Toula
DOB: 17/07/2015
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Neutered/Spayed? Yes
Microchipped? Yes
Sex: Female
Size: Large
Neutered/Spayed? Yes
Microchipped? Yes
A Dog from the Shelter – an Introduction
A dog from the shelter is a rewarding experience. They have so much to give. Every dog homed, saves 2 dogs as
one will find it's part in your family whilst another will find refuge in that place in the shelter.
There is an expectation and hope from the new family (and us) that a dog will settle right in to their new home but
sometimes that isn’t always the case.
Be aware that the history of the dog isn’t always known. They may have been born on the streets, they may have had a
litter or two of puppies, they may have been abused or neglected, they may have just been abandoned and are starved.
When we described one of our shelter dogs, our assessment is based on how they are in the shelter. In a home they are
likely to be different. They may be better. We cannot know for sure. But Stavroula is a very good assessor of
personality and you will get the truth from her.
Often, people’s first question is whether the dog is good with children, or are they good with cats, or cars, or other dogs,
and so on. This is a difficult question to answer but what you will get from Elpida is honesty. We will answer to the
best of our ability, about what we see, and how they interact, how they behave. This will all be from the perspective of
the shelter, and how they are at the shelter, isn’t always the same as in a home.
It is all about training. Training the house members, as well as the dog. Respect is earned not a given.
Children must be taught to understand the signs and signals of a dog. There are many articles available on
understanding dog body language and it is well worth reading these before embarking upon a dog. It will be your dogs
only way of communicating, so learn the language.
Things do not happen overnight. Remember these dogs may never have been inside a house before, so, for example,
toilet training may be something the dog may have to learn, he may never have heard a washing machine, a TV or
vacuum cleaner before. All things he needs to get used to. Don’t forget that their main company has been other dogs,
in a shelter, so it takes time. You need to be understanding and patient to help the dog settle down and recuperate before
teaching them how to live in a totally different environment.
The rescue maxim is: It takes at least 3 days for the dog to become familiar with his new family. He will need to
decompress and recover from his stressful ordeal of travelling and new surroundings. (This is not the time for taking
your dog out and about, or having visitors – play it down, keep it quiet. Give him peace and space). Keep him on a lead
at all times outside.
It takes about 3 weeks for the dog to feel comfortable and understand his new routine.
If you work consistently with him, after around 3 months he should be acclimatised to his new family and start to
really feel at home.
Try to imagine being lifted from what you know, taken on a long journey without knowing why or how, and then placed
in a different setting, where people speak a different language….wouldn’t you want to take things slow?
Preparation is the key here. Learn, prepare, and be prepared. Things don’t always just fall into place. You have to work
at it and be patient. A dog learns through his entire life, as do we. It is up to us to teach him and up to you to learn to
understand your dog.
Be respectful to your dog and he will be respectful to you.
Be patient.
Be consistent
Don’t punish your dog, but reward for good behaviour. A dog doesn’t think it has done wrong. It isn’t a child. He does
not have a human thought pattern. He will want to please you, so always reward good behaviour rather than punish for
doing wrong. If he has done wrong, think of what YOU have done to create it happening. Did you leave them too
long? Did you leave temptation in its way? Did you not read the signals he was communicating to you?
Do it right, and you will be rewarded with a loyal, warm family member for the rest of their lives.
If you are interested in adopting or fostering an Elpida dog and would you like some more information, then please get
in touch and we will do our best to answer you.
A dog from the shelter is a rewarding experience. They have so much to give. Every dog homed, saves 2 dogs as
one will find it's part in your family whilst another will find refuge in that place in the shelter.
There is an expectation and hope from the new family (and us) that a dog will settle right in to their new home but
sometimes that isn’t always the case.
Be aware that the history of the dog isn’t always known. They may have been born on the streets, they may have had a
litter or two of puppies, they may have been abused or neglected, they may have just been abandoned and are starved.
When we described one of our shelter dogs, our assessment is based on how they are in the shelter. In a home they are
likely to be different. They may be better. We cannot know for sure. But Stavroula is a very good assessor of
personality and you will get the truth from her.
Often, people’s first question is whether the dog is good with children, or are they good with cats, or cars, or other dogs,
and so on. This is a difficult question to answer but what you will get from Elpida is honesty. We will answer to the
best of our ability, about what we see, and how they interact, how they behave. This will all be from the perspective of
the shelter, and how they are at the shelter, isn’t always the same as in a home.
It is all about training. Training the house members, as well as the dog. Respect is earned not a given.
Children must be taught to understand the signs and signals of a dog. There are many articles available on
understanding dog body language and it is well worth reading these before embarking upon a dog. It will be your dogs
only way of communicating, so learn the language.
Things do not happen overnight. Remember these dogs may never have been inside a house before, so, for example,
toilet training may be something the dog may have to learn, he may never have heard a washing machine, a TV or
vacuum cleaner before. All things he needs to get used to. Don’t forget that their main company has been other dogs,
in a shelter, so it takes time. You need to be understanding and patient to help the dog settle down and recuperate before
teaching them how to live in a totally different environment.
The rescue maxim is: It takes at least 3 days for the dog to become familiar with his new family. He will need to
decompress and recover from his stressful ordeal of travelling and new surroundings. (This is not the time for taking
your dog out and about, or having visitors – play it down, keep it quiet. Give him peace and space). Keep him on a lead
at all times outside.
It takes about 3 weeks for the dog to feel comfortable and understand his new routine.
If you work consistently with him, after around 3 months he should be acclimatised to his new family and start to
really feel at home.
Try to imagine being lifted from what you know, taken on a long journey without knowing why or how, and then placed
in a different setting, where people speak a different language….wouldn’t you want to take things slow?
Preparation is the key here. Learn, prepare, and be prepared. Things don’t always just fall into place. You have to work
at it and be patient. A dog learns through his entire life, as do we. It is up to us to teach him and up to you to learn to
understand your dog.
Be respectful to your dog and he will be respectful to you.
Be patient.
Be consistent
Don’t punish your dog, but reward for good behaviour. A dog doesn’t think it has done wrong. It isn’t a child. He does
not have a human thought pattern. He will want to please you, so always reward good behaviour rather than punish for
doing wrong. If he has done wrong, think of what YOU have done to create it happening. Did you leave them too
long? Did you leave temptation in its way? Did you not read the signals he was communicating to you?
Do it right, and you will be rewarded with a loyal, warm family member for the rest of their lives.
If you are interested in adopting or fostering an Elpida dog and would you like some more information, then please get
in touch and we will do our best to answer you.