After nearly losing his life in a shelter, Hooper became so attached to me that he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. His story taught me how differently rescue dogs learn to trust.
How long does it take a rescue dog to trust you?
After fostering more than 50 rescue puppies, I wish there were a simple answer.
Some arrive at our home in Cyprus as if they have always lived here. They explore the garden, greet us with wagging tails and seem ready for their new life almost immediately.
Others need more time.
And then there was Hooper.
Hooper’s Rescue Story Started in a Field
Hooper and his brother Henry were found abandoned in a field in Cyprus.
Being rescued should have meant that the worst part of his story was over.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
While Hooper was in a shelter, he was attacked by another dog and very nearly lost his life.
He survived.
But when he came to stay with me afterwards, it quickly became obvious just how desperately he needed to feel safe.
His First Week With Me: He Wouldn’t Let Me Out of His Sight
During that first week, Hooper became incredibly attached to me.
He followed me everywhere.
And I really mean everywhere.
At night, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without him following me. When I took a shower, he would sit close by and watch me.
If I pulled the shower curtain closed and he could no longer see me, he became visibly unhappy.
It sounds like such a tiny thing: a puppy sitting outside a shower curtain.
But I still remember it.
After everything Hooper had experienced, knowing where I was seemed to make him feel safe.
He wasn’t ready to join my dog Balu properly on our walks yet either. So Balu walked, and I carried Hooper.
For those first days, much of his world happened from my arms.
I didn’t expect him to suddenly become confident or independent. He had already experienced more uncertainty than any puppy should.
What he seemed to need most was actually very simple.
Someone who stayed.
How Do You Gain a Rescue Dog’s Trust?
People often ask how long it takes a rescue dog to trust you, but after so many foster puppies, I don’t think trust follows a timetable.
You cannot look at a calendar and decide that after three days, three weeks or three months a rescue dog should feel safe.
Dogs are individuals.
Some of our puppies greet us with a wagging tail from day one. Others need time before they are comfortable with a walk, a new person or an unfamiliar situation.
And trust itself can look completely different from one dog to another.
With Hooper, attachment came incredibly quickly.
Confidence took longer.
The most important thing was not forcing him to become the dog I wanted him to be. It was giving him the chance to discover that nothing bad was going to happen when he relaxed.
Slowly, Hooper’s World Became Bigger
Little by little, Hooper started to settle.
His world no longer consisted only of making sure I was still there.
He could explore.
He could interact.
He could meet new people.
And he could simply be a puppy.
This is one of the things I love about fostering rescue puppies at our Puppy Yoga Retreat in Cyprus.
The puppies are not suddenly dropped into a completely unfamiliar family environment and expected to understand everything. During their time with us, everyday life gradually becomes bigger.
They meet our team and our guests. They experience new voices, new smells and different people. They play, rest, go on little adventures and sometimes join our puppy yoga sessions.
For many of them, it is an opportunity to learn something very important:
People can be safe.
The Rescue Dog You Meet Today May Not Be the Dog You Meet in a Few Weeks
This is something I wish more people knew about rescue dogs.
Sometimes visitors meet our puppies and are genuinely surprised.
“These are rescue puppies?”
They expect frightened dogs hiding in corners.
Instead, they see puppies playing, climbing onto laps, stealing yoga straps and falling asleep next to people they only met an hour earlier.
The image many people have of a rescue dog isn’t necessarily completely wrong.
It’s simply incomplete.
A dog can have experienced fear and still become confident.
A dog can have a difficult beginning and still love people.
And a puppy who once became upset because a shower curtain separated him from the person he trusted can learn that people sometimes disappear from sight – and come back again.
Then Hooper Had to Start All Over Again
Eventually, Hooper found his new family.
It was everything we wanted for him.
But adoption does not magically erase the adjustment process.
A new home means new people, new smells, a new routine and another completely unfamiliar environment.
During his first few days with his new family, Hooper developed severe diarrhoea.
Of course, when you have been waiting for your rescue dog to arrive, that isn’t quite how you imagine the happy ending.
But Hooper settled in.
The diarrhoea passed, his new surroundings became familiar, and once again he learned that he was safe.
I think this part of rescue stories is important too.
We often see the adoption photo and think:
He made it. The story is over.
But for the dog, arriving at a forever home is another beginning.
They still have to learn:
This is my bed.
These are my people.
This is my routine.
This is home.
So, How Long Does It Take a Rescue Dog to Trust You?
There is no single answer.
It can take days, weeks or much longer. And even when a rescue dog trusts you, there may still be situations that frighten them or changes they need time to process.
Hooper trusted me enough to follow me into the bathroom almost immediately.
But feeling secure enough not to need me within sight every second was another step.
Then came meeting other people.
New experiences.
And eventually another huge leap of trust: moving into his permanent home.
Trust wasn’t one moment.
It happened in layers.
What Hooper Taught Me About Rescue Dogs
After more than 50 foster puppies, I have learned not to decide too quickly who a rescue dog is.
The scared dog you meet today may not be the dog you meet a month from now.
The puppy who doesn’t want to walk may one day race ahead of you.
The dog who watches every movement you make may eventually fall asleep without checking where you are.
And the puppy who once couldn’t cope with a shower curtain between us eventually learned that he didn’t need me beside him anymore.
He had his own family.
And that was the whole point.
Want to Meet Our Current Rescue Puppies?
The puppies at our Puppy Yoga Retreat in Cyprus are foster dogs looking for their next chapter. During their time with us, they experience everyday life, new people, gentle socialisation and plenty of puppy time.
Some eventually find their families through people who meet them at our events and retreats.
And sometimes a week that started with yoga and puppies ends with someone meeting a new member of their family.
