The bond between a dog and its owner is exceptional – it’s deep and lasting. Adopting a dog could just be the best decision you will ever make for yourself and your new buddy. Through it, you will be able to give your dog an amazing second chance spent with genuine love and care.
Adoption will be a huge change for both you and your dog. It may take a few weeks or months in order for your dog to fully adjust to the new environment and life together, but be patient, it will be worth it.
Table of Contents
Why adopt a dog?
Tips to help warm up your dog fast to you
- Create a safe space for your dog to just relax alone
- Provide a routine at home
- Train your dog
- Let them socialize with kids and other dogs
- Choose furniture that are dog-friendly
- Pay attention to triggers
Should you spay/neuter your dog?
Why adopt a dog?
Adopting a dog has so many benefits to you as a new dog owner. Not only that, you’ll be able to shelter and provide a second chance for your buddy to live their best life. So the better question really in the end is, why not?
Adoption saves millions of dogs worldwide. In fact, in the United States alone, over half a million are euthanized in various shelters. You can tip that number today and give more dogs the lives they deserve.
Tips to help warm your dog up fast to you
Getting excited to find the perfect buddy to adopt is a pretty overwhelming feeling. You have to get everything ready to welcome your dog into their brand new home. The following are tips to help warm up your dog to you:
Create a safe space for your dog to just relax alone – as much as both of you want to be together all the time, it’s healthy to create a safe space for your dog to just relax alone at home. Through this, you can build their confidence and help them behave well when you bring a friend over or be away for long hours. You can practice this by taking short departures every other day just so your dog could get accustomed to your absence. It also helps to leave them treats before you actually go on your way out. Dogs who aren’t trained with departures, whether short or long, tend to be chaotic and would chew on any furniture they find while in panic. It helps to speak to trainers and veterinarians about more ways on how to calm your dog down and relax alone at home.
Provide a routine at home – to encourage consistency and collaboration, it is vital that every member of the household follow a certain routine. This creates a positive experience for your dog and allows a more engaging behavior to surface after a while. You could start your routine with things like scheduled time of meals, daily walks, potty training, and incorporation of treats as reward for good behavior. Once your dog gets accustomed to this, they will likely follow your cues whenever prompted.
Train your dog – you could train your dog all by yourself or you could sign up for classes. Training amplifies good behavior and deepens your bond together. Make sure to do your training in a wide enough space so that your dog can comfortably move around, eliminating any chance of injury or harm. Use positive reinforcement when teaching tric, and avoid lashing out or verbally harassing your dog whenever they won’t be able to execute a command well. Be patient with your dog and grow alongside with them.
Let them socialize with kids and other dogs – you may want to do this in later months, but definitely, let your dogs socialize with kids and other dogs gradually. Let them get used to other people petting them under your supervision. Introduce them slowly and once they get the feel of each other, allow them shower each other with love and affection. It is also important to teach your dogs how to behave appropriately with kids or with other dogs. Some kids and dogs get a bit aggressive during interactions, so it’s important to spot these cues and mediate the situation. Teach kids how to treat dogs with respect. You can start with simple reminders like not to yell at them, not to disturb them while they eat, not to crowd a dog, or dare to take away their toy.
Choose furniture that are dog-friendly – some dogs can’t help but chew on furniture especially when they’re growing their teeth or are anxious. That’s why it’s important to consider this when buying furniture at home. It is best to keep it dog-friendly, that way you won’t be wasting money on soon-to-be damaged goods. It’s also one way to mentally prepare yourself for the challenges of parenting. You can search online where best to buy home decors and furniture that will suit your new home.
Pay attention to triggers – whenever dogs behave badly, instead of just lashing at them immediately, try to understand the triggers to that behavior. Once you can pin down what causes them to act that way, you can now manage how to change that behavior and spin it into something good. You can provide an alternative, more desirable behavior over incompatible mannerisms you don’t want.
Should you spay/neuter your dog?
Deciding to spay or neuter your dog will help them live healthier and longer lives. It will prevent testicular or uterine infection and breast tumors, which could become malignant over time. It will also help keep your dog at home and not roam outside to find a mate or get into a traffic accident while doing so.
The usual time to spay or neuter your dog is during six to nine months, but older dogs could still get spayed. Though you have to be vigilant about post-operative complications for your older buddies.
