Bringing your newly adopted dog home

Bringing your Newly Adopted Dog Home

By Miss Behavior CPDT-KA, Laura Chapman, MissBehaviorTraining.com

One of the most important things in bringing your new dog home is having patience. The transition takes time and while your family will want everything to work as quickly as possible, our new dog and existing pets will need anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months to adjust.

Try to plan on bringing your new dog home when you have at least a full couple of days to spare. You will need to keep a close eye on your new companion and make sure all introductions to other family members progress smoothly so bringing a dog home on a Monday night and taking off to work the next morning is not smart.

Supplies to have ready at home:

Gate(s): so you can separate your new dog from your existing pets

Crate: Big enough for your new dog to stand up, lie down, turn around but not run marathons

Cleaner: Something specific to your dog having accidents in the house. Household cleaners won’t serve the purpose as they often have ammonia in them

Non-Slip/Martingale collar: This one if important for safety reasons. This type of collar can’t slip over your dog’s head if he panics and tries to back out of it

Flat leash: Not a retractable – they are both dangerous and sometimes scary if you drop it mistakenly. They also teach dogs that pulling on leash is encouraged (not an early message you want to send!)

Treats: Some really good stuff that can be used to encourage good habits such as going to the bathroom outside, lying down, sitting for greeting, introductions, etc

Kong: This can be stuffed with kibble, treats, peanut butter, etc for alone time

Introducing your new dog to your current family:

Slowly. Your new dog and existing dog(s) should meet on neutral ground, not in your front yard and certainly not in your house! Do the meet and greets one at a time. Walking the dogs together, without letting them greet right away is a good idea. Parallel walking really helps with bonding as it’s a low pressure way of meeting and greeting a new friend. Too much fixation, stiff tail wags, stiff bodies, posturing, raised hackles are all red flags to watch for. If this occurs, please consult a professional.

Once they are ready to come into the house together, use gates to give them breaks from each other. Be a good parent who enforces breaks. Over tired dogs can get cranky or can lose control of their impulses so even if all seems well, separate them for periods of time. This may need to continue for a couple of weeks. The dogs should not be left home alone together. The new dog should go through the crate training process. Leave your new dog alone in his crate (after properly introducing the crate) whether you are home or not. It’s critical that you teach your dog that you will leave for short periods of time, you will leave him with something to do or chew, and you WILL be back. Dogs who spend too much time with their new family and little time alone have a hard time coping with being left alone later on. This is the #1 cause of separation anxiety!

If you have a cat, take it very slow. Rub both the dog and cat down with a towel and switch them so they can get each other’s scent. Your cat should have an escape. Use gates. Put food up high or in his safe room. This is also where the litter box should go. Kitties who feel threatened often find alternative litter boxes!

Please consult a professional if your new or current pets show signs of distress or aggression, or for more in-depth information on introducing your new pet to your current family!

Visit APDT.com for a list of local behavior consultants