Adopting a dog is a fantastic thing to do. You are effectively fulfilling you own wants and another living being’s needs as well as preserving his or her right to a healthy and happy life. However, most individuals go into adopting a dog with a blinkered view of what it will be like.

If anyone thinks that adopting a dog is a bed of roses then they will be sadly mistaken. It can be a very difficult and emotional ride for while, and thus completely the opposite of what most people expect. Nobody settles into new surroundings very quickly and it is the same for dogs. A new home can be very daunting, especially if they have been abused or mistreated and have very real fears, so it is up to anyone adopting a dog to make the transition as smooth as possible.

You should expect several things when adopting a dog. Any dog from a shelter or rescue home will more than likely have behavioural difficulties at some stage and may go through phases of chewing anything from cables to your sofa. This may also manifest itself in the marking of territory meaning that you should expect a few accidents around your home too.

Adopting a dog that has been mistreated may also mean that you have to come to terms with his or her fears. Loud noises, men or women and sudden movements are all common fears, although they may have fears of sticks and other inanimate objects too.

Dogs that are adopted may be loving and settle straight away, but the vast majority do not. If you expect the worst when adopting a dog then you may be pleasantly surprised when the dog is not as bad as you thought it would be. However, given time and a lot of love, any animal will recover from the horrors of his or her past. It just takes time and patience.