminent guide, For the Love of Canine, from Regalo Press in February 2025. It’s chock stuffed with the most recent analysis in dog cognition mixed with tales of my canine to deliver the knowledge to lifestyles. To stick up-to-date on the most recent with Penny and my newsletter information, sign up for the mailing listing or practice alongside on Instagram.
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