09/05/2026
Adopting a shelter dog? Give them time. 💙🐶
There’s another really important part of the “Is this dog cat-friendly?” conversation that we want adopters to understand:
Constantly moving a dog into a new environment and then returning them a day or two later is incredibly stressful.
Think about what that feels like from the dog’s perspective:
🏠 Shelter ➡️ Brand-new home ➡️ New people, new smells, new routines ➡️ Back to the shelter
They may not have even had enough time to understand where they are, let alone settle in and show you who they really are.
We know adopting a dog is a BIG decision, and we want adopters to make informed choices. But it’s also important to have realistic expectations. A dog who has just arrived in your home may be nervous, overwhelmed, overly excited, confused—or simply not quite themselves yet.
Expecting a pet to be completely settled, comfortable, and fully themselves within 24–48 hours isn’t realistic. That’s why we talk about the 3-3-3 rule and the importance of decompression.
The first few days are about:
🐾 Establishing a routine
🐾 Giving them a safe, quiet space
🐾 Keeping expectations reasonable
🐾 Letting them observe and adjust
🐾 Building trust
🐾 Giving everyone time to figure each other out
And yes, there may be a few bumps along the way. That’s okay!
A little patience during those first days can make a huge difference.
We will never promise that a dog will be perfect with your cat, your kids, or even your resident dog. We’ll give you the information we know to be true and help you understand how to best set everyone up for success.
But once you bring a dog home, you become part of that process, too. And every dog deserves the best possible chance at success in their forever home. 🐾
If you adopt a shelter dog, be prepared for a fun, sometimes messy, and definitely patient journey as they learn what it means to be part of your family.
Sometimes the dog you meet on Day 1 isn’t the dog you’ll know on Day 30. And that’s okay. That’s the journey. 💙 🐶
