Tips and Tricks for Adopting a New Dog!
October is Adopt-A-Dog Month! Welcoming a new furry-friend into your home is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming for both you and your newest addition to the family. With some patience and preparation, your pup will have no trouble adjusting to their fur-ever home. Here are some tips to take some stress off that process!
Get Your House Ready!
Having your home set up for your dog’s arrival will help your pup feel safe and comfortable from the get-go. The change in environment is likely going to put your dog under a lot of stress, so setting up a “home base” for your pup with all of their supplies is a great idea. These supplies may include their bed, toys, pee-pads, food and water, or crate if you plan on crate-training. Some other supplies to pick up are a collar, leash, harness, treats, cleaning supplies, ID tags, a first aid kit, and poop bags!
Next step is to essentially baby-proof your home. This process will look different in every house-hold, but in general pup-proofing your house includes making sure anything that can harm your pup or that they can break is out of the way. It’s a good idea to move breakable decor or plants to a place where your pup can’t reach them, as we all know that most dogs (especially puppies) will put anything and everything into their mouth. Moving or taping down loose cords can prevent mid-zoomies tangling incidents, and if you have areas you don’t want your new pooch venturing into, consider setting up baby-gates.
Talk it Out
Another way to help ease your pup into your home is by making sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to training, schedules, and responsibilities. Being able to create and maintain a steady routine for your new-pup is crucial to a smooth introduction. You might want to discuss what commands you will be using with your pup to prevent confusion and create a feeding schedule. (Tip: To avoid any sort of gastric-stress on your fur-baby, try to initially keep the same feeding times as the ones the shelter or your reputable-breeder had set up. If you plan on switching food brands, do so gradually over the course of multiple days.)
It may also be helpful to talk about how you and the members of your household are going to introduce yourselves to your dog. The best introductions are done in a calm and secure environment, so you may want to consider having family members meeting your pup one at a time, and not getting your pup over excited. We know this is hard, especially when your new pup is so darn cute, but not riling up your new dog will allow them to better adjust to their environment.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
If you are feeling overwhelmed, remember you are not alone! Do not hesitate to lean on the dog-lover community and be sure reach out to friends, your vet, and local trainers with questions and for assistance with your pup’s behaviours and health. And of course, if you are ever in need of pet-care, Dog Jogs is more than happy to help. Whether you need help reinforcing your pup’s new routines, socializing them, working on loose-leash walking and learning tricks, or just someone to give your new fur-baby some extra love while you are at work, we have got you covered. Check out our services, our Instagram, and our Facebook to learn more.
