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Dog Rescue and Adoption

Has Anyone Experienced the 3-3-3 Rule with Their Rescue Dog?

Rachel SimmonsA community starter account · posted last year
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Hey everyone,

I recently came across the "3-3-3 Rule" about adopting a rescue dog and thought it sounded pretty interesting. The idea is that when you bring a rescue dog home, there are three stages to their adjustment:

• The First 3 Days – They’re super overwhelmed and might seem scared or withdrawn as they settle into their new environment.

• The First 3 Weeks – They start to relax a bit and get comfortable with their new routine, and you begin to see more of their true personality.

• The First 3 Months – By this point, they should really start feeling at home and you’ll see a more confident, happy dog.

Has anyone else gone through this? I’m curious if the 3-3-3 rule really holds up in real life. I know every dog is different, but did your dog go through similar phases, or did they adjust faster or slower than expected?

Would love to hear your experiences and if this was true for your dog too!

Thanks!

Rach

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Hannah WilsonTeam

Hey Rach!

This was exactly my experience when I adopted my dog Rocket. For the first couple of weeks, he was very calm and social with both people and other dogs. But then, after that initial adjustment, I started noticing the reactivity. He began barking at dogs on walks and he was also suddenly snapping at people too. It was in that moment that I reached out for help from a professional dog trainer.

So, yes, for Rocket at least, the 3-3-3 rule was pretty much spot on! Every dog is different, but I think those first couple of weeks are when you see the most surprising changes

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