The Pawsies Blog

Showing posts in behavior

General · Best Practices

A Rescue That Cannot Say When It Would Euthanize Has Not Made a Decision

Refusing to name a euthanasia threshold is not a policy against euthanasia — it is a decision to decide later, under pressure, by whoever is in the room. Three separate questions hide inside the word, and the third one, opportunity cost, is the one most rescues will not admit is a question at all.

Sep 3, 2026 13 min read
Dogs

The Dog Is Falling Apart in the Kennel, Not in Real Life

A dog that paces, spins, and lunges at the kennel front is often a normal dog breaking down in a bad environment — not a dangerous one. Here's how to spot kennel stress early, tell it apart from a real behavior problem, and pull a dog back from the edge.

Aug 4, 2026 8 min read
Dogs

Separation Anxiety in Foster Dogs Is Not the Same as Settling In

A foster dog that panics when left alone can look identical to a dog that's just adjusting — and getting the two mixed up is how good dogs get mislabeled, mistreated, or returned. Here's how to tell them apart and run a protocol that actually helps.

Jul 31, 2026 10 min read
Dogs

How to Introduce a Foster Dog to Your Resident Dogs

Most foster-dog fights don't happen because the dogs hate each other. They happen because someone rushed the first meeting in the living room. Here's the slow, boring, fight-free way to put two dogs together.

Jul 6, 2026 8 min read
Dogs

The Dog That Falls Apart in the Kennel — How to Stop Long-Stay Deterioration

A friendly dog comes in, and six weeks later it's spinning in its run and lunging at the gate. That's not the dog's temperament — it's the kennel. Here's a practical enrichment system that keeps long-stay dogs stable and adoptable.

Jun 14, 2026 9 min read
Small animals

How to Bond Rescue Rabbits Without It Turning Into a Bloodbath

A single rescue rabbit is a lonely rabbit, and a bonded pair adopts out faster. But put two strange rabbits together wrong and you'll end up at the emergency vet. Here's the neutral-territory bonding process that actually works, step by step.

Jun 13, 2026 13 min read
Dogs

The First Two Weeks With a Rescue Dog Are Not the Real Dog

The dog your foster meets on day one is a dog in survival mode, not the dog they'll adopt out. Most failed placements come from judging a dog too early. Here's the decompression plan to give every dog before you decide who they are.

Jun 6, 2026 7 min read

Ready to get started?

Join Pawsies today and start organizing your rescue operations. No credit card required.

Get started free