Start a routine as soon as you are home, and keep the first days quiet. The dog is working out where it is. Extra stimulation gets in the way.

Walk or run it on a quiet route, matched to its energy. That teaches the new streets and starts the bond. Do not stop to introduce people you meet. For the first two to four days — sometimes less, sometimes more — let the dog stay low while it sorts the situation out. Unwelcome behavior may not show at first. It usually does later.

Do not introduce it to other dogs, apart from a dog that already lives with you. That includes neighborhood dogs and dogs belonging to family or friends. You cannot know how this dog will react.

Do not throw a party or fill the house with visitors. The first week is for time with the dog, not an audience.

Set the household rules early, clearly, and without a confrontation. Do not indulge timid or tentative behavior. It is understandable — many of these dogs came from hard places — and it does not help them later.

A dog often settles in about a day. The real adjustment takes longer. Watch the behavior, and keep your expectations realistic. Bonding can take up to a month.