Just adopted a dog and not sure if they’ll adjust? Here’s the 3-3-3 rule experts say you need to know

If you adopt a dog from an animal shelter, you’re best advised to follow what’s known as the “3/3/3 rule” as your new pet settles in over the days, weeks and months after its arrival in your home.

That’s the pet-adaptation approach outlined in a viral dog-adoption guide shared on the social-media site Reddit, on the Subreddit forum “Cool Guides”.

“Doesn’t happen overnight”

Posted by the user Lucy_Pugz, the visual guide warns adopters that the process of getting a potentially traumatized rescue dog to feel completely comfortable in its new surroundings “doesn’t happen overnight”.

In response to Lucy_Pugz’s post, another Reddit user added: “Remember - this is a general guideline so if the times are longer ie. takes them longer to adjust, give them as much space as they need.

“It took nearly a year for my rescue to feel comfortable being around us for long periods of time and to start asking for pets.”

The “3/3/3 rule” - a quick summary:

According to the “3/3/3 rule”, you should break your rescue dog’s adjustment process down into three time periods: the three days, three weeks and three months that follow the animal’s arrival.

Three days:

During their first three days in your home, your dog may:

• Feel overwhelmed and scared
• Refuse to eat or drink
• Hide under furniture

Three weeks:

Within three weeks, your dog may begin to:

• Feel more comfortable and let their guard down
• Realise this may be their “forever home”
• Start to show their true personality

Thee months:

After three months, your dog may have begun to:

• Feel completely safe and comfortable
• Develop a genuine bond with you
• Fully settle into a routine

Check out the visual dog-adoption guide in full.

“No idea where they are, who they’re with, or what is happening”

The American Kennel Club’s Gemma Johnstone agrees that patience is paramount when welcoming a rescue dog into your home.

In a blog post, Johnstone recalled her experience of rescuing Annie, a dog she describes as “riddled with anxiety as a result of a traumatic past”.

“Seeing this scared little soul, all I wanted to do was pick her up and shower her with all the love I felt she deserved,” Johnstone wrote.

“But what she actually needed in those first few months was space, a simple routine, and time to get to know and trust me on her own terms.”

Speaking to Johnstone, the dog trainer and behavior consultant Mary Angilly added: “While [owners] might have the best intentions, new dogs have no idea where they are, who they’re with, or what is happening, and it takes time to build a positive relationship.

“The more patient a [owner] is, and the more choice a dog is given over seemingly simple things, the faster trust will build.”

In the U.S., around two million dogs were adopted from shelters during 2024, according to statistics compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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