How to Prepare Yourself Before Rescuing a Dog

Most people rescue a dog with love, and Cesar Millan says that is exactly where it goes wrong. At Big Dog Ranch Rescue, Cesar shows what every adopter needs to understand before a rescue dog comes home: love matters, but it cannot come first.

Meeting an excited or fearful dog with more excitement feeds the very state of mind you are trying to fix. Cesar explains the natural order a dog needs, and why matching a rescue dog's pack position to the right home keeps that dog home for life.

• Love comes last, not first. Affection works once the dog feels safe and ready to receive it.
• Follow the natural order: spirit, instinct, mind, then heart.
• Silence reaches the spirit, calmness the instinct, leadership the mind.
• Don't feed the wrong state. Excitement toward an anxious or excited dog makes it worse.
• Exercise, discipline, then affection builds a balanced rescue dog.

What should I do before adopting a rescue dog?

Prepare yourself first: practice silence, calmness and confident leadership for the first meeting, and plan for exercise and structure before affection.

Why isn't love enough when rescuing a dog?

Giving love to a fearful or excited dog at the wrong moment reinforces that state. A rescue dog first needs to feel safe through calm leadership.

How do you choose the right rescue dog for your home?

Understand the dog's energy and pack position and match it to your household's energy and experience.