How Does a Rescue Dog Feel When They Are Rehomed?

Adopting a rescue dog and providing her with a good home can be a wonderful and rewarding experience.

But it’s important to remember your new furry friend may be coming from a stressful – possibly even traumatic – situation, and being rehomed may be a difficult adjustment.

In this article, you’ll learn how to read your dog’s body language so you know how she’s feeling, as well as how to help her feel more at ease.

I’ll also feature six real-life experiences I’ve had when adopting a rescue dog, where each dog’s stress and anxiety were manifested in a different – and sometimes unexpected – way.

How do dogs feel when they find themselves in a new home?

Dogs may feel many different emotions when they are rehomed (e.g. stressed, anxious, scared, sad, depressed, confused, happy, excited, relieved). They may have been victims of abuse or trauma. All this plays a part in the dog’s behavior.

But let’s start by looking at the aspect of control. When a dog is rehomed she has no control over the situation. Your new pet doesn’t know where she’s going or why, she doesn’t know who the people are, or if she’s going to be safe.

When she gets to her new home, everything is new and different – the people, the environment, the food, the sounds, the scents, the routine. It’s no wonder so many dogs find it overwhelming and have difficulty adapting.

There may be other pets or enthusiastic family members who just want to give her a hug, or loud traffic passing by on the road outside. And she still doesn’t know if she’s safe.

Not being in control of your own fate is incredibly stressful, but this is something that is often overlooked when animals are rehomed in my experience.

But while many dogs will be wary of their new surroundings (and some will be terrified), others will take it all in their stride and be snuggling up to you on the couch (yes, it’s okay to let him on the couch!) in no time.

If that’s the case, then good for you – and good for your pup! 

Many other dogs will take time to feel at ease. Sometimes it may look like a dog is coping well, while in fact, they’re incredibly stressed and anxious.

A newly rehomed dog may be fearful, aggressive, shut down, anxious, hyperactive, pushy, clingy, or barking and whining, to name a few, and it’s important to know the signs and understand the associated behaviors.

Dogs who are being rehomed from one home to another might adapt more quickly as they are used to a home environment.

Even though rehoming may be the best option in the long run, they may also feel any of the emotions mentioned above.

They may feel sad to be removed from their previous owners or other pet they are bonded with. Or they may feel relieved that they are finally now in what appears to be a loving home and the right home for them.

Regardless, they still need time to feel safe, learn to trust their new family and routine, get to know the other pets, and get used to the food, and new environment.

Dogs who have come from a local animal shelter may have been coping with a very stressful environment with lots of noise and a close proximity to other dogs.

But they may also have had dog friends, and bonded with some of the local shelter workers and volunteers, or people from one of the rescue groups.

They will most likely have been used to the food and routine of the shelter. And they may have had little – or no – experience of life in a home.

We need to bear all of this in mind when we are adopting a new dog and make sure we do everything we can to help her feel safe and secure and help build her trust and confidence.

In addition, rescue organizations can go a long way toward helping the situation depending on their rehoming process, and ensuring that they educate potential adopters on the possible emotions and behaviors they can expect in their dogs, and what they can do about them.

How can you tell if a dog is fearful, anxious, or stressed?

Dogs use their body language and facial expressions to communicate how they’re feeling. It’s important to be able to read these signals, as they can tell you a lot about how your dog is feeling, both physically and emotionally.

If you can learn to read your dog’s body language and facial expressions, you’ll be better equipped to help them when they’re feeling scared, stressed, or anxious.

Typical canine signs of fear, anxiety, and stress

• Panting
• Yawning
• Tongue flick
• Turning away
• Stiff facial muscles/tight mouth
• Freezing
• Ears back
• Tail carriage low or tail tucked
• Whale eye (whites of eyes showing)
• Standing with back legs planted ready to run (fight or flight)
• Raised hackles (fur along spine standing up)
• Furrowed brow
• Stiffened body musculature
• Vigilant/agitated
• Drooling
• Shaking/rapid heartbeat
• Hiding
• Pacing
• Peeing/pooping (sometimes a lot)
• Excessive drinking, sniffing, also sleeping to avoid the scary situation
• Avoiding eye contact
• Barking
• Whining

How do a rehomed dog’s emotions show in her behavior?

A dog’s emotions show in her behavior in a number of ways. One common sign is when a dog becomes fearful, anxious, or stressed.

This may manifest as panting, yawning, facial tension, freezing, throwing up or diarrhea (indicating that the dog is stressed), avoiding eye contact, or trying to retreat to a safe place.

Anxious dogs may also become agitated and bark or whine excessively.

It’s important to be aware of these behaviors so that you can provide the support your dog needs during this difficult transition.

Some other signs that a dog is feeling fearful, anxious, or stressed can be seen in her body language.

For example, a dog may have a lowered tail carriage or their tail may be tucked between the legs.

Their ears may be back and they may be turning away or hunching their back as if they are trying to make themselves smaller.

Dogs may also shake and have a rapid heart rate.

Other dogs may become hyperactive or overexcited and find it difficult to focus on anything or control their impulses.

These too can be signs of stress.

Let’s look at some examples:

#1. The shutdown dog

A dog may be so fearful they offer no behavior at all.

They may refuse to walk to the car when you collect them to take them home. They may refuse to jump out of the car when you get them home.

They may cower in a room for days or even weeks and refuse to come out. They may not respond if you try to pet them. They may not want you near them at all.

Some dogs may act like they don’t care what happens because they have learned that they can’t do anything to change the situation.

They may become resigned to their fate and be too scared to do anything, in case they get punished for it.

If your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors, you may want to seek professional help from a qualified animal behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist.

The most important thing you can do is to let the dog set the pace. Let the dog make the choice whether to approach you or not. Let the dog make the decision when they want to retreat and allow them to do so.

Build up positive associations through short, positive interactions with yummy treats and maybe a little game.

When we adopted Florence she was one of those dogs who would cower in the corner, who was too scared to jump out of the car, and who had to be carried into her new home because she was too scared to walk.

She was the dog who stayed in a bathroom for a full month before she felt confident enough to start venturing out.

When we were finally able to get her outside for a walk, she was so uncomfortable having me so close to her, she’d keep lying down and not moving.

I remedied this with the use of a long line and a second dog to help build her confidence. I let her make her own choices, empowered her to make her own decisions, slowly built up my trust account with her, and worked to her timeline.

Within a couple of months, she was a happy, confident, integrated member of the family.

#2. The aggressive dog

If a dog is behaving aggressively, it is often because the dog is fearful. He just wants the scary person to go away, or the scary situation to end, and aggression is often a very successful way of doing this.

It’s also a strategy that may have worked well for him in the past, and so he continues to use it in his new home.

We experienced this with our third dog, Louis.

I found out later that Louis had spent the first two years of his life chained up, and that his rescue was drawn out and traumatic.

I met him in the shelter I was volunteering at on the day they brought him in. I was tasked with taking him to the vet for his first round of vaccinations. He was too scared even to go into the consulting room and the kind-hearted vet came to him, rather than force him to go to her.

Looking back now I’m amazed he didn’t snap at her, but I think at that stage he was just too scared. He saved that behavior for later, once he was more relaxed at home with us.

He’d come to you and paw at you for attention. You’d scratch his head and ears, which he loved, and then suddenly, SNAP! Ouch! You’d look down at your hand and there was actually blood where his teeth had grazed your skin.

This happened a few more times until I figured out Louis’ tell, so to speak.

He solicited the attention and enjoyed it, but then got scared and overwhelmed, and resorted to his old strategy and learned aggressive behavior that, most likely, had served him well in the past.

What was his tell? A minuscule raise of his top lip, a curl so minimal it was barely noticeable.

Once I knew this, all I had to do is make sure I kept our interactions short, and always end them on a good note. Now I knew what his limits were, I knew how I could stay within them and never again push him to the point where he felt compelled to snap at me.

I didn’t even want to see the lip curl. That was already too late in my opinion. I wanted him to know he could trust me. And he did. And he never snapped at me again.

#3. The anxious dog

Sometimes a dog will follow you everywhere, or may not let you out of their sight. They may not be able to be left alone.

When we adopted Maggie she was all of the above. She would grab at your bag or your clothing as you were trying to leave the house.

If she was outside in the yard on her own, she would bark and try to get back into the house.

If she was in the car, she would try to clamber over and sit on your lap to stop you from getting out and leaving her whenever you were trying to park the car.

When we took her into her safe space (actually a large bathroom) the first night she was home with us, she couldn’t handle the door being closed. So we swapped the closed door for a dog gate so she could still see us.

She burst her way straight through it. She just didn’t want to be alone.

While such behaviors can be frustrating for dog owners, the dog is expressing their very real feelings of fear and anxiety. They are worried that you are leaving them, and they want to stay close to you to prevent that from happening.

The key here is patience and understanding. We had to work with Maggie on her separation anxiety issues very slowly and carefully. I began by getting her used to me leaving the room she was in, even if it was just for a few seconds.

I built up the amount of time I was gone gradually until she was able to stay calm when left on her own for short periods of time.

It took a lot of patience and consistency, but eventually Maggie overcame her stress and anxiety and had a wonderful life with us.

#4. The hyperactive dog

Sometimes stress or anxiety can manifest in hyperactive behavior. Dogs may be in a high state of alert or excitability and new owners may find their dog bouncing all over the place with a high energy level and unable to calm down and relax.

Such was the case when we adopted Esme. She just could not calm down. It was not only stressful for her, it was also stressful for all the humans and other animals in the house.

She’d run around full of excess energy, jumping on the furniture, looking out the windows, and barking. She’d obsess about food and try to push her way out of the front gate. She was all over the place.

But it was all new to her. New people, new resident dogs, cats, a big fenced area of forest to explore (her lovely foster home was in a city apartment), and the scent of deer everywhere. She couldn’t handle it, her senses were in overdrive.

And so we had to teach her to be calm and how to relax. As she got to know us and the other animals better she calmed down a lot, as did the daily routine of knowing what was going to happen when.

While we’re still working on it, we have come a long way in just a couple of months. Good girl Esme!

#5. The barking dog

There are many different reasons dogs bark. Sometimes they bark when they’re anxious, or because they’re scared or excited. Sometimes they bark when they’re bored or lonely, or as a warning. And sometimes they just bark because it’s fun!

When we brought Roxy home from the shelter she barked at everything – men, her reflection in the mirror or the oven door, the talking heads on the TV, visitors to the house.

She didn’t know what a kitchen was or a living room. She had spent the first two years of her life at the dog shelter and had no experience of the world or life in general.

And so she barked at the things she was unsure or scared of. Through positive associations and as she gradually learned about her new environment, the barking behavior ceased.

Apart from the fact that she never really got to like having visitors – but we were easily able to work around that!

#6. The peeing dog

Some dogs may just not be housetrained when they arrive in their new home. They may never have lived in a home before and not understand the difference between indoors and outdoors.

They may also feel anxious or stressed and marking their new territory with their own scent can be a way of helping them to feel more secure, especially if there are other dogs in the home.

We adopted our desert dog, Bertie, because he was the longest stayer in the shelter, at 3.5 years, at the time. He was the best dog ever, with a fantastic temperament, good as gold, and no behavior issues whatsoever.

Except…when we first brought him home or, later, when we went to a new place, he would pee up the wall. Eek!

Again, as he got to know us and feel safe and secure in his new environment, as well as us interrupting and sidetracking him if we saw the behavior was imminent, we were able to eliminate the behavior altogether.

While no means exhaustive, the above examples show how a dog’s emotions can be expressed in their behavior, and why it is so important to understand this before giving up on them.

What can you do to help a rehomed dog feel safe and secure?

The best thing you can do to help your rescue dog adjust to her new home is to give her time and space. It’s so important not to overwhelm them with too much attention or too many new experiences all at once.

(I go into this in much more detail in 20 Tips On How To Get A Scared Dog To Trust You so please do check that out for some really helpful guidelines based on my many years of experience with rescue dogs.)

#1. Safe space

The best way is to start by setting up a safe space for your dog where she can go to relax and de-stress, ideally a room where you can close the door. Make sure she has food, water, toys, and a comfy bed.

When she first arrives, let her explore her new surroundings at her own pace. She may want to hide under the bed or in a closet at first, and that’s perfectly normal. Just give her some time to get comfortable.

Let her come out of the room on her own when she’s ready and don’t force her to interact with you or your other family members until she’s comfortable.

Once she feels more settled, you can slowly introduce her to family members and any other pets in the household (if you have any).

It’s important to do slow introductions and not rush things, so your dog doesn’t feel overwhelmed.

Allow her to retreat to her safe space whenever she wants, and avoid hugging or kissing her until he’s comfortable with that level of physical contact. Some dogs never are, and that should also be respected.

#2. Time

There’s no need to rush straight out for a walk or to the dog park or to play with other pets; work at the dog’s timeline, not yours.

And there’s no need to start trying to train loads of new things either. Your dog may already know some basic cues, such as sit, wait, lie down, come back, or his name, but this is not the time to be teaching new things.

Your pup is already in a state of emotional overload and is not going to be able to focus on learning or retaining new information. And she doesn’t really know you or fully trust you yet either.

#3. Routine

Another way you can help your rescue dog adjust to his new home is by maintaining stability and routine. Dogs are creatures of habit, so try to keep mealtimes, walks, playtime, etc., as consistent as possible.

A predictable routine will help reduce stress and anxiety levels and help your dog feel safe and secure in her new environment.

#4. Patience

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is trust between a human and their rescue dog. It can take time for them to learn they are safe, loved, and here to stay.

So be patient while your dog adjusts to her new life and remember that every day is a step in the right direction.

Be prepared too to adapt as you go along and you may have to change things on the fly.

For example, on Maggie’s first night in her new home with us after she burst her way out of her “safe space,” we set her up in a large crate in the living room so she was separate from the other dogs, but could still see us. Worked like a charm.

It may take days or even weeks for a newly adopted dog to fully bond with her new owner and trust them completely.

Is it okay to change a dog’s name?

If you’re thinking of changing your rescue dog’s name, that’s perfectly fine!

Many people choose to change their rescue dog’s name because they feel like it’s a new name for a new life. Not to mention, her old name may have a negative association.

If you do decide to change your dog’s name, be patient while she learns it. It may take some time for her to respond to her new name as he gets used to it.

We have almost always changed our rescue dogs’ names.

To teach them their new name, I sit with them at a small distance of a couple of yards or so, usually when they’re just chilling out, and say their new name in an upbeat voice.

Then I give them a treat when they turn to look at me. Responding to their name is positively reinforced and they get the hang of it in no time.

What physical and emotional changes may be seen in a rehomed dog? 

Rescue dogs may go through a number of physical and emotional changes after being adopted into their new homes.

They may seem listless or withdrawn at first as they adjust to their new surroundings. They may also appear fearful or aggressive when meeting new people or animals and may need some help, as I have outlined above.

In time, they will often become calmer, more relaxed, as well as a lot happier, and more able to let their guard down and simply enjoy life.

Note that behavioral issues may also come out in time (e.g. as with Louis when he started snapping at my hands) as the dog becomes more relaxed and confident and feels more secure in a stable home environment.

Again, time, patience, and understanding (and perhaps a qualified trainer’s help) are required.

In terms of physical changes, the dog may not be used to exercise or walks so may need to build up slowly in terms of duration and difficulty.

Make sure you keep your dog on a leash, ideally a long line or at least a longer leash until you have trained a rock solid recall, and use a harness to avoid injury to the neck or throat.

You may see physical changes such as weight gain or loss, hair growth or loss, changes in skin condition, increased water intake, increased urination or defecation, digestive upsets such as diarrhea or vomiting (often because of new food or stress – or both), or drooling – often in the car on way home.

As always, if there are any medical concerns or possible health problems, they may need veterinary care so a trip to the veterinarian for a quick check-up is advisable.

Final thoughts

Adopting a rescue dog is a wonderful thing! But it’s important to remember that your new furry friend may need some extra care and understanding as she adjusts to her new life in your home.

By being aware of the dog’s emotions and tuning in to the signals she provides through her body language and vocalizations, you can help your rescue dog feel right at home!

NEED A DOG TRAINER OR BEHAVIOR EXPERT?

If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a force-free dog trainer who can consult with you either in person or remotely.

GOOD PLACES TO START ARE:
- COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers
- Pet Dog Trainers of Europe
- International Companion Animal Network
- Institute of Modern Dog Trainers
- Pet Professional Guild 

All dog owners deserve to have successful relationships with their canine companions!