Decompression

I adopted a dog, now what?!

Time to decompress. Be patient. Don't ask a lot of your new dog for at least two weeks. They are in a new home with new people and they are in survival mode.

1.

Crate train from the start; it's important. This means feeding your dog breakfast and dinner (if it's a puppy under 6 months, 3 times a day) in their crate. Never push them in or get angry to get them in the crate. No wire crates, a hard crate is safest. Never cover the crate with a blanket, if you cover the crate at night, use a sheet for good air flow. Even if your plan is to have them sleep in bed eventually, crate train them first. We advise keeping the crate in the room you sleep in.

2.

Allow the dog to adjust by limiting their time all over the house. Add rooms slowly.

3.

Always crate them a few hours during the day and overnight and whenever you leave the house. Do not leave your dog in a crate for 8 hours during daylight hours.

4.

Use treats to help your dog learn. Use single protein treats the same as your dogs food. They do not need several different treats.

5.

Be Patient and always reach out for help with any questions.

6.

If you get a dog that is potty trained, they and and will still have an accident in the house. They do not know your schedule. We advise taking a new dog out every three hours until bedtime and to remove water by 8 PM. For the first two days, take them out every three hours and write down the time they pee and poop. Even if you have a yard, keep them on a leash so you are aware of them peeing and pooping. After two days, you will see the pattern of when they need to pee and poop. After some time, you can get them on your schedule but be patient.

7.

Please check our list of companies we support and believe in. We have done the research for you to make it easy and successful for your new family member.

8.

If they do not seem interested in the food, don't change it. A: Offer it for 30 minutes and then remove it until the next feeding. Or B: You can soak their kibble with water for 20 minutes prior to feeding and drain the water. The food will be mushy and have a strong scent. If you are changing their food, make sure to do it slowly over a 10-14 day period. Add a teaspoon of pumpkin (from a pet store only) or a teaspoon of plain oatmeal. Check the list of products we recommend.