Taking Home A Rescue Puppy/Dog:
So you have taken your new four legged friend home. Exciting times. The best thing to do before you take your new friend into your home is to take them on a lead walk around your area. This way they can empty their systems and it starts the relationship on the right foot. Reward them Physical with lots of rubs and Verbal with praise if they go to the toilet outside. Especially if they are puppies. Depending on whether you have a new puppy or dog will depend on the length of the lead walk.
The next thing to do is to take your new friend into your house. Bring them into the room that they are going to sleep in. Have their bed prepared. Then feed them in that room and always have water available for them. Then take them into your back garden to go the toilet. You must stay with them when they are going the toilet in your back garden or else they could start to do unwanted behaviors like digging up your flower bed or chasing the cat. Again lots of praise when they go to the toilet and you can surprise them with a food treat the odd time to reward them for doing the right thing. Then let them rest and relax in their sleeping area. Stay with them until they relax or sleep.
It’s a good idea to start leaving you puppy or dog alone for a few minutes after a few days of settling in. It may seem strange to be advising you to leave your puppy/dog in a room by itself for a few minutes several times each day for the first few weeks but this simple procedure will ensure that your puppy/dog becomes accustomed to spending some time alone. Puppies/Dogs that are allowed to follow around behind their owners from room to room can sometimes build up a bond that becomes so obsessive that the poor owner is condemned to a life as a prisoner in their own home with a puppy/dog that refuses to be left by itself, even for a few minutes.
If you have other animals best to introduce them slowly. In my opinion I would not introduce the new puppy or dog to any other pets the first day. Just so they can settle in smoothly. You could have them sleep in a crate if they are going to stay with other pets the first night. Just to be safe and start them all on the right path to friendship.
It is always wise to try to introduce your new dog to existing pets by being as casual and off-hand as possible. The wrong way to do this is by picking up the other pet and trying to get you puppy/dog to say hello. This approach tends to over-excite a puppy/dog and places too much restraint on the other pet, making it likely to struggle in your hands which increases the excitement still further. If you have another dog then the best introduced to your new puppy/dog is away from your house, on neutral territory. Walking them together first can help with the introduction. Before going back home with both dogs, pick up any dog toys that are lying around and also remove your dogs blankets or beds. This will minimise any friction occurring over possessions and sleeping areas. As your two dogs get to know one another you can put a few toys down, always double the amount of toys for the amount of dogs you have, save favourite toys until last. Put the dog blankets and beds down only when your puppies/dogs have been allowed several hours together. All interaction between dogs closely watched by you.
Always allow your new puppy/dog to approach people rather than allow other people to approach them. This gives them the opportunity to take things at their own pace and build up trust and confidence. It does nothing to build confidence in your new puppy/dog to have lots of people trying to force their attentions on it, and some dogs feel very intimidated by this approach. The best method is to give each person a toy and ask them to encourage your puppy/dog to approach. The more pleasant encounters that your puppy/dog has, the better they will settle into your household.
Clear rules and boundaries should be set from the start. Consistency is key. Dog ownership should be fun, fun for the owner and definitely for the dog.
One of the most important things to do with your rescue puppy/dog when you take it home is to forget its past and think of its future. It doesn’t matter what happened to it in the past. All that matters now is what’s going to happen in its present and future. We dwell to much on their pasts and not enough on their future. If we focus on making the dogs life the happiest they can be from day one with you then that’s the best thing for them.
As I said it’s very important to set clear rules and boundaries for your new puppy/dog from day one. You also have to be a good role model for your new puppy/dog. An example of been a good role model and setting clear rules and boundaries is the rules when it comes to getting on the furniture. You cant allow them on the furniture one minute and then not the next. You have to be consistent or else you will confuse your new puppy/dog. Everyone in the household has to stick to the exact same rules and boundaries.
One of the things a lot of owners do that confuses a dog alot is when they are puppies we encourage them to jump up on us by patting our legs and encouraging them to jump up put their paws on us. Then when the puppy is fully grown into an adult dog we no longer want them to jump up on us anymore. The dog doesn’t understand that when it was a puppy it was allowed to jump up but now that its an adult its not allowed. So be consistent especially with puppies. Always think will this be acceptable behavior when they are fully grown. If it isn’t please don’t do it. Its unfair to the dog and can cause problems in your relationship and lead to unwanted behaviors such as guarding the future.
It is important that your puppy/dog has at least two good exercise sessions each day when they can be allowed to let off steam. Less walking time for puppies but more play time with toys and you. It is a good idea to take a favourite toy out on exercise sessions so that your puppy/dog can chase around after it. If you teach your puppy/dog to play games on a toy it will decrease the possibility of them wandering away and trying to find their own amusements. Always exercise in enclosed, fenced areas until you are sure that your puppy/dog will respond to your voice and return when called. If it is not possible to find a safe enclosed area then you could use a long line (horse lung line or similar) whilst you are teaching them to come when called.
One of the most important things to do with to your new puppy/dog in order to help the dog understand clearly your rules and boundaries is to train your dog to fit into your world. A lot of people make the common mistake of thinking of training as formal training such as sits and downs but Train4Fun dog training academy sees training as much more than that. We see training as everything we do with our dogs day to day for the rest of its life as training. Remember dogs have to fit into your life style but have a great quality of life as well. We now have breeds of dogs in are households that were never breed to be pets. They were breed to work. So they need outlets for these instincts and if they aren’t given something to do they will do something themselves and you wont always like it. At the Train4Fun academy we will teach you how to do all of this.
Another Very important point is to be responsible dog owners in order for your dog to be an example to other dogs and owners. Be a good role model for your dog, to other dog owners and especially to people who don’t like dogs. Believe it or not we as dog lovers are in a minority in this country. We are losing more and more rights with dogs everyday. Please let us help you to have a dog that even none dog lovers will accept in public.
Some points to remember:
· Pick up after your dog.
· Research your breed.
· Have a dog licence.
· Having an ID tag on your dogs collar.
· Microchip your dog.
· Regular vet checks.
· Health diet.
· Regular play and exercise.
· And most important a well trained dog.
AND FINALLY We want you and your family and friends to enjoy having your new rescue puppy/dog as your faithful and loyal companion. With the right sort of understanding owners that start off as they mean to go on, problems can be avoided. IF you experience any difficulty with your new puppy/dog it is usually possible to sort things out with some timely words of advice. Almost all problems will be easier to solve if you contact Train4Fun immediately. Although a few puppies/dogs have to be returned as unsuitable, the vast majority make loving family pets that are just asking for a new start in life and to learn to rebuild the trust that they once had for their original owners prior to being given up or abandoned.
For further advice or to book a consultation contact:
Joe Kelly
Dog SAFE and Train4Fun Dog Training Academy
Office: 0851966518
