Anyone who has adopted a dog wonders about their new pet’s mysterious past. Dogs from animal shelters were often picked up wandering, with no one to tell the shelter workers the dog’s name, age, breed, or how it ended up on this country road or that busy intersection. Dogs from rescue groups may come with a more intact history, but the people who give them up may not provide a complete, or entirely accurate, history.
So where did your dog come from? What were the real reasons she was surrendered? Short of consulting a pet psychic, how can you tell where your pet has been, what he has experienced, what problems she might have, and what you can do to make life in your home easier for everyone?
Playing Sherlock Holmes
According to canine behaviorists, the first year of a dog’s life is crucial for socialization and development. The experiences a puppy has may dramatically impact her personality as an adult. If a dog has mostly negative experiences with humans in the first year, it can be extremely hard and perhaps impossible to develop a trusting relationship with humans later in life. In fact, the first two to three months of life—the period before most people are even able to buy a puppy from a breeder—is particularly crucial for a dog’s future socialization.
When you adopt a dog, unless you pick up a box of abandoned newborn puppies on the side of the road, you will probably miss this developmental window. Your dog has been influenced by things you will probably never know anything about.
However, your dog leaves clues to her secret past by the way she acts today. While you can’t ask your dog, "What the heck happened to you in that first year of life?" (well, of course, you can ask, but it probably won’t do much good), you can pay attention to her behavior, reactions, and personality. You can learn a lot about your adopted dog just by watching.
Know your dog
If your adopted dog has a behavioral problem, such as fear, separation anxiety, or aggression, these can give you clues to how she may have been treated—or not treated—in the past. Knowing your dog’s vulnerabilities and drawing conclusions about what probably conspired in her past can help you to help her adjust to a new life with a new owner who treats her with kindness, gives her good care, and pays attention.
Excerpted from Your Outta Control Adopted Dog by Eve Adamson, published by TFH Publications. Used with permission.
