Top Tips to Help Your New Dog Feel Right at Home

When you decide to adopt a dog, you are deciding to make your new furry friend a part of the family. Unfortunately, this means that you are taking on the responsibility of caretaker for the dog as well as your new best friend.

Depending on the situation your new dog was in prior to you adopting them, you might have a bit of an adjustment period on your hands when you first bring them home. This time can be challenging and even frustrating not only for you but for them as well.

Your new dog might have been in a shelter for some time, an environment that is starkly different from your standard household. Or perhaps they have been in foster care and have gotten used to a different authority figure in their life.

Whatever challenges you are up against when you bring your new dog home may be, there are some simple ways to make the process much easier for everyone involved. Consider following these few tips as you help your new dog transition to its new life as part of your family.

Consult Your Vet

Your first point of call when you are looking to bring home a new dog should be with your veterinarian. If you don’t yet have one, take the time to register with one before you bring your dog home. They will likely need to do a physical evaluation on the dog to ensure that they are healthy and happy and that they are current on all relevant vaccinations.

Your veterinarian will be able to guide you in the right direction when it comes to the type of food you should get for your new dog and the sort of rules you can establish to help bring more structure to the process of bringing your dog home. It is also good to make them aware of your new adoption in case you do need to bring them in for some unexpected medical care early on.

You can find a quality veterinarian to register your new dog with at easyvet.com.

Set Boundaries Early

When you first bring your dog home, they will likely be in a state of confusion and potentially shock. So instead of coddling them and allowing them to do as they please, you need to set healthy boundaries right from the start.

Dogs look to their owners for guidance and structure. So, the sooner you can establish boundaries in your home for your dog, the sooner they will gain confidence in you as their new master and head of the household. 

For instance, if you don’t want your dog up on the furniture, you need to establish this rule from the very first day they are home. The same goes for teaching your dog where they should eat, go to the bathroom, and what spaces in your home are off-limits.

With the right boundaries in place from the get-go, your dog will begin to feel comfortable in its new surroundings sooner rather than later.