Congratulations on the adoption of your new, four-legged companion. Deciding to adopt a dog of any age from a rescue is as big of a choice as is purchasing from a quality breeder.

Your new companion has been lovingly cared for by a foster home. They signed up to provide a safe place for dogs in need of a stable living environment while they wait for their adoption day. Some dogs remain in foster care longer than others. Many times, the full history of any dog is unknown as the people who surrender the dog either intentionally or unknowingly will leave details out. The information passed on to you is what the rescue and foster home know. They will not intentionally leave out important information. Foster homes have varying levels of experience as well and have done their best, so please keep that in mind when you bring your new companion dog home.  Below are some guidelines to keep in mind as your new companion settles into your home, family, and routine.

Welcome Home, Stranger!
We bring home animal companions with the intent of having someone to cuddle with on the couch, go for walks, and share everyday life with. While you were getting the basic information about your new companion, she was learning about you by your scent, voice, and body language. This is all she knows about you. She doesn’t know how many dogs you have loved, or how much training experience you have. She will need to learn all this each moment she spends with you.

Your new companion is a stranger. You would not run up to a person you just met, hug them, then lead them over to sit beside you and snuggle with you on the couch. That is just weird, and you will likely chase that person away instead of making a new friend. Think of your new canine companion as a stranger you just met. When you bring her home, give her a tour of the house, take her out the door she will use to get to her potty area, and show her where her toilet area is. After she eliminates in the designated area, continue the tour of her new home. Keep an eye on her while she is inside as she will be too nervous to ask to be taken to the potty area again.

Begin teaching your new companion the house rules, much like asking the company to take their shoes off when entering, she too needs to know the basic rules so teach her now, not later. Some people are nervous about eating in front of people they don’t know, dogs can be too, so don’t panic if she doesn’t eat much the first 2-3 days. Don’t give your new companion table scraps or a bunch of treats to get her to eat, she will eat in time.

Meeting More People
Dogs don’t love house parties, so please don’t invite a bunch of people over the first few weeks when your new companion comes home. Give him time to get to know you first. He will be more comfortable with your friends when he knows he can trust you to keep him safe if he becomes overwhelmed.

Safety With Kids of All Ages
Kids and dogs just seem to go together. Kids love to dress dogs up, teach them silly tricks, and treat them as canine sibling. Just like you wouldn’t cuddle on the couch with a stranger, children should also treat dogs with the same respect. Many people will say things like “the kids just love giving the dog hugs and the dog likes it too!” Truth is, hugging is a primate behavior, not a canine behavior. We often see social media photos that look like dogs are hugging each other. That is a trick taught to both dogs, not a natural behavior. Dogs see hugs as a form of restraint, never affection. A large portion of dog bites happen because of kids hugging dogs. Those injuries often result in bites to the face of the child.

The best prevention of dog bites to kids is supervision. Even friends of your children should be supervised the whole time that they are allowed access to your dog. While many homes have dogs, not every person knows how to be respectful of dogs. Sadly, even accidental injuries to children can result in legal fees, medical costs, loss of homeowners insurance, eviction (if you rent) and your dog having to be euthanized. If you are not able to fully supervise children with around your dog, please provide him with a safe place behind closed doors where you know he will be comfortable.
For more information on safety with kids, please check out www.thefamilydog.com for fun, informational videos, articles, and even some home training classes for the whole family!

Getting to Know the Neighborhood
The first thing we do when we move to a new neighborhood is scope it out. We check out the houses, the cars, the yards. Your new dog will want to do that too! Take time to take a daily walk through the neighborhood. Keep the walks short at first and slowly increase the distance as you and your dog get to know each other. Walks not only help build a bond between you and your dog, but it help your dog learn what home looks like from outside the yard in case he was to get lost, as well as helping your neighbors see your dog in case, they spot him out of the yard.

Sleeping Arrangements
Don’t just jump into having your new companion sleep in your bed, remember, you wouldn’t do that with a new roommate. Rather, give him a safe spot to sleep on the floor (crate or dog bed). If after three weeks when the two of you have gotten to know each other and want to share a bed, that is perfectly fine if behavior issues don’t start to pop up.

Many people feel uncomfortable using a crate for their newly adopted companion. Dogs don’t see crates as cages or prison cells, humans do. When set up with a bed and comfy blanket, a chew toy or two, they will see it as their own space, much like giving a guest his room and putting a mint on the pillow. Giving a new canine companion his own space is just a polite way of inviting him into your home.

Routine & Familiar Smells
Setting even just a basic routine helps your new companion learn when to expect certain things to happen (meals, walks, bedtime, training time, etc.). A routine helps dogs feel secure in a new environment. The ideal time to bring a new dog home is when you will have 2-3 days home from work. This will allow you time to edit your schedule to allow for enough time to care for your new friend before you need to leave for work or school.

Hopefully, the rescue was able to either send home a little bit of the food your dog has been eating or can tell you what brand, and formula it is so you can at least start with that same food. Additionally, something with familiar smells like a blanket or toy that they have had will provide additional comfort during the first few days in a new place.

Training Your New Dog
Your new companion may have gotten some training with her foster. It is always a great idea to sign up for a training class with your new companion after 2-3 weeks of moving in together. If you are unsure of a trainer to go to, reach out to the rescue/shelter you adopted your pup from for references. Sometimes trainers will offer discounts to people who adopt from a certain rescue/shelter. Even if you have always had dogs in your life a training class helps build the bond between you and helps you both get to know each other. What you will gain from doing this is learning to understand how you communicate with each other, what motivates your pup, and how to work through potentially stressful situations. It also provides a fantastic socialization opportunity for your pup, and you get to meet new people as well while showing off your new buddy.

You may even discover your dog might enjoy dog sports like agility, search & rescue, nose work, dock diving, fly ball, frisbee, and canine freestyle just to name a few.

Give it Time
Most importantly, give it time for your relationship to grow and for your new buddy to settle in. The average time for a dog to begin to adjust to her new home is 3 months. For some dogs, it’s longer depending on their history. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the rescue/shelter if you are having a hard time with things. The foster or a shelter worker who knows your dog may be able to offer some insight into the challenges you are facing and help get you over that hurdle..