It’s useful to know what to expect when a dog is scheduled to arrive from overseas, whether you’re fostering or adopting. If you’re prepared to be understanding and patient, this can help your dog to settle in and can lay the foundation for a rewarding relationship.

If you’re about to become the first-time guardian of an imported dog you should have received as much information as possible from the rescue that has the dog in its care. However, very few overseas rescues, especially those whose dogs are kept in large shelters, are able to perform an accurate assessment of how a dog will respond in a domestic environment, and usually, testing a dog’s responses to the presence of children, cats and other species of animal isn’t possible. By preparing yourself and your home for the dog’s arrival well beforehand, you’ll be setting yourself and your dog up for a smoother settling in period.

Know the Background: Street Dogs and Feral Dogs

The majority of imported rescue dogs are street dogs, but some feral dogs are also sent over for homing. Street dogs are used to the presence of people and traffic, and may be friendly and keen to interact, whereas feral dogs are unfamiliar with having humans in close proximity and tend to be extremely fearful during the first weeks or months. Whether a dog is from the streets or the wild, though, he will have to make major adjustments to adapt to life in a home.

Free ranging dogs may have never lived indoors. Some may have been born in a home and then dumped or abandoned. Others are born on the streets or in the surrounding countryside. Some are born on property but are kept outside as ‘chain dogs’. It’s important to take the dog’s perspective and consider the impact of capture and homing and how this can affect behaviour.

Neck sensitivity

Capture is a traumatic and often painful process, especially when a catch pole is used. Because of this, many street dogs are very sensitive about being touched around the neck and head area. Your dog may become very anxious about wearing a collar and lead; even more so if the lead is attached to the collar.

It’s kinder and more comfortable for your dog if you use a harness, and a harness such as Perfect Fit can have an extra D ring fitted at the front as well as having the D ring, as usual, on the back. This avoids the risk of any pressure on the neck area, and your dog can sleep in the harness initially so that you don’t have to worry him by taking it off and putting it back on periodically.