So, you have found your new four-legged friend and can’t wait to bring him home. You are thinking about all the different walks you will take him on, the toys you will buy, and dreaming of him snuggling up to you. You think of him giving that soothing, comforting feel that only dogs can bring.
However, while you may be getting understandably carried away with it all, there’s one aspect that you cannot overlook—the dog.
The problem here is that this is a real mix of excitement and anxiety for your dog. Your dog has no idea where they are going or what’s in store. Therefore, you must seek to make them feel as relaxed as possible. There are several steps to take that will make that entire process a lot easier.
1. Keep Calm at All Times
Look, getting a new addition to the family is a lot of fun, but try to keep your emotions in check as much as you can. At this point, what you are doing is moving the dog from a familiar place to them into unknown territory. It’s scary, and they could quickly start to create wrong emotional attachments if you are too excited about how the dog is already feeling. Also, you need to provide your dog with time and space to get used to everything, and they cannot do that if you are making them too excited.
2. A Walk is Good
You need to remember that it’s not just your home that will be new to your dog but your entire surroundings. There’s so much to explore, and they need to become familiar with their surroundings. So taking them for a nice walk will make a massive difference to the settling in part of the process. They can encounter all the new sights, sounds, and smells. That alone will help them feel calmer about things, making this initial phase much more manageable.
3. Allow Them to Explore the Home
It’s essential to give your new dog ample opportunity to get used to its surroundings. It becomes even more critical when we talk about your home. Getting them too excited before you even open the door could spell disaster. It would help if you took some time, even as you enter your property. Get them used to the yard, if you have one, before taking them to your door. Once they are inside, don’t crowd them or yell at them not to do something. Instead, let them go where they want, but keep an eye on them.
4. Keep Quiet
We just touched on this, but it’s more important than most people realize. Keeping quiet and not shouting or making noises is the best way to help your dog get used to its surroundings. They are in sensory overload, and it’s unpleasant for them to be in this particular state. They need to be allowed to sort all this new stuff out in their head. You talking to them or distracting them is simply adding to the chaos. Once they are satisfied with exploring, their anxiety will reduce, making them far more approachable to you.
5. Let them Know the Eating Area
Finally, there will be specific points of interest that you need to take them to in order to allow them to start associating different areas with various activities. Of course, the eating area is essential, so start with that. Give them some water to drink, as they are probably thirsty, and a snack in the same place. This organization allows them to associate these two things immediately with this area. It will also help them settle even more simply because they know they won’t be thirsty or hungry.
Understandably, an individual can easily get carried away with the thought of a new dog entering the home. However, we advise you to try and temper your excitement as much as possible to benefit from a stronger relationship with your dog from day one.
