Your rescue dog isn’t broken. They’re just learning to trust again.
You did a good thing bringing that dog home. But now they won’t let you out of their sight. They follow you to the bathroom, panic when you grab your keys, and the crate you bought sits empty because they scream if you close the door. Rescue dogs often come with separation anxiety baked in — they’ve already lost one home, and they’re terrified of losing another. Bubbas gives you a training plan built for exactly this: a dog who doesn’t know your routine yet and doesn’t trust that you’re coming back.
Rescue dogs following a structured decompression and training plan typically show reduced departure distress within 2–4 weeks.
TL;DR
- Rescue dogs need a trust-building phase before standard separation anxiety training can work.
- Start with the 3-3-3 decompression rule: bonding and predictability first, independence exercises second.
- Bubbas adapts the training timeline for rescue-specific triggers and the slower pace these dogs need.
Best for
- ✓Owners who recently adopted a rescue or shelter dog with separation distress
- ✓Dogs showing hyper-attachment, following you room to room, or panicking at departure cues
- ✓Foster families preparing dogs for permanent homes
- ✓Owners whose rescue was fine at first but developed anxiety after the "honeymoon period"
Not for
- ✗Dogs with aggression toward people when left alone (see a certified behaviorist)
- ✗Puppies from breeders with no rehoming history (standard SA plans are a better fit)
- ✗Dogs whose only issue is boredom chewing, not anxiety
“We adopted a 4-year-old pit mix from the shelter. She’d been returned twice. The first week she destroyed our blinds, chewed through a leash, and howled for hours. Our trainer said to give it time, but Bubbas gave us something to actually do every day. By week three she was napping on the couch while we ran errands.”
Why rescue dogs are different
A puppy with separation anxiety has never known anything but your home. A rescue dog has known loss. They may have been surrendered, abandoned, or bounced between shelters and foster homes. Each transition taught them the same lesson: people leave and don’t come back.
This is why standard separation anxiety advice — "just leave them and they’ll figure it out" — can actually make rescue dogs worse. Their anxiety isn’t just about being alone. It’s about being left again. The training has to address the trust deficit, not just the barking.
You also don’t know their full history. Maybe they were crated for 12 hours a day. Maybe they were punished for barking. Maybe they spent months in a kennel run with constant noise. All of that shapes how they respond to your departures, and a good training plan accounts for the unknowns.
The two‑week decompression rule
Trainers call it the "3‑3‑3 rule" — three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine, three months to feel at home. But separation anxiety training shouldn’t wait three months. The decompression period is actually the best time to build good habits, as long as you’re gentle about it.
Bubbas starts rescue dogs with a modified first week that prioritizes bonding and predictability before asking for any independence. Your dog needs to learn your daily rhythm before they can trust that you’re coming back.
- Days 1–3: No departures. Focus on calm routines — feeding times, settle spots, quiet time together.
- Days 4–7: Micro-separations inside the home. Close a door between you for 10 seconds. Build from there.
- Week 2: Brief departures with low-key arrivals. Start at 30 seconds outside the front door.
If your rescue dog came from a hoarding situation, puppy mill, or long-term shelter stay, Bubbas’ AI coach can help you adjust the timeline based on their specific background.
Building trust before independence
Most separation anxiety programs jump straight to departure exercises. With rescue dogs, that’s putting the cart before the horse. Your dog first needs to learn that your home is safe and that you’re a reliable source of good things.
- Predictable daily schedule — same feeding times, same walk route, same settle routine
- Hand-feeding a portion of meals to build the human-dog bond
- Calm, low-energy greetings and departures — no excited hellos or guilty goodbyes
- A designated safe space (bed, crate with door open, quiet corner) that’s always available
- Short positive interactions throughout the day so your dog learns your presence is the norm, not the exception
Rescue‑specific triggers to watch for
Rescue dogs often react to cues that wouldn’t bother a dog raised in your home. Because you don’t know their history, you may discover triggers by accident. Bubbas helps you identify and track these so your training plan can address them.
- Crates or closed doors — if they were confined in a previous home or shelter
- Specific sounds like keys, garage doors, or car engines
- Being in a particular room alone, especially near the front door
- Changes in your routine — rescue dogs are hypervigilant to any break in pattern
- Other people leaving, even if you’re still home — they may have bonded to the entire household
Log triggers in the app as you discover them. Bubbas uses this information to adjust your training plan and avoid accidental flooding.
What Bubbas does differently for rescues
Bubbas doesn’t treat all separation anxiety the same. When you tell the app your dog is a recent rescue, the training plan shifts to account for the trust-building phase, the unknown history, and the slower pace that rescue dogs need.
- Extended decompression period before departure exercises begin
- Bonding exercises woven into the daily plan alongside desensitization
- Trigger identification prompts that help you map your dog’s specific fear profile
- AI coach trained on rescue-specific behavioral patterns
- Progress tracking calibrated for the slower timeline rescue dogs typically need
Frequently asked questions
How soon after adopting should I start training?+
Right away — but gently. The first few days should focus on decompression, predictable routines, and bonding. Bubbas’ rescue-specific plan handles this automatically. You won’t be asked to do departure exercises until your dog has had time to settle into your home.
My rescue was fine for the first week and now has separation anxiety. Is that normal?+
Very normal. It’s called the "honeymoon period." Many rescue dogs are shut down or suppressing behavior during the first week. As they become more comfortable, the anxiety surfaces. This is actually a sign of progress — your dog feels safe enough to express their distress. Now is the time to start structured training.
Should I crate my rescue dog when I leave?+
Only if they’re comfortable with the crate. Many rescue dogs have negative associations with confinement. Forcing a distressed dog into a crate can cause injury and worsen anxiety. Bubbas helps you assess whether crate training is appropriate for your dog and, if so, introduces it gradually.
My rescue bonds to one person and panics when that person leaves, even if others are home. What do I do?+
This is called hyper-attachment, and it’s common in rescue dogs. Bubbas addresses it with exercises that build your dog’s relationship with all household members and gradually reduce dependence on one person. The training plan includes hand-offs, independent settle exercises, and gradual separations from the primary attachment figure.
Give your rescue the stability they need
Download Bubbas and start a separation anxiety plan designed for dogs who’ve already been through too much.
Try Bubbas free for 7 days7‑day free trial • then $19.99/month or $69/year • cancel anytime
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