I have worked with dogs in numerous capacities. Dogs in county shelters, dogs from cruelty cases being held in secret holding facilities as they await their fate, dogs in foster homes, fostering dogs in my home, and volunteering with service dogs.
I have also seen private training clients full time for over 15 years, and I have had the perspective of seeing dogs in various stages of transition; just coming home from the shelter, just off the plane from a breeder out of state, and even dogs rescued from natural disasters in other countries.
Needless to say, I’ve seen a lot of dogs over the years. With this, I have found certain scenarios that play out again and again when people bring a new dog into their home. Sometimes things go great, and sometimes it doesn’t go as expected. Here is what I wish people knew before bringing a dog home.
Context Matters: Dogs behave differently depending on the context
A dog that lives in a foster home with another dog is not necessarily “good with other dogs” and has the social skills to successfully navigate a dog park or meet all the neighborhood dogs on your morning walk. There is a big difference in a dog living peacefully with one dog, and then being exposed to numerous strange dogs in public.
Or, the puppy that seemed to be the calmest one out of the litter but turned into a little tornado after a week in your home…yep it happens. Being surrounded by littermates and then being on your own is a big contextual difference and can certainly bring about changes one didn’t see coming.
Guess what? This can be typical. If you take a look at your own behavior you’ll likely see contexts which appear similar but where your behavior changes significantly. For myself, I really enjoy meeting new people and hosting guests in my home. But if you’re coming to my door trying to sell me something or convert me to your religion, you’re going to think I’m really rude (which I’m typically not). People at my door = a vastly different response depending on if I invited them or not.
Maturation: Dogs change as they mature, and with that, so does their behavior
Dogs go through numerous developmental stages the first few years of their lives. Just because your puppy loves the neighborhood kids at 5 months, does not mean he will love them at 18 months. In my experience, it is very common to see behavioral changes starting around 7-9 months, with those changes nearly always being fearful, aggressive, or anxious in nature. Adolescence is a challenging time for dogs and owners alike, and things that a puppy was originally “OK” with, can change.
A dog’s level of sociability with other dogs can also vary as they age. Puppies naturally want to engage in play with other dogs, but this can change as they get older. I see a lot of dogs begin to develop preferences for how they interact with dogs as they reach social maturity. They often prefer to only play with dogs they already know, or perhaps they become intolerable of rude behaviors such as body slamming or mounting. Again, this is normal. How many of us loved nightclubs or crowded bars in our 20s but won’t go near one today? Yep – human sociability changes with time too.
Acute Stress/Trauma or Medical Issues: Do you feel like yourself after a major surgery or having experienced trauma? Of course not, and neither do dogs
It is not uncommon for a dog to be more inhibited with their behavior and appear to be calm and non-reactive to things around them while recovering from a major life change. This may be their genuine temperament, but I typically see some substantial changes in a dog’s behavior once they are feeling better. Increased energy, destructive habits, or even being less tolerant of guests coming into their home are common changes. The dog you once thought would be OK with a 20 minute stroll around the neighborhood may morph into a dog that needs a lot more exercise to be satisfied. The big takeaway here? What you see may not always be what you get, so be prepared to support a dog who has experienced trauma or a major surgery as they recover.
Genetic and Environmental Influences are Powerful: And no, behavior modification and training can’t fix everything
Many of my clients are surprised to learn that the socialization period for puppies can end between 12-16 weeks of age. Getting a puppy at 6 months and socializing it will absolutely not have the same effect as when that puppy is 8 weeks old. During the socialization period, dogs create associations and make assumptions based on what they are exposed to. It is critical that they be exposed to new people, places, animals, objects, etc and that their experiences allow them to feel safe. Without those experiences, a dog could react to those same stimuli at a later age with apprehension, fear, or even aggression.
If a dog came from a sire or dam who exhibited behavioral traits such as fear or aggression, those can get passed onto their offspring. We can modify the frequency and intensity of a behavior, but we cannot erase it from a dog’s repertoire. A dog’s genetic makeup and the environment it is kept in are going to be the biggest predictors of a dog’s overall behavior and temperament. There is no amount of training or behavior modification that can forever change a dog’s predisposition to certain behaviors.
If you have a dog that came from poor genetics or was under socialized, chances are they may struggle with living in our world. It doesn’t mean every dog with that history will behave that way, as we have all heard of dogs with rough backgrounds who are as stable and happy as can be. Yet I find this isn’t typically the rule, but more often the exception to the rule.
Dogs are Individuals: Regardless of where a dog came from, every dog is an individual
I have had clients go to great lengths picking out a puppy from a reputable breeder only to bring them home and have a behavioral disaster on their hands. And one of my favorite dogs I ever worked with was a random pick at a shelter who turned out to be the most incredible companion for her whole family. Just because you intend to get a certain kind of dog doesn’t mean your dog will be that.
So does this mean getting a dog is going to be a crapshoot any way you go about it? Not at all, and there are many things you can do to make it as successful as possible (which will be a future blog post). I believe people should get a dog that fits their lifestyle, no matter where it comes from. I also believe the most important thing any person can do when bringing a new dog home is to have a mindset of flexibility and acceptance. Because every dog is an individual, you might find that the puppy you got for agility doesn’t really have the heart for the sport, even after 2 years of training. Or that the Labrador you adopted prefers hiking in the mountains over the beach and playing fetch.
Having a mindset of flexibility and acceptance towards your dog does not mean you don’t seek out training or behavior help when your dog exhibits undesirable behaviors. It means you understand that when you get a dog there are inevitably going to be things that come up that you didn’t sign up for. If you are hard set on your expectations and your dog doesn’t live up to them, it creates a heck of a lot of resentment. And that is going to make it difficult to have a good relationship with your dog.
I hope your next dog has some amazing qualities that unfold for you 🙂