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Helping a New Dog or Puppy Adjust to
Your Home
When you
get a new pet, one of the top priorities
is to make sure that he adjusts well to
his new home environment. While humans
are usually excited about their new
furry family member, a new dog or puppy
might not understand right away what’s
expected of him or what it will be like.
One of the best things you can do is to
provide consistency for your new dog.
Creating a schedule will be instrumental
in helping him to adjust. This means
that you should choose times of day for
feeding, walking, playing, training and
quiet time… and do your best to stick to
them every day.
Training is another aspect that can help
immensely in pets’ adapting to their new
home. While you don’t want to overdo it
by expecting your dog to be completely
trained the first day, spending some
time each day teaching him to “sit” and
“stay” can help your new dog or puppy to
feel more comfortable in the family
pack. By providing leadership, you’re
helping him realize where he stands in
the family pecking order, which will
make him feel relieved about knowing,
and will also help set the tone for his
relationship with your family for many
years to come.
Children will need extra supervision,
especially during the first few weeks of
having a new puppy or dog. It is very
exciting for kids to get a dog, but it’s
also important to ensure that your new
pet has some quiet time each day and
that children are not too overwhelming
in their enthusiasm. Set clear
guidelines early, including staying away
from the dog’s food and water, not going
in his crate and giving him his own
personal space, just as we all need
sometimes.
Another thing that can help avoid
problems is to supervise your new puppy
or dog at all times. Even if you have a
fenced yard, it is a good idea to
personally leash walk your dog to a
designated area to “do his business,”
and oversee whatever else he is doing in
the yard. This can help create good
habits such as using a designated
bathroom area, while also avoiding
problems such as digging, fence jumping,
damaging landscaping, chewing things and
more.
Of course, diligent supervision inside
the house is best for the first several
weeks as well. Puppies will probably
require strict supervision far longer
than that.
Imagine that you moved to a foreign
country that had very different
traditions than you were used to. It’s
likely that this is how your new dog or
puppy feels. Just as you might be
nervous, reserved or excited in your new
country, it’s probable that your pet
feels the same way about his new home.
By taking some time to help him learn
the “lay of the land,” allowing him some
time and space to adjust, and providing
love and consistency, you have the best
chances of helping your pet become the
lifelong friend you envisioned!
Article written by Lori Verni
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