5 Things You Should Do After You Adopt Your New Dog

    1. SLOW DOWN! You will want to introduce your new pet to your whole family, your whole house and all of your friends and neighbors. Just remember that from the dog’s point of view, he or she was just kidnapped!  Give them some time to settle in before overwhelming them with all the new people and places you hope to share with them.
    2. LIMIT ACCESS. We know you want to share your home with your new dog but preventing problem behaviors before they start will help you and your new dog get started on the right foot. Give them a smaller, safe, dog proofed area of your home using baby gates or pens. When you wish to bring them into other areas of your home, do so only when they can be fully supervised so you can help your new dog understand the rules of the house before giving them complete freedom within the home or yard.
    3. SET UP AN EXERCISE ROUTINE. Exercise is important for dogs, no matter their age, but the needs of individual dogs will vary with age and breed.  Some dogs will need 45 minutes or more of cardio two to three times a day while others may only need a nice steady paced walk.  Talk to your vet about your dog’s needs and set up a schedule to make sure those needs are met.  The old adage is true; a tired dog is a good dog!
    4. PROVIDE MENTAL STIMULATION. Every dog has a brain and it’s your job to help them use it! Get your dog some food puzzle toys to help them burn off some mental energy.  As a bonus, if they are busy working on a puzzle, they are also staying out of trouble! Of course, the best mental stimulation of all is some good old fashioned training.
    5. TAKE TRAINING CLASSES.  Even if you’ve had dogs before and know how to train the basics, taking a class with a professional trainer is always a good idea.  Often a professional can recognize potential problematic behaviors before you even know they are an issue.  Joining a group class will help your dog learn how to do behaviors in a distracting environment and give you the opportunity to meet other dog owners in your area!  Time spent training is never wasted and it will increase the bond with your new dog tremendously!

HUMPHREY-FLIER the BIG ONE no background copy

Posted in