For an adult rescue Boerboel, start with a secure home, a quiet resting place and a predictable routine. Introduce new experiences gradually. The RSPCA recommends giving an adopted dog time to settle before expanding activities and visitors. RSPCA adoption guide
Use the first week to learn what this individual needs and arrange support. The days below organize your preparations; they are not deadlines the dog must meet. If you are still choosing a dog, begin with our Boerboel rescue and adoption guide. For a young puppy, use the separate puppy homecoming guide and a plan agreed with your veterinarian.
Before pickup: build a handover sheet
We suggest asking the rescue or foster caregiver to complete this sheet with you. Keep a copy where every adult involved in the dog's care can find it. Write “unknown” when information is unavailable, and identify who will follow up rather than filling the gap with a guess.
| Ask about | Write down before leaving |
|---|---|
| Daily care | Current food, portions, meal times, toilet routine and familiar cues. |
| Health handover | Veterinary records, medication instructions, upcoming care and the clinic to contact. |
| People and animals | What has actually been observed around children, visitors, dogs and other pets, including any incidents or restrictions. |
| Rest and absences | Where the dog sleeps, whether a crate is familiar, and what happens when the caregiver leaves. |
| Identification | Microchip transfer steps, tag details and the rescue's contact number. |
| Support | Your named rescue contact, agreed check-in date and the plan if the placement becomes unsafe. |
Request examples rather than labels. “What happened, where, and who was there?” is a more useful handover question than “Is this a good dog?” This worksheet is our suggested conversation aid, not a temperament test or a guarantee about future behavior.
Check the physical setup, too. Inspect fencing for gaps, secure gate latches and check collar fit before leaving the rescue. Add an identification tag with your phone number. Best Friends recommends keeping a newly adopted dog leashed outside a fenced yard. Best Friends: bringing a dog home
Day one: make the arrival manageable
Offer a toilet opportunity on arrival, keep meals on the familiar diet initially, and establish a resting spot where nobody disturbs the dog. Arrange feeding, walks and bedtime consistently. Postpone a welcome party. These steps follow the RSPCA's guidance on settling in, routine and a safe haven. RSPCA adoption guide
Before bedtime, agree on practical responsibilities: who handles the last toilet trip, who checks the doors, and who responds if the dog needs help overnight. Put the rescue and veterinary contact numbers beside the handover sheet. Our suggested aim for the evening is simple: everyone knows the plan, including the backup if the first arrangement does not work.
Days two and three: manage introductions carefully
Discuss resident-dog introductions with the rescue before bringing the newcomer home. Best Friends' parallel-walk procedure is intended for two social dogs, not dogs showing leash or barrier reactivity. If either dog has those difficulties, get qualified help with the introduction plan. Do not force a greeting. Best Friends: introducing dogs
At home, feed dogs separately and separate them for high-value chews. When you cannot supervise, use separate rooms or another suitable arrangement agreed for the dogs. Stiffening, hard staring, growling or avoidance during an introduction calls for calmly increasing distance, not pushing them closer. Some dogs are better suited to an only-dog home. Best Friends: introducing dogs
For children, set the rules before contact: leave a sleeping or eating dog alone, move calmly, and never leave a small child alone with the dog. The American Academy of Pediatrics applies that last rule even to familiar, reportedly well-behaved dogs. AAP: dog bite prevention
Our practical recommendation is to name the supervising adult each time. If that person needs to cook, answer the door or leave the room, separate child and dog first. Keep the resting area out of children's play space. A friendly first meeting does not replace this arrangement.
Days four to seven: practice, observe and adjust
Begin with manageable everyday skills rather than an obedience test. You might reward turning toward you when called or resting on a designated bed, using cues and rewards the caregiver already knows. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward-based methods for all training and behavior work. Its guidance also supports clear boundaries taught without fear, intimidation or pain. AVSAB humane training statement
Our new-owner training guide covers the broader foundation. For this week, choose one everyday task with your trainer and write down what you will reward. There is no requirement to collect a list of completed commands by Sunday.
Plan absences around the dog's response. ASPCA guidance recommends gradual practice that stays below the point of distress; it does not offer a universal timetable. A crate can comfort a dog accustomed to it, but can worsen anxiety in another. Frantic escape attempts, persistent vocalizing or heavy panting during confinement warrant reassessing the setup and seeking help, not simply extending confinement. ASPCA: separation anxiety
Ask a veterinarian or qualified behavior professional to help interpret concerning behavior. Similar signs can have different causes, and the ASPCA advises ruling out medical problems before treating presumed separation anxiety. Arrange suitable care while that plan is developed. ASPCA: separation anxiety
Does the 3-3-3 rule predict when a rescue Boerboel settles?
Treat it as a reminder to allow time, not a forecast. Pasadena Humane's handout organizes the transition into three days, three weeks and three months. Best Friends separately emphasizes that dogs adjust at different rates. Neither provides a Boerboel-specific deadline. Pasadena Humane handout and Best Friends adoption guidance
A 2023 observational study by Bohland and colleagues followed owner reports for 99 dogs adopted from five Ohio shelters, surveying at 7, 30, 90 and 180 days. Several measured behaviors changed over those six months. This was not a Boerboel study or a test of the 3-3-3 rule: breed was not analyzed, and no dogs weighed over 100 pounds. It supports caution about treating an early impression as a finished picture, not a prediction for your dog. Bohland et al., PLOS ONE
Finish the week with a useful check-in
For the rescue follow-up, we suggest keeping a brief daily record of meals, toilet trips, rest, comfortable activities and difficult moments. Describe an event plainly, for example, “barked when the visitor entered; relaxed after the visitor left.” Record the context without deliberately recreating a worrying incident for a video or demonstration.
Bring three questions to the check-in: What is working? What needs changing? Who will help with the next step? For aggression, fear or anxiety, AVSAB recommends a treatment plan that includes management and behavior modification, with veterinary involvement where needed. Do not wait for a three-week or three-month milestone to request that help. AVSAB humane training statement
