Bringing a dog into your family after it has been in a shelter can be challenging—for both you and the new dog.
Discover a great 4-week home regimen to help you and your new dog hit the ground running.
Show Highlights
- National Adopt A Shelter Dog Day is April 30th, so we decided to do a show to help people with bringing home new adult dogs
- Our Goals Group celebration in Nashville gave Devin the opportunity to get to know Bennie’s dogs in person.
- Hear about Devin’s (literal) mic-drop moment
- Signs of stress in Dogs
- Bennie reminds us: Never believe a dog is potty trained!
- Get a free membership with access to professional on-line dog training at FamilyDogFusion.com/register
Shelter Dog Orientation: The First 4 Weeks at Home
Week #1 Basic Supplies and Activities
- A crate – more than likely this dog was crated or kennelled and the crate is a safe place.
- Potty Routine – even if you were told your dog was potty-trained do not believe it. Get an excellent guide on how to do this with a free membership to FamilyDogFusion.com.
- Safe Toys – make sure to have different types of toys to observe what your new dog likes best.
- Home Orientation – Leave a leash on your dog and walk her around the house and yard on-leash with you. Let her go through her stuff!
- Feeding – make sure your dog is eating well and accepting the food you have. Stay on the same type of food for the first two weeks for adjustment and keep the same feeding schedule daily.
- Dog-PROOF your home.
Week #2 Two Things
- Veterinarian – typically in the first week you have oriented the new dog to your home, now is time to introduce your dog to your vet. Even if the dog has all the shots, it is good to visit and get a good once-over andintroduction to your vet.
- Lay of the land – Start spreading out from the boundaries of your home. Go for longer walks around the neighborhood and visit close friends. It may be too soon to introduce to other dogs, but it is okay if you know the other dog.
Week #3 Adventure Time
You should start to get a little sense of your dog’s personality by this time and it is time to start to be more adventurous:
- If you are not looking to crate your dog as a general rule, leave him out for brief times and see how he does.
- Go on out-of-neighborhood adventures. Long hikes or walks, going to the dog parks (listen to Episode 025 first) and or visiting family or friends that involve a drive.
Week #4 Training
Now is the time to start some basic obedience classes or hire a personal trainer. Your dog will be more comfortable with you and you will see him testing some boundaries at this time. It may still take six months before he will begin to understand you. You will see his true nature begin to emerge, so now is the time to start creating structure!
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