The 3-3-3 rule is a general guideline that represents the phases of a rescue dog or common milestones your new dog or puppy will go through… it is the first 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months after bringing your dog home from the shelter.

The 3-3-3 rule is also known as the “rescue dog honeymoon period”.

If you’ve ever started a new job or moved to a new school, you know this feeling. The feeling of being in an unfamiliar place, new surroundings, new people, new rules. Just like humans, dogs need time to adjust to their new surroundings. Afterall, with rescue dogs, we treat them delicately since we don’t know a lot about their previous life and what they endured.

Below is a diagram to showcase the 3-3-3 rule for rescue dogs.