Old Tricks to Help a New Dog Settle In

There can be nothing more fulfilling than introducing a new four-legged friend into your new home. The excitement is unrivaled. The euphoria of heading to the breeder or shelter to pick up your chosen pup is unlike anything else you can imagine. You have all these plans for your future with your new pet pal, and now your dreams are becoming a reality.

You probably fell in love with your new pet from the moment you clapped eyes on him. There he sat, quietly and patiently, waiting to be scooped up into a loving new home. You knew at that second that he or she was the right dog for you. It was almost an unspeakable bond from day one. It’s a whirlwind of emotions. It all happened so fast! But what do you do if you get home, and things don’t pan out exactly how you expected them to?

The truth is that not all dogs are going to settle into their new homes quickly. Look at it from their perspective. They’ve been uprooted from everything they’ve ever known. They’re bound to feel a little bit insecure, and perhaps start to act out in fear. This isn’t a slight on your new pup by any means. It’s incredibly common. But many new pet owners run heading for the hills back to the shelter, begging them to take it back. That is a big mistake, and not just for the financial repercussions.

Just because your new dog is being disruptive doesn’t make him a bad dog by design. It could well be that he or she will settle down in time. You’ll never know unless you give it a chance. So, how do you make those growing pains seem more bearable? It’s going to take some patience, hard work, and discipline. Much like raising a child, you’re going to need to set some ground rules and stick to them. Failure to do so will see any dog ruling the roost over you.

Understand Your Dog’s Peril Despite the fact that moving to a new home should be a joyful occasion, your dog can’t see things quite as simply as you. For all he knows, he’s in unfamiliar territory and doesn’t know where to turn. It’s stressful. Imagine if you found yourself moved to a strange house with strange people. Would you act rationally? Probably not. This is especially true if your dog is rescued.

He’s already been taken from one family. No matter if it was mistreated or not, dogs are still loyal to their owners. It’s probably confused. From there, it has lived a life of uncertainty until now. And more change is here already. It’s no wonder it doesn’t know how to react. It’s important that you don’t overwhelm your new pet. Let it explore its new surroundings at its own pace.

Although the temptation may be overwhelming, try not to have all the family around to celebrate your new arrival. A bunch of new faces – even smiling, friendly faces – may put your dog under considerable duress. Try to keep things quiet and relaxed. You can expect your new dog to have a few accidents during its first few days while it gets to grips with the new house rules. You should take a few days off work in the immediate aftermath of your adoption. Leaving your dog alone in its new territory will cause it unnecessary panic.

What Behavior to Expect (and How to Deal with It) As I mentioned earlier, your new dog may be prone to behaving badly in the first few months at home. This is simply a consequence of the upheaval it has experienced in its short life. It’s a coping mechanism that is ingrained in all dogs. It doesn’t mean you’ve drawn the short straw, and you definitely shouldn’t give up on him anytime soon. There are some common behavioral habits you should expect to see.

Destructive behavior is common in new dogs, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. Stressed out dogs take to ripping up furniture and toys as a way of relief. They don’t know any better. Try to supplement him with some quality indestructible dog toys and hope your sofa remains untouched.

Separation anxiety is extremely common in new pets. As touched on above, this is because they’re in a strange place without any of the security they knew before. It could be that you’re the only friend they recognize now. If you’re not there, who do they turn to? The result can be blind panic, accompanied by long bouts of barking. That’ll land you a noise complaint pretty sharpish.

You can counteract this by gradually getting your new pet used to being alone. Before you begin this exercise, it’ll need to be aware of toilet habits, so that’s a good start. Make sure that it does its business before you attempt to leave. Then, try a trial run. Take yourself off upstairs for a few minutes and leave your dog behind to see how it copes in your absence. If all goes well, you can start to think bigger.

Take yourself outdoors and out of sight of your dog, leaving him behind closed doors. This may be when he starts to panic, but it’s crucial that you don’t go running when he calls for you. This will teach him that barking results in your return. Instead, let him sweat it out for ten minutes or so and then make your way back inside. He’ll soon learn that you always come back no matter what. Then, you can start to take trips to the grocery store without worrying.

Positive, reaffirming, reward-based training should be implemented from a very early stage. It’ll teach your dog what is expected of him and also strengthen the new bond between the two of you. While you should be sympathetic to his plight, don’t try to give him a pick me up. That’ll teach him that bad behavior leads to treats, and then you’ve enforced an irreversible habit.