What Do I Do When I Bring A New Dog Home?
TIPS:
1.Find out from the shelter what the feeding schedule is and ask for some food that dog is eating so that you can properly transition to your own food.
2.Prior to bringing your dog home, dog proof you home:
- set up a crate
- install baby gates to limit where the dog can go for now or use a leash to limit access
- take up anything loose on the floor that the dog can chew up,
- make sure there are no harsh chemicals that the dog can get to
- The most important dog proofing you can do is 100% supervision
- When meeting new family members, don’t overwhelm the dog. Meet the dog one person at a time by letting the dog come to you at first.
4.Start a routine right away (potty training, crate training, basic obedience (come/sit), walk around house and neighborhood to get used to surroundings.
5. Be very observant of dogs movements, activity and behavior when you take them home.
6.The dog may be stressed out so be patient and give them time to get used to you and their new environment.
Links to our potty and crate training videos:
