Most people with a puppy have had at least one moment where they stop and think, what on earth is happening? Everything is calm, the puppy seems settled, and then suddenly they’re charging around the room at full speed. One lap turns into five, furniture becomes an obstacle course, toys go flying.

For a few minutes, the whole house feels slightly chaotic. Then, just as quickly, it stops.

Those bursts of energy are what most people mean when they talk about puppy zoomies. And while they can look dramatic, they’re usually very normal.

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Some rescue dogs seem to settle in quickly. Others take a bit more time. A nervous rescue dog often spends the first few days, and sometimes much longer, quietly taking everything in. New rooms, unfamiliar smells, different people, sounds they’ve never heard before. Even ordinary things around the house can feel like a lot.

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Some dogs seem to know someone is coming before anyone else in the house does. A car door outside, footsteps on the path, the click of the gate, and they’re already up and moving. By the time the knock comes, they’re barking.

For some households it happens now and then. For others, it’s every delivery, every visitor, every parcel, every person walking a little too close to the front door.

Dog barking at door sounds can quickly become one of those things that changes the feel of the whole house. People stop fully relaxing because they’re half expecting the next knock and the same reaction all over again.

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The first week after adopting a rescue dog can feel strange in ways people don’t always expect, many owners imagine the moment their dog walks through the door as the start of everything falling into place, in reality, the early days are usually much quieter and slower than that.

For the dog, nothing about the new environment is familiar. The smells are different. The layout of the house is different. Even the sounds of everyday life can be completely new. When you’re adopting a rescue dog, the first seven days are often about the dog simply working out where they are and what life in this place might look like.

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