Bringing a dog home can be a big, life-changing decision, especially for first time pet parents and needless to say, it helps immensely if you are prepared and know what to expect. While most people prefer to adopt younger dogs or pups, we would like to quickly highlight that adopting a senior dog comes with its own perks, like a calmer temperament and lesser house training hours but we shall cover more in detail about this another time. So essentially, if you are bringing a dog home, she or he can be of any age and this post hopes to serve as a friendly guide to give you a heads-up on the first 30 days with the newest member of your family, regardless of how old they are.
Before you bring your dog home
It is very important to prepare your household before your furry friend arrives, and in many ways it is similar to preparing and child-proofing your house. The following are some important boxes you need to check off before Day 1, apart from buying things that they would need day in and day out.
Dog-Proofing your house
Dog-proofing is an essential part of preparing as it helps keep your pets as well as your valuables safe. The following are a few things to remember.
- Store all chemicals, medications and cleaning supplies on top shelves where your dog cannot reach them - you don't want to be creating room for emergency pet visits in case he or she accidentally licks or swallows any of these harmful substances.
- Unless your valuables have been bought specifically to be chewed on and ripped apart, we strongly suggest that you keep them behind locked doors or inside cabinets with child-proof latches.
- Keep trash cans closed or in a space inaccessible to your ever curious four-legged friend, this is a no-brainer.
- Place all objects that are breakable and objects that have sharp edges out of reach.
- Remove electrical cables and wires from easily accessible areas and fasten cables that hang low to prevent any damage and shock accidents.
- Block access to small spaces that you do not have easy access to, where your pup or dog can potentially get stuck.
Preparing a safe space
When you bring your dogs home, they would need some space or a corner in the house that they can claim to be their own, where they can sleep, cool off and rest when they feel overwhelmed or exhausted. Please keep in mind that all dogs need time to acclimatize themselves to their new surroundings, even if they have known you for a long time. It is usually recommended that you create this space to be cozy and comfortable for them, using a dog bed, soft blankets or mats and ensure they have their personal space.
Assign a space for your dog to do his or her business in
Most dogs are very smart and don't prefer peeing or pooping anywhere near the place they rest. So until you properly house train him or her, there are pee pads available that you can place in a corner well away from their bed or mat to do their business in. Point to note - this guarantees nothing and so be fully prepared to tidy up after them, especially during the first few weeks until they understand what to do.
Dining area for the prince or princess of the house
Eating is usually a messy business and feeding them in a spacious area is generally recommended to ensure you do not get any questionable stains on anything.
Weeks 1 and 2
Yay, you finally have a dog at home! First of all congratulations and second of all, best of luck because you're going to need it. The first 2 weeks after bringing a dog home are bound to be filled with a lot of firsts for you as well as your dog and require your utmost care and all the patience you can garner. Here are a few pointers to help you through weeks 1 and 2.
- It would naturally take time for your furry friend to feel at home and it is important that you keep things as calm as possible. Letting them explore their territory or corner at their own pace is crucial. If your dog is a senior or a rescue, please bear in mind that they might be tired and would rather rest than spend time doing exhausting activities with you. Taking things slow is key to keeping your dog comfortable and relaxed. If he or she had a favourite toy, try and bring the same toy home so that they have something familiar around them.
- Your dog's first night home might be scary for him or her for various reasons and is almost always sleepless for both pet parents and pets. Pats and cuddles might help if they are comfortable with being touched and handled.
- Your dog might prefer the same food he or she was used to and hence transitioning to a new type of food needs to be gradual and well-supervised. They cannot convey whether or not what they eat suits them and so it is imperative that you always monitor their stools and behaviour to identify any potential issues.
- Start using your dog's new name to let him or her get used to it and keep treats handy to reward when he or she acknowledges the new name.
- Prepare a schedule for feeds, walks and play time and try to follow it as much as possible.
- Start communicating with your new friend using audio, visual and physical cues. Start simple and build as they grow. Reward good behaviour and condemn bad behaviour from the very beginning and begin house training.
- When you train your dog, behaviour experts generally recommend you to refrain from using long sentences and limit your vocabulary to very specific words so that your dog finds it easier to understand.
- It is very important to note that one must never resort to physically harming a dog with training as an excuse.
- Reprimanding your dogs for their bad behavior at a later point rather than immediately confuses them as they don't really understand why you are upset and this can be abusive and detrimental for their emotional well-being.
- Schedule a vet visit to ensure your puppy or dog is healthy and get on track with their vaccination appointments which can vary depending on their age.
- Most important of all, please be patient with them. They are in alien surroundings and so treating them like you would a child and showering them with all the love and kindness you have makes this period slightly easier for them.
Weeks 3 and 4
We told you that you would have to be your most patient self during the first two weeks. Now, trust us when we tell you that you'd have to be even more patient here on! You can expect the following to happen during weeks 3 and 4.
- The dogs are now feeling more at home, they don't miss their friends or siblings as much and have a decent routine.
- They start responding when you call them by their name and can follow what you have taught them. It is important to keep training them since it is a lifelong process.
- Your dog is now comfortably exploring his or her surroundings and is usually super active - which can only mean one thing - more play time and tantrums. Yes, tantrums! They now know when it's time for everything and get antsy if you aren't on time.
- They claim everything rubbery or chewy under the roof as theirs to chew on and put little effort to hide the damage caused. Again, it is very important to reinforce good behaviour and be patient with them during this period as this is only the beginning of your relationship and you are already your dog's whole world.
- It is likely that you would have a vaccination appointment during these 2 weeks if you have brought home a puppy.
- Your pup might also start teething around this period, which can be identified by excessive drooling and chewing, pawing at the mouth and even some blood left behind on chewed items.
- He or she is more used to having you and your family around and is now more comfortable with physical contact - so go crazy with those cuddles and pats! Some senior dogs and rescues might need more time to reach this stage which is perfectly understandable because of possible trauma and patience is always the answer under such scenarios.
As taxing as the first month can be, it is always, always worth it. Bringing a dog home is a long term commitment and can require as much effort as bringing up a human baby does. The first month is crucial to building a great relationship with your furry friend and even if things do not go as great as you imagined them to, he or she is still your child and a parent never ever gives up on a child. Treat them with love and compassion and they will come around - they always do because they have nothing but love to give to us. If you are looking to find a furry companion, we have some adorable cuties waiting for you. Reach out to us and make the best decision one can make.