Fridge Rules

The Fridge Rules are a list of simple yet important guidelines of what we practice and preach when adopting out a rescue dog.  More often than not, some of the things we feel most harmless can make for a rough transition for a rescue dog into a new home. We provide this list, we call it the Fridge Rules (to keep on your fridge as a reminder) to those that adopt and or foster from our program and feel it’s worth a read. Some may agree and others not but at the end of the day, this list is of great importance to us in our rescue and the ladies have compiled it over the years and found it works. Thanks for reading. 

 

FOR THE FRIDGE

I HAVE JUST ADOPTED A DOG AND WE ARE STRANGERS UNTIL WE ARE NO LONGER STRANGERS TO ONE ANOTHER…

I WILL NOT GIVE MY DOG A WELCOME HOME PARTY

I WILL INTRODUCE HIM/HER VERY QUIETLY AND CALMLY TO ALL FAMILY MEMBERS

I WILL GIVE MY DOG QUIET TIME FOR THE REST OF THE DAY

I WILL SHOW HIM/HER THEIR CRATE OR SLEEPING AREA, GIVE A TREAT AND LEAVE ALONE WHILE I CARRY OUT MY USUAL ACTIVITIES FOR A BIT

I WILL BE CONSIDERATE OF MY OTHER PETS FEELINGS AND WILL ASK FOR ADVICE ON MAKING APPROPRIATE INTRODUCTIONS

I WILL TAKE MY DOG OUTSIDE FREQUENTLY FOR TOILET BREAKS ON LEASH FOR A DAY OR TWO

I WILL NOT ENFORCE ROUGH PLAY

I WILL NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY (FIGHT, JUMP, OR SCREAM) AROUND THE DOG

I WILL NOT GIVE MY DOG A BATH AS SOON AS WE GET HOME

I WILL NOT TRY TO HUG OR CUDDLE MY DOG

I WILL LET MY DOG COME TO ME FOR ATTENTION

I WILL NOT EXPOSE MY DOG TO TOO MANY NEW THINGS AT ONCE

I WILL CRATE OR RESTRICT MY DOG TO ONE ROOM WHILE I’M OUT

I WILL NOT GRAB, PULL ON COLLAR OR PUSH DOWN ON MY DOG – I WILL COAX WITH A TREAT OR USE LEASH TO REDIRECT UNWANTED BEHAVIOUR

I WILL FEED MY DOG TWICE A DAY IN A QUIET SPOT IN THE KITCHEN

I WILL ESTABLISH A ROUTINE FOR MY NEW DOG

I WILL NOT VISIT A LEASH FREE PARK UNTIL I’M SURE HOW HE/SHE BEHAVES AROUND OTHER DOGS

WE WILL NOT BE STRANGERS FOR LONG…