Bringing a dog home is an exciting experience for both first-time pet owners and those who already own pets. But it’s important to understand that raising a pet isn’t all about cuddles and playtime. From the very first day, dog owners must take the right steps to train a dog and help them feel comfortable in its new home.
Moving into a new environment can be a stressful experience for both puppies and adult dogs. From new voices and sounds to unfamiliar smells and strange surroundings, many new experiences can stress out a dog and result in unwanted behaviors, such as excessive barking and urination in different home areas. Here are the first things all dog owners should do when they bring home a new family member, the 3rd is most important.
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Purchase Dog Supplies
Your dog will need a wide range of products to thrive in its new environment. Create a list of all the essential items and purchase as many as possible before bringing your dog home. This can include collars, leashes, pee pads, feeding bowls, cleaning sprays, and dog beds. The key to ensuring that your dog isn’t urinating or defecating on your favorite rug is spreading out pee and potty pads and showing them that they must use them.
Other important supplies, such as leashes and collars, keep your dog safe when they are outside. Collars customized with your dog’s name and your contact number allow your dog to be safely returned home in case they get lost.
Leashes and harnesses make it easier for dog owners to walk their pets. In fact, the laws in several cities in the U.S. and Canada require dog owners to keep their domestic animals on a leash or otherwise physically restrained, except in off-leash dog parks.
Dog-Proof Your Home
Dogs tend to be very curious, and they can hurt themselves when exploring their new home. So, it’s important that you dog-proof your home before bringing your furry friend in. This involves identifying all sharp corners of the home and covering them up to avoid injuries. Your dog may be able to climb up on cabinets and tables, depending on its size, so it’s important to be extra cautious and pay attention to all sharp corners.
Remove dangling wires from electronics and any valuable items out of reach, as dogs tend to chew on different items when they are teething. This can damage your items and potentially injure your pet and lead to costly vet visits.
It’s also important to move all common household plants that may be poisonous out of reach and place medications, cleaners, and supplies with chemicals on high shelves. Dogs are nosy creatures that often go around looking for snacks, and they can get into many common household items that could be highly toxic or fatal.
The key to successfully dog-proofing your home is covering open holes, keeping all cabinets closed, and placing everything potentially toxic to animals away from their reach. Try to keep your home tidy and organized, and keep your dogs busy with enriching toys to prevent them from wandering around and getting into trouble.
Establish Their Diet Plan
When you bring home a dog, confirm with the breeder or previous owner what they were fed. Purchase the same food, replicate that schedule for a little while, and gradually switch to different food based on the dog’s needs, as their nutritional needs will change as they grow. It’s important to pay close attention to your dog’s weight, lifestyle, and breed when choosing the right food. Some owners feed their dogs dry kibble, while others opt for raw food. The choice is ultimately yours, but exploring both options is important.
Some dog owners feed their dogs dry kibble due to convenience and cost-effectiveness. On the other hand, some prefer raw dog food as it typically contains meats and fresh vegetables and is made without added processes. The selection of raw pet food at Bold By Nature can provide your pet with numerous benefits, such as healthier skin, smaller stools, and a shinier coat, without being problematic to their digestive systems. Choose the products based on your dog’s needs and switch them around as they grow. The customizable plan allows you to frequently adopt your pet’s diets based on their life stage, which is helpful when keeping them healthy.
Introduce the Family
Hovering around your dog or allowing multiple people to carry them around on their first day in their new home can cause stress to the dog. Moving into a new environment is already overwhelming, and the last thing you want is to rush your dog into adapting to its new home. Give your dog enough time to get familiar with your home and all its members.
Before taking your dog into your home, allow one family member to come out at a time to greet the dog slowly. This can involve letting them sniff each person and giving the dog space to get comfortable at their own pace.
If you have children at home, prepare them to meet your dog. Discourage your kids from hugging or kissing the dog when they first see them, as this can result in unexpected behaviors from the dog, such as biting or scratching. It’s also important for your new dog to get familiar with any existing pets in the home.
They will need their time to sniff the other animal before they get comfortable and start playing. Sniffing people and objects is a common practice among dogs, as it allows them to gain information and familiarize themselves with an environment. Smell is a dog’s primary sense, and they can use their noses to transmit information when they greet another dog.
Schedule a Vet Checkup
You should schedule a veterinarian visit for your new four-legged friend to ensure they are healthy and up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations. Try to take your dog to the vet within the first week you get them, and keep them away from other animals if you aren’t sure of their vaccination status.
Early socialization is important for puppies as it enables them to become well-behaved, relaxed, and unlikely to use aggression in moments of fear. So, even if your dog isn’t fully vaccinated, but other dogs around them are, you can still allow them to socialize indoors in a clean environment with a lower risk of contracting feces left on the ground by other dogs.
Unvaccinated puppies are vulnerable to dangerous illnesses like parvovirus, leptospirosis, and distemper, which can occur from contact with other dogs and feces left on the ground by other dogs. A vet visit will clear any confusion and allow you to vaccinate your dog against harmful diseases and bring any existing health conditions to your attention.
Bringing a dog into your family can benefit you and your dog. You and your family will have a loyal companion wagging its tail when it sees you, while the dog will have the opportunity to live in a loving home. The key to a smooth transition into a new environment is preparing yourself for all the things you need to do when you bring a dog home, and some of the most important ones are listed in this guide!
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