Tips for Bringing Home a New Dog!
February 25, 2013 • At Home
February is National Dog Training Education Month, and FIDO's new friend Guest Blogger Rainier Fuclan, shared the following information with us!
If you recently brought home a new dog, or are considering doing so, there are a few basic tips you’ll need to know to acclimate your dog to his or her new home. After you’ve purchased food and water bowls; a collar and leash; ID tag; and toys and treats, you’ll need to make sure that your home is prepped for your four legged friend’s arrival. Similar to prepping for a baby or child’s arrival, you’ll need to dog-proof your home.
Dog Proof Your Home
Because you’re bringing in a new pet to a strange environment, eliminate temptation as much as possible. Make sure that all garbage has either been stowed in a cabinet, placed on a countertop, or moved to a can that has a lid to prevent your pup from pilfering through the garbage. Similarly, you’ll want to get yourself into a habit of not leaving food or other tempting items out on a countertop where your pet can get into them. Your dog might be able to reach higher than you originally thought, so be vigilant in ensuring you don’t leave them any reason to want to get onto the counter.
You will probably want to arrange having a few days at home to spend with your new dog as he or she gets used to the new environment. If this won’t be practical, arrange to have friends or neighbors stop in to check on your new pet periodically. Make sure that you introduce your dog to any of these individuals so your pet will be comfortable when they come to visit. If this isn’t an option, arrange to have a dog walker take your pet out during the day to get some exercise and attention while you’re gone.
Take a Visit to the Vet
You will also want to make sure that you quickly schedule a veterinary visit after bringing home your new pet. If you adopted your pet from a shelter, he or she might not be up to date on vaccines. It will also be a good chance for you to pick up necessary medication, like flea and heartworm preventative, that you will need to give your pet each month. If your pet hasn’t been spayed or neutered yet, you can consider doing that as well if you don’t want to risk playing home to puppies at some point.
Training and Playtime
After you bring your dog home, you’ll want to start working on training. If you’ve owned dogs in the past, this is probably something you can work on in your own time, but if you’re a new dog owner, consider attending obedience school with your pooch. Many pet food stores like PetCo offer basic obedience school to teach your dog skills like sit, stay, come when called and more.
In addition to basic obedience classes, you might want to consider crate training your dog, at least when you first bring home your pet. Your dog crate should be big enough that your dog can sit, stand, and turn around comfortably. If you want to get a larger crate, you can purchase an additional divider that will make the crate larger for when your pup is still growing. If your crate is too large, your dog might use one corner of the crate as its restroom.
To help your dog with crate training, entice them into the crate using a treat or a reward. Kong toys are ideal for crate training as they’re made of durable material and feature a way for you to include a treat on the inside. (I fill my dog’s Kong up with peanut butter and she loves it. She runs right into her crate the minute I go anywhere near the peanut butter jar.) Your dog will probably be so occupied with attempting to eat whatever treat is inside the Kong that they won’t even notice you leaving, buying you a few minutes to get out the door before your pet starts barking.
After your dog is in his or her crate, he or she might be able to find amusement with whatever toys you leave in the crate. (Just remember that you leave safe, durable toys in the crate. Rawhide bones or small toys that your pet can ingest might be dangerous if your dog is playing with them unattended.) You can leave on the TV or radio to give your pet a source of entertainment while he or she is home alone. There are plenty of animal themed entertainment options available while you’re away. Who Let the Dogs Out is a program that follows Tillman, the skateboarding dog; Norman, the scooter riding dog; and several of their four-legged friends as they travel around the country and meet other extraordinary dogs.
Following these basic training trips will help ensure that your new pet will adjust to your home in no time. If you’re looking for more advice, Tillman and Norman’s trainers have additional training tips for dog owners.
Guest Blogger Bio - Rainier Fuclan is a freelance writer and dog lover. The picture shown here is his little puggle Peanut. Doesn’t she just look so adorable!
