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You are here: Home / Blog / The Adjustment Period

The Adjustment Period

February 1, 2018 by CVRR

Adding to your home with any new addition there is a need of an adjustment period. Many people think its love at first sight and it all falls into place. Whether this is a new relationship, baby, or a new dog (or cat). But it’s not gonna be easy. Maybe at first it all feels perfect or maybe from the beginning there’s a learning curve. You are learning the language of the other person/animal.

I’m gonna go with the new baby analogy since we’ll my daughter just 9 days old 😜 I’ve loved this girl for 10 months. But now I get to meet her! I’m learning what her hunger cues are, sleepy cues, Mom change my diaper cues and so much more. Every noise has a meaning. I may not know what it is right away so we work together to discover it.

Much like many adopters they fall in love with the picture now they get to know the dog. We are upfront about personalities to the extent of what we know. But This dog doesn’t know your house rules or your language. My one dog thought down meant “get off” took us forever to discover to teach him lay “down” we had to say “flat”. It’s changing my language but working WITH the dog on good skills.

Just as I’m learning my babies cues you get to learn to learn the cues of the new dog. There can be frustrating times in any new addition, but it’s about working through them. Believe me 3am this morning I wanted to throw in the towel…ok I just cried a little with her when I wasn’t sure what her need was. But instead we worked together to figure it out.

As for adopting an animal with CVRR we believe that animal is ALWAYS a CVRR animal. That means when you feel like giving up reach out. Reach out for help before that point. Those moments that your frustrated ask for help or better yet read the adoption packet (14 pages) of wonderful knowledge written by Laura. It covers potty training, acclimating to a house, leash training, crate training, counter surfing etc!

We want both people and animal to be happy we want this to be a lasting relationship. Learn from each other and know even if the first few days and weeks are perfect both human and dog can mess up and there may be times of frustration. Heck my dog a week or two before I had my daughter decided to counter surf and eat 13 cupcakes!! She’s 8 and hasn’t done that in years, but she decided she needed some funfetti cupcakes to 🤷🏻‍♀️

So learn the language of your new addition. When frustrated seek help. Don’t give up.

If you are adopting from CVRR reach out. We’re here to help!!

-Kalea (if you want an adorable baby pic see below 😍)

Oh this is Bear. He is great with kids and other dogs and gets along with the resident kitty. To see him and more adoptable animals, click here.

Filed Under: Blog

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Central Virginia Regional Rescue

14 hours ago

Central Virginia Regional Rescue
We hope everyone is having a great Labor Day and enjoying their holiday! Whether you are exploring the great outdoors, firing up the grill, relaxing, or spending time with friends and family, here’s a few tips to keep our four legged friends safe today and everyday.✅ Keep pets, cool and hydrated ensuring they have plenty of freshwater.✅ Provide a safe shaded space for them too cool down. ✅ Make sure BBQ scraps and toxic foods are not accessible to curious pets and their mouths. ✅ Do not allow animals to have cooked bones at seasoned meats. ✅ Never leave pets inside a vehicle, even for a few minutes. ✅ Keep collars and tags on and make sure they are up to date with contact info in case they wander off or get lost. ** if your pet is micro chipped, make sure your information is up-to-date**Keeping your family safe ensures everyone has an enjoyable time, for Labor Day and beyond. After all, our pets are part of family too and their welfare is up to us! #rescuepetsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedogsrule #adoptadog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #adoptdontshop #cvrrescue #laborday #petcare #PetSafety ...

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Central Virginia Regional Rescue

16 hours ago

Central Virginia Regional Rescue
🚨 THE CATS DON’T KNOW WINTER IS COMING… BUT WE DO. 🐈❄️And when those temperatures drop, our community cats are going to need A LOT more food to keep those little bodies warm.They don’t have heated houses.They don’t have a pantry full of food.They don’t have someone waiting inside with a warm bed.They have us. ❤️As fall approaches, we’re trying to stock up NOW so we’re ready when the cold weather hits. Every bag of food means another hungry belly gets fed. Every donation helps us stretch our resources a little further. And every person who shares this post helps us reach someone who might be able to help.🐾 Want to help feed our community cats?We have an Amazon Wishlist filled with the cat food we need. It ships directly to our door, so you can help from wherever you are!👉🏼 HELP US STOCK THE PANTRY:www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/353RB2D1ALUX4?ref_=wl_shareYou don’t have to trap a cat.You don’t have to drive anywhere.You don’t have to be a TNR expert.You can simply buy a bag of food. And that bag can mean EVERYTHING to a hungry cat. ❤️🐈‍⬛ Please consider helping — or SHARE this post so someone else can.Because the cats may live outside…but they should never have to go hungry. 🐾❤️ ...

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Central Virginia Regional Rescue

20 hours ago

Central Virginia Regional Rescue
If you are on the fence about fostering, today’s the day to tip over to the experience! ❤️ Twelve Little Dogs.Imagine that the only home you have ever known suddenly becomes quiet.Your person is gone. Strangers are coming and going. Everything smells different. You don’t understand what happened or why.**That is the world these 12 little Chihuahua mixes are living in right now.**Their owner passed away, leaving all 12 behind. And now we have the opportunity to help them begin again.But before they are ready for adoption, what many of them need most is something simple:**A quiet home. A patient person. And a little time to realize they are safe. ❤️**Right now, they are understandably afraid and confused. Some are already showing us their sweet, affectionate personalities. Others are much more cautious, and a couple have shown some reactivity toward unfamiliar people. We are continuing to assess each dog and learn what he or she needs.This is where **foster homes can change everything.**We are looking for patient, understanding fosters willing to welcome **one or possibly two dogs** into their homes and give them a chance to decompress. You don't need to have all the answers or be an expert—we will support you along the way.**We provide veterinary care (we will make and pay for appointments for treatment of cherry eye), food, crates, bedding and other needed supplies. We can also provide guidance and training tips as you get to know your foster.**We cannot predict how long any dog will need a foster home before being adopted, but we ask that fosters plan for **at least two weeks**. Those first couple of weeks are incredibly valuable. Once a dog begins to feel safe, we learn who they really are—and what kind of forever home will be the best match.For these 12 dogs, a foster home isn't simply a place to stay.**It's the bridge between the life they lost and the life waiting for them.**If you've ever thought about fostering, this may be your opportunity to make an enormous difference for one very small dog.🐾 Can you open your home to one?🐾 Could you foster a bonded or compatible pair?🐾 Can't foster? Please share this post. One share may reach exactly the person we need.Please PM our page for more information or complete the foster form if you can help. www.cvrrescue.org/foster-application/Twelve dogs don't need one person to save them all. They just need enough people willing to save one. ❤️Here are a few pics of the sweet souls. ...

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