When it’s time to bring your newest family member home, setting up your environment to welcome your new dog can be overwhelming. Where should he sleep? Should I allow her on the furniture? What do I do when he steals a sock? Don’t fret! This article will provide you with ample ideas on how to start off your relationship on the right foot.
Prevention - It Really Is The Best Medicine
Have you ever met someone and thought they were kind of strange, only to end up being your best friend? Or met a very charming coworker, only to end up being a creep you avoid at all costs? First impressions aren’t always what they seem, and the same is true of dogs. I often have clients report that their dog was “perfect” when first adopted, and now is a total nightmare. Preventing behaviors is much, much easier than modifying them. In order to avoid this fading honeymoon period, here are a few things you can do to set up your home for success:
Less is More
Limit your dog’s access to your home while you are away. This may mean a doggie-proofed bathroom, kitchen, or a comfortable crate. Baby gates are a helpful tool. Even if a dog is house trained, a new environment may result in some accidents, so the smaller space, the better.
I’ll Trade Ya!
It’s laundry day and you’ve realized your new pup has an affinity for dirty socks. How should you respond? Grab a treat, slowly approach your dog, and offer it up as a trade for the sock. Don’t yell and run after your dog to rip the sock out of his mouth. If you do this, your dog will realize that picking up a dirty sock results in mom playing with me - she chases me and squeals, how fun!
Alone Time
Separation anxiety is a tough behavior to fix, but it’s one you can prevent. When you are leaving for work, make sure to give your pup something to do - a Kong with frozen peanut butter or plain yogurt, a puzzle toy filled with stinky treats and breakfast, a delicious bully stick. Don’t make your goodbyes full of drama, hugs and tears, instead just give him the treat and calmly walk out the door.
Bonding - Slow And Steady Wins The Race
The best relationships are the ones where two people just naturally come together. If one person is coming on too strong and the other not strong enough, there is a lack of balance. The same is true for our dogs. Dogs can be social or aloof, shy or confident, independent or dependent, or a combo of all of the above. Your role as a guardian is to provide safety, comfort, and consistency for your pup so that her personality can develop on her own. Here are some tips to help this process along:
Hand Feeding
Hand feeding is a great way to promote bonding. Your pup will realize that you are providing the resources, thus you have significance in his life. This is also a great way to prevent resource guarding (the dog feeling like he must protect his food, treats, toys, etc.).
No Happy Hour Tonight
I know how exciting it is to bring a new pup home and the first thing you want to do is show him off to your friends, your family, the mail person, the neighborhood kids, the neighborhood dogs, etc. Please, take it slow! Some dogs need a while to warm up to their new environment and the last thing you want to do is overwhelm them with too many people or dogs.
Become a Body Language Expert
Start really paying attention to what your dog’s body is saying. Some common dog stress signals are panting, looking away (from person or dog), pacing, yawning, and shaking off (full body shake). If you see any of these, give your dog a break (and a treat!).
Avoid Crazy Aunt Syndrome
We all have that crazy aunt who hugs us too hard or gives us big, wet kisses with bright red lipstick that just doesn’t seem to come off. Please don’t be that person to your dog! Here’s a good way to tell if your dog is enjoying your attention: when your dog comes near you, gently pet him and then stop for a few seconds. If he remains near you, he likes it! If he walks away, he’s had enough - let him have his space.
When I brought home my rescue dog Paco, we couldn’t get anywhere near his head to pet him. He would immediately slink away or roll over and offer up his belly. Touches on his head were not a positive thing. With time, patience, and lots and lots of ball chasing (I would trade him a quick head pet for a ball chase), he now loves to be touched all over. Now, if I handled it differently and forced him to allow head pets, I have no doubt that he would have a bite history under his belt by now.
Sleepy time
Until you figure out your dog’s sleeping habits, a crate or puppy proofed room are good spots for overnight sleep. As you get to know her, you may then allow access to your bed. I have two rules for co-sleeping: 1) She should only be allowed up when you invite her; 2) If she shows any sort of guarding behaviors in bed (growling, snapping, or biting) or eliminates on bed (urinating or defecating), then she loses access to your bed permanently. These same rules apply to furniture access as well.
Treats, treats, and more treats! We want everything to be super positive when you bring your dog home and treats are a great way to facilitate that. Hot dogs, cheese, lunchmeat, small stinky training treats - the possibilities are endless! Reward your dog for good behavior - sitting nicely before a walk, quietly lying down, coming when called. Any behavior you want repeated, reward it!
Bringing a new dog home is an exciting time. Getting to know your dog (and vice versa) can be a slow process. By creating a safe and positive environment for your dog, you will start to build the trust and confidence that is necessary for a happy dog and a happy owner!
- Mandy Saunders, CPDT-KA
Mandy is a certified trainer who lives and trains in Northern Virginia. She has the pleasure of living with her dogs, Paco and Clementine, who occasionally allow her to sleep in bed with them. Mandy’s training interests include working with kids and dogs and therapy work.
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
KissAble Canine, LLC
703-574-3383