Although our dogs come from a variety of different backgrounds, Street Hearts BG focuses on their future. We want our dogs to become the most well-rounded, happy, and balanced versions of themselves.
As soon as a dog enters our care, they are loved, nurtured, socialised, encouraged to build confidence, and provided with a relevant training plan to prepare them for their future.
As an organisation, we do not rehome dogs with severe behavioral issues, and the majority of our adoptable dogs are well-rounded family additions. Rehoming dogs with specific training needs is taken very seriously by our team, and we always ensure that each dog is matched with an appropriate home. Additionally, we make sure adopters are well-equipped to manage and continue working to overcome any challenges their dog may face.
We believe that rescue doesn't end with removing a dog from their initial hardship; it ends when we have seen the dog through to their final destination, well-equipped with a skillset that will benefit them for the rest of their life.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A STREET HEARTS BG DOG
The First Few Weeks
Our dogs travel to you in a van over the course of four days. They will have left behind everything they know and trust and so their first few days in your home will be overwhelming and disorientating. Please try to keep your dog's environment as calm as possible for the first few weeks. The dog that you collect at handover will be very different from the dog you will get to know, and grow to love, in the following weeks and months of your adoption journey. Give them time.
Making a Safe Space
We strongly advocate having a crate for your dog, especially when they're getting to know a new home, family, and visitors. As our dogs are crate trained at the shelter, continuing this training provides them with a familiar safe space, which can also be used to regulate their rest and manage them when they are unsupervised. The crate must never be used as a punishment, only as a place of calm and safety. Placing blankets over it can increase the sense of a 'den', which most street dogs will appreciate.
Socialisation with Dogs
Our dogs are well socialised with other dogs, and most have spent time with cats and horses, too! Unless stated otherwise, our dogs all have great social skills and play manners; something that street dogs are renowned for.
Once they are in their new homes, our dog's greatly benefit from play dates or walks with balanced and social dogs, attending group socialisation classes (run by quality trainers), group pack walks (run by quality dog walkers), and some dogs also enjoy going to daycare. If you are planning to send your dogs to daycare, please do your research, as some centres can do more harm than good to your dog's social skills.
Socialisation with People
When your dog arrives at home, expect them to be overwhelmed, particularly if you have multiple family members for them to meet. As the days pass, if they are less certain of a particular family member, try not to put pressure on forming a relationship. This person can hand feed the dog its meals as a way to build a relationship and engagement with them.
Socialisation with New Situations
In the beginning, new situations may take some time to adjust to. The Street Hearts BG shelter is in a remote area, so the dogs' experience of crowds, traffic, and trains is limited. Our team put a lot of time and effort into taking dogs to our local town to acclimatise them to new noises, smells, and sights, but there may be a period of learning and adjustment when your dog arrives with you.
Older dogs are often calmer and have had more life experience, meaning that they usually adjust to new situations quite quickly. Some puppies may have missed out on crucial learning periods before they came to us and will take time to grow in confidence.
Food
We feed our dogs dry food with a good protein content. Most street dogs aren't fussy, but we recommend a grain free, sensitive diet on arrival, as upset tummies are not uncommon during the first few days in a new environment. A good probiotic, such as Pro Kolexin or Canikur Pro Paste, usually resolves this problem. Once your dog has settled and his / her poops are normal, you can then start to slowly introduce the diet of your choice.
There may be a loss of appetite during the first few days if your dog feels a little unsettled. Please do not worry or create too much fuss around meals. If your dog refuses to eat at first, try hand feeding them. If they are still unsure, place the food with them in a safe place and let them eat as and when they want to. If you have a multi-dog household, please feed the dogs separately so that they feel secure around their food.
Affection and Separation Anxiety
Every dog is different. Some dogs want affection and attention all of the time, whereas others are more reserved, and cuddles will be on their own terms. We will advise you regarding your dog's character and make sure they are the right fit for you.
Separation anxiety is not common in street dogs, but it can be created by never leaving them alone and letting them develop a dependence on your presence. It is strongly advised that you routinely, and gradually, leave them to their own devices for periods throughout the day.
Exercise
Giving your dog quality exercise will help to strengthen your bond and reduce any bored or frustrated behaviour in the home. Our dogs love being outside, so stimulating walks and outdoor enrichment / games in the garden are always a great idea. It is also important to consider that they need enough rest and downtime alongside exercise.
Puppies should sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day. Adult dogs should sleep for 16 to 18 hours a day. Dogs that don't get enough sleep are much more inclined to develop behavioural issues due to being over exhausted, overstimulated, and / or frustrated. The best way a dog can recover from minor or major life stresses is through sleep. Teaching your dog to settle, rest, and sleep is invaluable to their wellbeing, training, and development.
Engagement: The Foundation of Your Relationship with Your Dog
What is engagement, why is it important, and how do you build this? Having engagement with your dog means that they are focused on you, and find more value in you, rather than any unwanted external factors. Focusing on building engagement with your new dog from day one will strengthen your bond, build their confidence, make them easier to handle and train, and prevent all types of behavioural issues from developing. Building engagement is far more important and valuable than teaching them a 'paw' or 'roll over' cue.
The most effective way to build engagement is by handfeeding your dog. Your dog's food is something that, innately, is the most valuable thing to them. Hand feeding all their food on their walks or training sessions will teach them that this amazingly high-value reward always comes directly from you, and not just from a bowl on the floor.
Lead Walking
We use nylon slip leads for lead training and the dogs are used to them. They are cheap and simple tools that allow for clear communication between you and your dog when walking. Please do not let your Street Heart off the lead until you are confident with their recall. Newly adopted dogs can be spooked by loud noises and large / fast objects and will run much faster than you! We recommend the use of a longline when gaining confidence with recall. It gives the dog the feeling of freedom of movement and, if they are ignoring your commands or running off, you should be able to stop them by standing on or picking up the line.
Harnesses are easier to slip than a collar that is the right tightness. If a dog panics and rolls around, they can wriggle out of a harness. Dogs also respond much better to lead work when on a slip lead rather than a harness. If you wish to use a harness, please ensure it is correctly fitted to avoid your dog having long-term shoulder problems, and please wait until you have strong engagement with your Street Heart, they are walking nicely loose lead, and have shown no sign of fear / frustration reactivity or overexcited greeting.
Dogs should never be tied up outside shops / on their own without supervision.
Prey Drive and Squirrels
In Bulgaria, we don't have squirrels! Please be aware that many of our dogs are descended from hunting breeds and have a high prey drive. Squirrels are irresistible to most dogs, so please be aware of this and keep your dog under control, particularly near roads and in parks with no fences.
If your dog does have a high prey drive, it is important not to allow them to 'practice' the chase. The more they have the opportunity to chase in dangerous or inappropriate scenarios, the more it will reinforce their drive to do it. Provide your dogs with appropriate outlets for their instinctive drives and, when out on walks, please keep them on a longline to practice recall until it is 100%.
Please attend puppy or obedience classes, or employ a one-to-one trainer, if you are not confident with teaching these skills on your own. A few early sessions will likely make all of the difference and set you and your Street Heart on the right path together.
Training
At Street Hearts BG, our training approach centres on building calm, confident, and resilient dogs. If your dog has a training need, it is extremely important to not ignore this or shield the dog away from it. We ask all of our adopters to proactively work to overcome any training issue.
It is important to find the appropriate balance of working on issues and exposing your dog to triggers whilst not overwhelming them and making matters worse. Doing this successfully often requires the help of a trainer. We understand that using a trainer is an additional expense; however, over the years, we have seen many adopters ignore issues, waste time training with ineffective approaches, or use ineffective trainers, all of which has resulted in strengthened negatives behaviours in their dog and longer journeys to overcome the escalated issues.
ADMIN
Passport, Vaccinations, and Microchips
Upon arrival in the UK, we will change the details of your dog's microchip through PETtrac so that you are the registered owner of your dog. This is a legal requirement and also means that you can be contacted if your dog is lost and then found.
Your pet passport must be taken to the vet in order to keep up to date with vaccinations. If you wish to travel with your dog, the rabies vaccination will also need to be kept up to date as well as the standard annual vaccinations.
STREET HEARTS BG PROMISE
We provide lifetime support and rescue backup so, if your circumstances change, please let us help you and your Street Heart. Feel free to contact us at
Furthermore, we are always on hand to give advice where we can. If your dog displays any problematic behaviour, please get in touch. It is not a failure! Every dog adapts differently and early intervention with challenging behaviour will prevent long-term issues.
