Nina arrived around 11:30 AM with her human dad, coming straight from her parents’ home. For the first time in her life, she was separated from everything she knew—her mom, her brothers and sisters, and the only place she had ever known. She was put into a car, driven directly to us, with no say in the matter.
Everything she saw was completely unfamiliar, and she was beyond terrified. Take a moment to imagine how you’d feel in her situation, with no way of understanding or being told what was happening. Or, if you have children, think about how your child would feel in the same situation at just a few months old.
Prior to her arrival
we were aware of all the emotions she would experience and did our best to welcome her into the most comfortable environment:
- Swapping sheets: About ten days before her arrival, we gave Nina one of our dogs’ sheets and received one of hers. This was our way of involving Django and Leroy in the family plans while helping her become familiar with the two dogs she would eventually meet. It also allowed her to have familiar scents when she arrived at her new home.
- Building a ramp: We built a ramp so she could climb onto the bed without risking the frequent high impact on her front limbs.
- Rubber gym mats: We purchased rubber gym mats to prevent her from slipping on the tiles and to ensure the floor wasn’t too cold for her.
- Cardboard on the floor: We placed cardboard on other parts of the floor to make any accidents easier to clean up.
- Removing potential hazards: We removed all potential hazards from the rooms she could access, as puppies tend to chew or swallow things that could harm or kill them.
- Calming signals: Lastly, we were prepared to use all our knowledge of dogs’ calming signals to show her that we understood her.
The arrival
When Nina arrived, she was absolutely petrified, which is one possible reaction when dogs (and not only dogs) face frightening situations. We didn’t lift her—only her (soon-to-be former) human did—and allowed her to enter our home.
She lay down very close to the exit door on the cold tiles, too scared to take a step forward. We let her stay there without approaching her for a good two hours. After that, we began tossing small pieces of dehydrated liver treats around the mat, hoping not only to coax her off the tiles but also to create an opportunity to put something warmer in that spot.
She was hesitant, but she couldn’t resist the temptation of those delicious liver treats, and we managed to prepare a more comfortable bed for her in the spot she had chosen.
After another hour, we started using calming signals, slowly approaching her on her terms. Before long, she began wagging her tail at us and even came closer while we followed the whole approach ritual.
Leroy and Django
It’s important to track how our other two dogs are handling the situation. On the first day, Leroy almost entirely ignored Nina (he’s old and deaf), and when he did notice her, he was completely fine with it.
Django, on the other hand, noticed her presence right away. He mostly ignored her and let her be, but it was clear he wasn’t particularly thrilled. He handled her arrival the same way he dealt with her little sheet during the sheet swap ten days ago—not too happy, but still well-behaved. He’s a good boy and doesn’t do anything bad to her.
Walkies
We decided not to try walking her that day, as we felt the massive change in her life was already more than enough for her to handle.
Conclusion
By the end of the day, we agreed not to invite her onto the bed, mainly to avoid upsetting Django too much. But as soon as we lay down, she climbed up and slept close to us all night. We have to admit, we were pretty impressed with how quickly we bonded with her and how easily she adapted to the new situation. She didn’t cry for her mom during the night, and the next morning, she woke us up with kisses.
