The Rule of 3

I spend a lot of time discussing the rule of three and decompression in my behavior programs. 90% of my clients are rescue dogs. It is important to note that not all rescue dogs come with baggage, but I still give every dog the same amount of grace.

Let me add that this is a general rule. Some dogs need less and some dogs need much longer.

Imagine you are dropped in a foreign land, you don’t speak the language. You are stripped of your identity, your name has been changed and you have nothing left to remind you of home.

Of course you would be shell shocked and wouldn’t act like yourself. You would be struggling to figure out what people want from you and you might start to anticipate what is happening with stress and anxiety.

Now, shift this back to your new dog. He doesn’t know what is happening. You gave him a new name but didn’t tell him. You gave him a new set of rules but he’s having trouble figuring them out. So instead of settling in, his anxiety amplifies.

The best thing we can do with a new dog is allow them grace. We often treat dogs with a weird set of rules and expectations. We want them to be perfect in an imperfect world. Instead, shift your focus... focus on the dog you have, not the dog you anticipated and instead of setting rules, work on building that relationship.

How long did it take your dog to decompress?