[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":222},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-\u002Fguides\u002Fdecompression-first-three-weeks":3,"guide-related-\u002Fguides\u002Fdecompression-first-three-weeks":215},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"countries":170,"description":176,"extension":177,"faqs":178,"howTo":191,"lastReviewedAt":204,"meta":205,"navigation":206,"path":207,"publishedAt":204,"related":208,"seo":211,"seoTitle":212,"stem":213,"updatedAt":204,"__hash__":214},"guides\u002Fguides\u002Fdecompression-first-three-weeks.md","Decompression — the first three weeks with a rescue dog",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":161},"minimark",[9,13,24,33,38,41,44,72,88,92,99,102,122,125,129,132,136,139,158],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Decompression is the slow process of a rescue dog letting its guard down in a new home. For a dog adopted from overseas it matters even more than for a local rehome: this is a dog that may have come from a shelter or the street in Romania, Spain or Greece, endured a multi-day journey across Europe, and arrived somewhere where the smells, sounds, language and routine are all unfamiliar at once. Asking it to be a settled family pet on day one isn't realistic — and pushing too hard early is the most common mistake new adopters make.",[14,15,17],"callout",{"type":16},"info",[10,18,19,23],{},[20,21,22],"strong",{},"Follow your rescue first."," Every dog is different, and your rescue knows yours — its history, its assessment, what it's been flagged as needing. Wherever their specific advice differs from the general guidance here, do what they say. This page is a starting point, not a substitute for the people who know your dog.",[14,25,26],{"type":16},[10,27,28,29,32],{},"The well-known ",[20,30,31],{},"3-3-3 rule"," — roughly 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months — is a helpful map, not a timetable. Plenty of overseas rescues, especially those with difficult histories, move through it far more slowly. Treat it as a guide to what's coming, not a schedule your dog has failed if it runs late.",[34,35,37],"h2",{"id":36},"the-first-three-days-the-shutdown","The first three days: the shutdown",[10,39,40],{},"Expect very little. Many dogs go quiet and still — hiding behind furniture, sleeping for hours, eating almost nothing and drinking little. This \"shutdown\" is normal; the dog is overwhelmed and trying to make itself invisible while it works out whether this new place is safe.",[10,42,43],{},"Your job in these days is to be boring, in the best way:",[45,46,47,54,60,66],"ul",{},[48,49,50,53],"li",{},[20,51,52],{},"Set up a safe space"," before the dog arrives — a crate with a blanket over it, or a quiet corner — that the dog can retreat to and never be disturbed in.",[48,55,56,59],{},[20,57,58],{},"Minimise everything",": no visitors, no big introductions, no trips out, no fuss. One or two calm people, quiet voices, low expectations.",[48,61,62,65],{},[20,63,64],{},"Let the dog come to you."," Don't drag it out, corner it, or force cuddles. Sit nearby, don't stare, and let curiosity do the work over hours and days.",[48,67,68,71],{},[20,69,70],{},"Offer food and water"," near its safe space and don't worry too much if it barely touches them at first.",[14,73,75],{"type":74},"warning",[10,76,77,78,81,82,87],{},"Escape is the biggest risk in the early days and weeks. A frightened dog can slip a collar in a heartbeat, and a lost overseas rescue that doesn't know its home is a genuine emergency. Use a ",[20,79,80],{},"well-fitted harness and a backup slip lead"," every single time the dog is outside, check the garden for gaps and low fences, and never open a door onto an unsecured space. See ",[83,84,86],"a",{"href":85},"\u002Fguides\u002Ftransport-day","transport day"," for getting those first hours right.",[34,89,91],{"id":90},"the-first-three-weeks-learning-the-ropes","The first three weeks: learning the ropes",[10,93,94,95,98],{},"Once the initial shutdown eases, the work of the first few weeks is ",[20,96,97],{},"routine and predictability",". Feed, toilet, rest and quiet time at roughly the same points each day. Sameness is what tells a nervous dog the world is safe.",[10,100,101],{},"A few things to expect:",[45,103,104,110,116],{},[48,105,106,109],{},[20,107,108],{},"House-training starts from scratch."," A dog that lived in a shelter or outdoors has no idea what a house is for. Take it to the same spot at regular intervals, reward calmly, and expect accidents without punishment.",[48,111,112,115],{},[20,113,114],{},"Walks, introduced gently."," Common guidance is to hold off on walks for the first several days, then begin with very short, calm outings close to home — more sniffing than striding. Some dogs aren't ready for the outside world for a week or two, and that's fine.",[48,117,118,121],{},[20,119,120],{},"The \"week two to three\" shift."," As a dog relaxes, its real personality surfaces — and that isn't always the quiet dog you first met. You may see more confidence, more energy, or new behaviours (guarding, barking, testing boundaries) as the dog stops simply surviving and starts living. This is progress, even when it's harder work.",[10,123,124],{},"Keep introductions to new people and dogs slow and optional, and let the dog opt out of anything it finds frightening.",[34,126,128],{"id":127},"the-first-three-months-finding-their-feet","The first three months: finding their feet",[10,130,131],{},"Trust compounds. Over the following weeks and months the routine becomes familiar, the flinching eases, and the dog you actually adopted comes through. Keep doing the boring, consistent things; keep building positive associations; and resist comparing your dog's timeline to anyone else's.",[34,133,135],{"id":134},"whats-normal-and-when-to-get-help","What's normal — and when to get help",[10,137,138],{},"Hiding, poor appetite, nervousness, accidents and disturbed sleep are all normal early on. But some things are worth acting on rather than waiting out:",[45,140,141,152],{},[48,142,143,146,147,151],{},[20,144,145],{},"No food or water at all for more than a couple of days",", or any sign of illness — contact your rescue and a vet. (Booking an early vet check is wise anyway, and helps with your dog's health baseline; see ",[83,148,150],{"href":149},"\u002Fguides\u002Finsurance-for-imported-dogs","insurance for imported dogs",".)",[48,153,154,157],{},[20,155,156],{},"Extreme, persistent fear, or any aggression"," — talk to your rescue early, and consider a qualified, reward-based behaviourist. Good rescues expect these calls and would far rather help than have an adoption struggle in silence.",[10,159,160],{},"Setbacks are part of it. A dog that seemed to be doing well can regress after a fright or a change, then recover. That's not failure — it's the normal, non-linear shape of a frightened animal learning to trust. The single most useful thing you can offer in these weeks is patience, and the willingness to let your dog set the pace.",{"title":162,"searchDepth":163,"depth":164,"links":165},"",3,2,[166,167,168,169],{"id":36,"depth":164,"text":37},{"id":90,"depth":164,"text":91},{"id":127,"depth":164,"text":128},{"id":134,"depth":164,"text":135},[171,172,173,174,175],"romania","cyprus","bulgaria","greece","spain","What decompression means for an overseas rescue dog, the 3-3-3 rule, and how to handle the first three weeks — the hiding, the not eating, and the slow thaw.","md",[179,182,185,188],{"question":180,"answer":181},"What is the 3-3-3 rule for rescue dogs?","It's a rough guide to how a rescue dog settles in — about 3 days to begin decompressing, 3 weeks to start learning the routine and showing personality, and 3 months to properly find their feet. It's a pattern, not a promise; overseas rescues with harder histories often take longer.",{"question":183,"answer":184},"My rescue dog won't eat or is hiding — is that normal?","In the first few days, yes — hiding, sleeping a lot and eating little are all normal signs of a dog decompressing after a stressful journey. Offer food and water and give space. If a dog eats and drinks nothing at all for more than a couple of days, or seems unwell, contact your rescue and a vet.",{"question":186,"answer":187},"Should I walk my rescue dog straight away?","Usually not. Most guidance is to skip walks for the first few days to a week and let the dog decompress at home first, then start with very short, quiet walks. A newly arrived, frightened dog is a serious flight risk, so a well-fitted harness plus a backup slip lead is essential from the very first time outside.",{"question":189,"answer":190},"When will I see my rescue dog's real personality?","Often not for weeks. Many dogs are shut down and quiet at first, then become more themselves — sometimes more confident, sometimes more challenging — around weeks two to three, and continue to open up over the first few months.",{"name":192,"description":193,"steps":194},"Helping a rescue dog decompress: the 3-3-3 framework","A rough timeline for settling an overseas rescue dog into a UK home.",[195,198,201],{"name":196,"text":197},"The first 3 days","Give the dog a quiet safe space and near-total calm. Expect hiding, sleeping and little appetite. Minimise handling, visitors and outings, and let the dog observe its new home on its own terms.",{"name":199,"text":200},"The first 3 weeks","Introduce a gentle, predictable routine — feeding, toileting and calm time at the same points each day. The dog starts to learn the home and show more personality, which can include testing behaviours as it relaxes.",{"name":202,"text":203},"The first 3 months","Trust builds and the dog's real character emerges. Keep the routine, keep building positive associations, and let the dog settle into family life at its own pace.","2026-09-06",{},true,"\u002Fguides\u002Fdecompression-first-three-weeks",[209,210],"transport-day","insurance-for-imported-dogs",{"title":5,"description":176},"Rescue dog decompression — the 3-3-3 rule and the first three weeks","guides\u002Fdecompression-first-three-weeks","A7iYW_Cqb6J-6ZdTStNN2TzgaKr7zQWLKWtMOrkdges",[216,219],{"title":217,"path":149,"description":218},"Pet insurance for an imported rescue dog","What to look for in pet insurance when your dog is an overseas rescue — unknown history, pre-existing conditions, and why lifetime cover usually wins.",{"title":220,"path":85,"description":221},"Transport day — what to expect when your dog arrives","What actually happens on the day your rescue dog arrives from overseas — the van journey, the handover, and how to make those first few hours calmer.",1788703591154]