10 Tips To Welcome a Rescue Dog Into Your Home
Table of Content
You have waited so long to find the right dog, and dreamed of all the adventures you would have together. So of course you want to start NOW and take her everywhere with you. The sooner your dog knows when she will be fed, when she will get let out, where to go if she needs to relieve herself – the less she has to worry about. I thought back to every rescue and foster dog I have brought home. While we spoke earlier of the importance of keeping calm and being patient, it’s equally as important to put your foot down when necessary. This is their first impression of their new home, and new things can be scary for dogs.
Whether you’re leaving the house for the day or just taking a shower, always separate your dogs when you can’t watch them. This obviously keeps them safe, but it also provides them with downtime apart from one another. Introduce toys back into the house slowly after the first introduction rather than bringing out the entire toy chest right away.
How to introduce a rescue dog to your current dog
The first few weeks are crucial in establishing routine and stability in the home, so the fewer external factors you have to deal with in these early stages, the better. Settling into a brand-new environment can be very stressful for a dog. Think about safe spaces for each of your dogs; places that they can retreat to when they want a little “time out” from one another. Not all dogs will want to cuddle up together to sleep, or even be in close proximity to another dog when sleeping. When we get a new dog, we all want them to get on well with our other family pets and immediately feel like members of the family.
Keep the dogs on their leashes just to be safe and to ensure there are no territorial issues. Allow them to play with each other outside and feed them their meals together. This helps the rest of your dogs adopt the new dog as ‘one of them’. It’s common for old dogs to become territorial when a new dog enters the home even if they have not shown those signs previously. Meanwhile, the new dog will need time to adjust to the new environment.
Still Need Help? Find a Dog Wizard!
If everyone elected to re-home a rescue dog instead of funding puppy farms, more dogs would be rescued and less raised in poor conditions. Just make sure to monitor their behavior toward each other in the beginning and keep an eye out for any signs of trouble. Take the process slow when introducing your dogs and you’ll be on your way to a happy home with a new addition to the family in no time. It is important to establish a routine because it helps the dog feel safe and secure. A routine means giving them meals at the same time every day, the same walk route, and fitting in time for training.
It is important that rescued shelter dogs are taken in for a check-up within the first week of having them. However, this ideally could be extremely stressful for them and their level of stress will depend on various factors such as the pet’s age. To make sure interactions stay safe andthe elder dog is not overwhelmed, supervise all interactions between the dogs. If you notice that the elder dog is becoming agitated by the puppy, it is time to separate or redirect the puppy to another task before things get out of hand.
Essential Steps To Bringing A New Dog Into The Home
They aren’t hard or inconvenient; they are things that may seem insignificant to you but which can have a big impact . After all, it’s nice to have some structure and after a while your pup will be able to pick up on when it’s time to eat, play, sleep, use the potty, etc. Crate training is one of the most under-appreciated tools for new dog owners. While having a new puppy or rescue dog sleep on the bed with you is cute and endearing, they need to have their own bed.
Spend a few minutes in each room before moving on to the next, and make sure each time you go first into the next room. For help with introductions that don’t seem to be going well, contact a professional trainer or animal behaviorist. Sign up to receive our exclusive e-book full of important information about caring for your pet, including training techniques and answers to frequently asked questions.
How To Introduce A Rescued Dog Into Your Family
When you are not able to directly supervise the puppy, he should be placed behind a gate, in anexercise penor in a crate. When it’s time for the dogs to meet, it should be in a neutral place – not inside the established dog’s home. You might take the older dog along when you pick up the puppy, and they can ride home in the car together. When everyone is home, take them out, walk them around on leashes in the front yard, and walk inside together. An unknown puppy barging in the front door can seem like an invasion to even the friendliest, most mellow dog. If taking the older dog along isn’t an option, the dogs should still meet outside of the home and walk in together.
Ideally, you will already have a vet before bringing the new dog addition home, and hopefully, they are in your neighborhood or local area. This is a great way to build a positive relationship with the new dog. Keep the sessions short but frequently throughout the day. Never shout or use any type of punishment when exploring for the first time. Dogs usually do better with positive reinforcement methods rather than the alpha male approach that can scare them and cause distrust.
For households introducing a new dog to a cat, do not give your dog the opportunity to chase the cat by ensuring that the feline is secure and has escape options at all time. Closely monitor interactions and try to keep them brief until you can be sure that it is safe to leave the dog alone with other animals. It is an understandable concern and one that you can raise with the team that has helped to care for the dog during its time at the rescue home. Shelters will be able to offer advice on the type of home that is suitable for each dog, helping to allay any fears of danger. Now that your dog has had a few days to get used to your home and its new family members you can begin simple training. Rescue dogs might be coming home to you with a lot of bad habits.
When introducing a second dog to your home, you should have your current dog come home to your new dog, not the other way around. By bringing your new dog into the home first when introducing the two, your current dog won’t see them as a threat when they enter. It’s important to remove any toys or objects your current dog might want to guard to minimize tension. Day two with your new rescue pup is a great day to focus on getting to know them, and them getting to know you.
Comments
Post a Comment