17 Things You Need to Know Before Adopting a Romanian Rescue Dog
The Romanian street dog crisis is a major issue. It’s primarily due to abandoned dogs who can still reproduce. One unspayed female dog and her offspring can have 67,000 pups in six years. It’s an epidemic.
Thankfully, many charities are capturing, spaying, neutering, and re-releasing street dogs, naturally reducing their population.
Charities are also taking dogs from kill shelters to happy lives across Western Europe. That’s why Romanian rescue dogs are growing in popularity in recent years, especially in the UK.
These dogs (often called Rommies) have experienced things we can’t even imagine, which you need to seriously consider before adopting. You need to do lots of research before you commit. There are many social media groups, forums, and videos about rescuing a Romanian dog.
As an adopter, I’m going to share some vital knowledge before you adopt. I’ll only be touching on each point, so please read into these topics further and do lots of research! These dogs need someone to commit to them, not to add further instability to their lives.
They’re incredible companions, and they deserve love and safety, which hopefully you’ll be able to give them!
1. You Need to be Patient
Imagine someone putting you into a van and taking you to an unfamiliar country and environment. Suddenly, you’re listening to a language you don’t understand. I’m guessing you’re a little scared?
Rommies will see things they’ve never seen before. Some fear TVs, washing machines, even something as simple as men because many cruel dog catchers are male. Hardwood floors can be a nightmare for dogs used to the stability and grip of concrete. It’s the little things we don’t even think about in our day-to-day lives.
Settling in your Romanian rescue dog is going to be more challenging than with a dog that’s lived in a house before. Some may have been in foster beforehand, so they may know a home environment. Others may have lived in a home before they were abandoned by their owners.
Rescues and adopters often refer to the ‘3–3–3 rule’ when adopting a dog:
· 3 days in, everything will overwhelm them, and they may stay in their crate. They’ll be working out their new environment and testing boundaries. They may not eat or drink much.
· 3 weeks in, they’ll be settling into their new home and your routine. Behavioural issues may crop up. Their personality will begin to show!
· 3 months in, they’ll be feeling like a member of your family, and they’ll have settled in!
This roadmap will vary depending on the dog, but it gives you a rough idea of what to expect. Let them go at their own pace, and don’t push them into things they don’t want to do. Have lots of empathy for them and try to see things from their perspective.
2. You Need to be Ready
Be prepared for their arrival. A crate is essential. Whilst you may think, “Why would I cage up a dog that’s been in a cage?” you need to consider the fact your dog will need a safe space, a cosy spot they can hide in when they’re stressed.
A crate is a cosy hideaway for a dog, and you can make it comfortable for them by laying down a comfy crate bed and covering the crate with a blanket. That’s the perfect den for them! Leaving the crate door open gives them security without the trapped feeling you may be worried about, so that’s the perfect compromise.
Make sure there’s a quiet environment where they can decompress; their body will be teeming with adrenaline and other stress hormones. Ensure no excitable children are pawing at them as a nervous, stressed dog may snap. Teach your children to respect them from the start, and they’ll have a best friend for life.
You’ll also want tummy-friendly food, as the journey is often very stressful on their nervous system, affecting their digestion. UK rescues recommend Chappie for the first few days, before slowly graduating to the food you want to feed them. Pro-Kolin is also an excellent investment at £15: this will settle their tummy if they’re feeling ill.
There are many checklists online of things to buy, and your rescue may supply you with one. Some rescues will tell you to buy a slip lead for when you pick up or receive the dog. The handover is the most dangerous time, and a stressed dog may bolt.
3. Give Them Space
For the first 48 hours, they’ll need to decompress from the long journey that elevates every stress hormone in their little body. Don’t try to curry favour by being all over them. I know, you want to cuddle them! But allowing them time to settle in will build their trust in you.
Leave them alone in a quiet place with fresh food and water if they want to eat and drink, and you can give them Pro-Kolin if you want to. Don’t try stroking them or getting in their face. You can roll treats to them from a distance, though; this will show them you provide food and you’re good for them.
4. Don’t Expect Too Much
You have no idea what they’ve been through, and their trauma or triggers will be a mystery to you until later on. They might not have any, or everything may terrify them.
Don’t develop a romanticised version of your dog in your head before you get them. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking about how many things you’re going to do together! It’s natural to get excited about being able to cuddle them, but you don’t know how they’re going to be. You need to be ready to put in a lot of work: they do not arrive as perfect dogs.
5. They Are Different to British Dogs
Rommies play hard, which many other dog owners don’t understand, so they may think your dog is being aggressive when they’re just playing! My Rommie has a habit of thinking playtime is a wrestling match, and owners don’t appreciate hearing their dog’s head thudding into the floor, even if their dog is having fun! It’s something to consider; you might want to link up with fellow Rommie owners in your area so your rescues can play together.
Rommies are very intelligent — they needed to be to survive. This is amazing for training and puzzle games, but it also means you need to be ready to outsmart them constantly. With little thought, they can work out how to escape and get to the food you’ve ‘hidden’!
All dogs need enrichment, and it’s something to consider for your Rommie. Ours has a snuffle mat, lickimats, puzzles, and plays lots of sniffing games! They involve soothing behaviours, and they’re great for mental stimulation and wearing pups out in a different way to physical exercise. More exercise often isn’t the solution for a rowdy dog!
6. You Won’t Know Their History
Unfortunately, you’ll receive little information from the rescue, which isn’t their fault! Often, these rescues save Rommies from the street or public/kill shelters. This means they won’t know anything about their background unless they were born in a shelter or surrendered with an explanation.
This means they could have many triggers, strange triggers you wouldn’t expect (pushchairs and hats, anyone?), and a distressing background that you can’t even comprehend.
Over time, you will work out their triggers, but you have to be prepared for them to be everyday things. Ours is deathly scared of rain because public shelters often hose the kennels down with the dogs trapped inside in already stressful situations. Pretty traumatising, right?
A behaviourist can come in handy if you think you’ll be overwhelmed trying to counter-condition on your own.
You won’t know their exact age, as vets estimate this from their teeth. Rommies have a date of birth on their pet passport, which gives you something to celebrate, even if it is an estimate.
Many rescues carefully choose which of their dogs can live with children. As the rescues don’t know the dog’s background, they often prefer adopters with older children with dog experience or no children. There will be suitable Rommies for young children. Rescues will be able to recommend dogs to you based on temperament, and some will have lived with children in a foster home. The same applies to cats here.
7. They Have Probably Never Lived in a House
Unless fostered, abandoned, or surrendered, they’ve likely never lived indoors! Everything normal to you in a house: stairs, doors, carpet, TV, will be completely alien to them. They may fear all the new things, so make sure you introduce things slowly. Obvious things are the vacuum, washing machine, TV, and anything else that creates noise, but they might also have aversions to basic things like doors.
This also means:
8. They’ll Need Housetraining
Unless your pup was in foster before they came to you, they are unlikely to be housetrained. Maybe your dog was from a home and abandoned, and they know to go outside, but a big move for dogs can revert their behaviours, so you’re probably going to have to housetrain them, anyway.
This means being ready for accidents and not scolding them for any indoor oopsies. Yes, it’s frustrating to have to clear pee up, but they don’t understand it if you’re nasty to them. Instead of changing their behaviour, they’ll fear you.
Their trust is so hard to earn, so don’t damage it through your frustration! Taking them outside often, especially after meals and naps, is key to housetraining. There are great guides online like this one.
Generally, puppy pads aren’t recommended as they can reinforce indoor toilet behaviours, but sometimes you may want to use one. Maybe you have to pop out for 15 minutes, and your dog hasn’t perfected holding their bladder!
Invest in an enzyme spray to clean up any accidents. This prevents your dog from being drawn back to the scent of where they previously toileted. Traditional cleaners don’t remove all the scents that your dog’s amazing nose can pick up.
9. They’ve Probably Never Been on a Lead
If your dog lived on the street, being on a lead will feel alien to them! You may have issues with pulling or generally getting them to walk on the lead if they’re nervous. For the latter, introduce the lead gradually, respecting their fears and heavily praising and treating them. If they pull, headcollars and front clip harnesses are valuable tools to have. Teaching your pup to heel can be another useful tool to have in your arsenal.
There are other issues to be aware of, like ‘frustrated greeters’ and other lead reactivity. It’s good to be knowledgeable of these things. There’s a fantastic subreddit for reactive dogs with guidance on training and more.
Rescues recommend double leads for walks for the first few weeks, in case your Rommie slips one of them. A slip lead is harder for a dog to escape from, so they’re a great tool for this stage. You’ll know when it’s time for just one lead!
10. Many Don’t Like Collars
Rough dog wardens capture Rommies from the street using a noose-like tool that goes around their neck. Collars could trigger this memory if your dog was snatched like this. Your dog might be fine with a collar, but look into getting a harness for their comfort, especially if they pull and you need more control.
If you want to use a collar, look into how to introduce one to a dog for the first time. If you get a martingale collar (ideal to ensure your pup can’t slip out of a collar), these have to go over the head. There are great guides available for slow collar introductions.
11. Positive Reinforcement and Negative Punishment Only
It’s going to take a lot for your rescue dog to trust you, so don’t break their trust by punishing them physically or harshly. They’ve been through enough! Positive reinforcement is the one we all know: rewarding good behaviours!
Negative punishment is taking something away from the dog that’s desirable to them. An example of this is when a dog jumps up or play bites. If it’s a behaviour you don’t want to encourage, withdraw your attention until they stop. They’ll soon learn that jumping or biting won’t lead to cuddles or playtime! I wouldn’t recommend using their treats or toys as negative punishment as this could cause resource guarding issues.
Many ‘expert’ trainers are working on outdated advice, so make sure you research positive reinforcement trainers for any videos you watch online and any behaviourist you may hire.
12. You’re Unlikely to Find a Purebred Dog
While backyard breeders abandon some purebred dogs if they’re too old for breeding or unfit for sale, Romanian rescue dogs are often a real mix of pretty much every breed you can imagine in the area. It’s great fun trying to work out what your Rommie is a mix of; they’re probably breeds you’ve never even heard of!
This also means that rescues can’t tell you what a dog is. They can guess the breed, but often this isn’t accurate. They also can’t tell you how big a puppy will grow with 100% accuracy, so be prepared for a pup to grow bigger than expected!
There have been unfortunate occasions where adopters haven’t prepared for a bigger dog, so they’ve surrendered their dog back to the rescue. This isn’t a desirable result for anyone, so if you’re in doubt of how large a puppy will grow and size is important to you, adopt an adult.
13. Learn About Dog Body Language
Dogs nip; that’s a common occurrence. Learn dog body language and the signals of a stressed and scared dog. Or even a dog that’s just too excited! This will help you identify when the dog is ‘over threshold’ and at risk of lashing out because they’re too scared or overwhelmed. Dogs rarely bite without warning, so learn the signs to avoid any unfortunate incidents.
A key part to your dog displaying behaviours prior to a nip is ensuring you never punish a growl. Yes, it’s easy to reflexively tell your dog off for growling, but they’re warning you that they’re irritated. If you force your dog to stop growling, they’ll skip that part and go straight for the bite. This applies to every dog, not just Rommies.
14. Secure Your House & Garden
Rommies are renowned escape artists, scaling fences you wouldn’t believe, and they can find holes anywhere! For the first week, rescues recommend keeping your dog on a lead/training lead in the garden. This way, they won’t escape, and it’s an excellent opportunity for you to see if they find any gaps in hedges or fences that you didn’t even realise were there.
Most rescues require 5–6ft fences/walls/hedges securing your garden. With smaller dogs, they may use their discretion.
15. Make Sure the Rescue is Legitimate
Most rescues are legit, with many charities in the UK working on bringing over Romanian dogs to safety. These dogs face almost certain death without outside involvement.
Charities will neuter/spay the dog, which is very important to reduce the chance of abandoned or unwanted pups. The whole reason there’s a street dog problem in Romania is because of unfixed dogs! They will also test for many illnesses and viruses, treating them as needed. Some dishonest rescues won’t do any of these things, so this is something to check for.
A legit rescue will also have a solid contract with ‘rescue backup’. This means they’ll take the dog back if you can’t deal with them for any reason. They will also conduct a home check, and this may be via video call or in-person. This ensures your home environment is safe, appropriate, and secure for a dog. It may seem like a hassle, but they have the dog’s best interests at heart. Be thankful when you find a rescue like this!
16. Be Ready to Have Strict Boundaries
You may feel sorry for the dog and want to lavish them in love. I get it; I was the same! Having firm boundaries is good for you and the dog. Keeping them off sofas and beds for the first couple of weeks is important. This reduces the chance of resource-guarding behaviour.
Speaking of which:
17. They May Guard Their Food
Shelters in Romania starve their dogs, and this is how many of them die. Others fight for food and bully them so they can’t eat. Street dogs survive on what they can scavenge.
So don’t be surprised if you adopt a dog who’s defensive of their bowl and food. If you have a resident dog, it’s best to feed them separately, so there are no food fights. I don’t mean the fun kind!
Research resource guarding (also known as food aggression) properly as it can be very dangerous if you deal with it incorrectly. Dangerous for you and the dog. Many videos circulate of people shoving their hand in their dog’s bowl or trying to assert dominance. Nope. You want to show your dog that you only give them food; you don’t take it away from them or threaten their supply. Respect your dog and give them space at mealtimes.
Counter surfing and scavenging are also very common, so ensure you have sealed bins and put food away. Don’t leave any food around that they can get to. Several common foods are toxic to dogs, including onions, garlic, grapes, and chocolate. However, they don’t know that, so it’s up to you to protect them from their gluttony!
I adopted Cassi, my Rommie, in April 2021. She didn’t arrive until May because of delays with her vaccinations, which was hard to deal with as I’d got my hopes up! However, it showed the quality of the rescue I was adopting her from; they put her health first rather than trying to ship her quickly to the UK.
When she arrived, I was so aware of how quiet and patient I needed to be with her. She was testing boundaries from the second or third day! It was hard to be tough, and I spent the first week crying all the time because I was so stressed.
Yet, we’re very lucky with Cassi: she’s housetrained, generally well-behaved, and brave! Many Rommies are deeply traumatised by their time on the street, in the shelter, or their previous home in Romania. Some hide in their crate and won’t let their humans touch them for weeks or more.
We think someone abandoned Cassi. She arrived housetrained, and things like televisions and wooden floors didn’t bother her, so she’d probably been in a house before. To start, she was very jumpy and would flinch if we moved too quickly, but now she trusts us, it’s not a problem.
Cassi has triggers, and even after three months, things still crop up that surprise us. The sound of motorbikes, cans of drink being opened, any sudden loud noises (I relate), and random people are a few. Recently, she’s developed a dislike of toddlers when we’re out, grumbling at them from a distance, which is something we’re keeping an eye on, considering she had no problem with them previously! She has a particular dislike for the bath, and she whines when I’m in it — I promise I’m not drowning, Cassi!
Cass loves to chase the cheeky pigeons in her garden. We’re still working on things; she’s a ‘frustrated greeter’, and her recall is still appalling, but she’s made fantastic progress in less than four months. She’s incredibly smart and can learn new tricks in a couple of sessions! She also has an absolutely amazing nose, and we regularly play sniffing games with her. She’s so good at ‘find it!’ that I can bury her treats, and she’ll find them!
We’re very lucky to have Cassi. Her ears, intelligence, and cheekiness bring us joy every day. Everyone comments on her amazing ears during walks!
Adopting a Rommie is an incredibly rewarding thing to do, but you need patience and readiness for challenges. Don’t be afraid to ask fellow rescuers or your rescue for help; most have behaviourists on hand. If you feel ready to commit to one of these lucky pups, good luck with your journey together!
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