How To Adopt and Prepare For A New Dog
Is it time to add a new furry friend to the family?
If you decided to Google search animal shelters and rescue societies lately, you would find something pretty uplifting and exciting: animal adoptions are on the rise!
With COVID-19 on everyone’s minds, it’s easy to feel bogged down with how insane our world has become. But there are some really beautiful things happening all around us: humans are displaying their humility and opening up their hearts to help their neighbors and anyone else in need. To continue this trend of good will, we are seeing pet adoption rates rising, and to be completely honest, this is the BEST time to adopt a new animal.
For starters: you’re home. You have time and attention to spare on your new fluffy companion. At this time, the shelters and rescue societies are having a difficult time with staffing and volunteers due to restrictions of COVID-19, so relieving some of their animal responsibilities is a big win! Additionally, early summer is likely the best time of year to adopt a dog - if you have kids, they are home from school and can spend even more time with the new pup. The 4th of July is coming up which means you have the chance to help socialize your new dog to those big noises. Did you know? More animals are reported missing on the 5th of July than any other day of the year.
If you don’t need further convincing to adopt a new dog, then check out the rest of the blog for advice on how to pick a dog, what you need to prepare for, when you need to start training, and what kind of gear you will need. And if you still need convincing, this blog should help you add to your pros and cons list!
What kind of dog should I get?
When it comes to deciding what kind of dog you should get, try starting with a “Perfect Dog Wishlist.” This kind of list will help to minimize the overwhelm of all the different types of dogs out there because let’s face it: there are just so. Many. Dogs. All too often, people select a dog based upon solely their looks without consideration of their temperament. Remember the old saying, “It’s not what’s on the outside that matters, it’s whats on the inside that counts.”
While that was usually meant to console you after a high school break up, it’s a pretty good place to start with dogs too.
PERFECT DOG WISHLIST
Consider personality and breed traits:
Good with children
Quantity of exercise
Energy levels
General long-term health
Disposition
Grooming
Consider aesthetics:
Hair or fur length
Floppy or pointy ears
Eye color
Coat color
Size and weight
The AKC website is a good place to start when it comes to specifics about breed temperament and lifestyle.
Now that you’ve done research on the best breed that will fit with your lifestyle, it’s time to start searching. Oh the excitement!
You can look at animal shelters, rescue societies, and breeders. While you can find really good prices for dogs, try to avoid places like puppy mills or Craigslist since they don’t always practice the most humane ways of producing animals. While you are looking at dogs, they usually attach brief insights to the dog’s behavior. Some things to consider are if they like to ride in the car, if they are friendly to strangers, if they enjoy sibling pets, if they are good with children, and if they have a disability. Depending on your lifestyle, each of those answers could make the dog the perfect addition for you.
Prep Time
Congratulations! You’ve decided to adopt a dog, you’ve picked out what kind of dog you want, you may have even started communication to move forward with your adoption. Now it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home and yourself for the new furry addition!
QUICK GUIDE TO MINIMIZE STRESS:
Maintain feeding plan from shelter or foster for the first 5 days
Stay calm, use mellow voice, one person petting at a time
Wait a few days before introducing to other household pets
Have all breakables put away, cords taped, and baby gates set up
When you go to pick up your new dog, ask what kind of food they were eating and what the feeding schedule was. Try to replicate the feeding schedule with the same food for at least 5 days as this will help to minimize gastronomical upset. After those 5 days, you can start adjusting the schedule by introducing your preferred kibble.
Most dogs are going to be fairly stressed after adoption. They may have been shuffled from shelter to shelter, to foster homes, and are now being moved again to your home. Regardless of the scenario, most dogs will probably forget their house training skills (if they have even been potty trained yet). It’s normally a good idea to pick a place with hard floors for your new dog to stay in for the first couple of days after coming home, to help make clean up easier. Usually the kitchen is a good choice.
Now it’s time to prep the home. Before the new pup arrives you’ll want to set up baby gates, tape electrical cords to the wall, and move any breakables. If you’re planning to crate train, it might be a good idea to have a properly sized crate before the dog arrives.
As we mentioned, your new dog will probably have some level of stress after entering your new home but there are ways to minimize the escalation of stress. For starters, try to stay calm. It is really exciting to have the new dog and you just want to cuddle, play, and love them the way you’ve been imagining for weeks! Do your best to stay mellow and let them observe their new surroundings themselves, as this will keep them from getting overstimulated. If you already have pets in the home and you know the “old” dogs are good with new dogs, you can try to introduce them when you come home. If you aren’t sure of the reactions from either pup, keep them in separate rooms for about 5 days so the new dog has time to settle into the new lifestyle. When introducing the new dog to family members, remind them to use a calm soft voice, and keep the petting to one person at a time.
Training
Everything at home is prepped, but when should I consider to start training? Let’s be 100% honest, training starts the moment you pick them up. You may be adopting an older dog that’s already gone through basic obedience training, or you’re going to get a puppy that’s never heard the word “sit” before. Either way, it’s important to figure out the training words you and your family are going to use. You can easily re-teach words, so don’t be too concerned about the words the previous owner used.
When you get home, take them immediately to the place you want them to go potty. Spend a lot of time there with them, let them relieve themselves once or twice before leaving the area. That will help them learn the place you want them to go potty, to help with house training later.
People often say it takes a couple weeks before they see their new dog’s true personality. Remember to stay patient and give them some time, your loving companion will blossom before you know it!
Rescue Dogs 101 has the 3-3-3 Rule. This suggests it will take a dog about 3 days to feel comfortable, about 3 weeks for a dog to start showing their personality, and about 3 months for a dog to feel fully safe, and home
Cost
We all love dogs and most of the time, the cost can be pretty negligible compared to all of the great things the furball gives you back - namely ALL OF THE LOVE! But truthfully, dogs cost money and there will be several times in our dog’s lifespan where they will flat out just be expensive.
The average adoption fee can range from $100-$500. Living with a dog will cost a minimum of about $100 a month which includes food, water, treats and toys, and basic vet visits. But we all love to give our fur babies everything extra like grooming, doggy day care, furthering their training and certifications, fancy pet beds, and of course dog walks and hikes with Dog Tired Adventures! Then there is the emergency vet bills that we all try to avoid, but end up having to pay for a few of them, because accidents are unavoidable. Depending on the kind of dog you get, it may be beneficial to consider getting pet insurance to help offset vet bills. If it doesn’t seem to be a good fit for your family or dog, it helps to put aside $20 or more from each pay check into a separate savings account for your dog. That should help cover any vet bills you should have including annual check ups.
Gear
Your dog will acquire gear as you live with them whether it’s toys, puzzle feeders, enrichment treats, backpacks, travel bottles, car seats, etc. But there are some things that are a good idea to have in your home before you bring the new pup home.
Shopping Checklist:
Food and Water Bowls
Dog Food
Collar
4 to 6 Foot Leash
ID Tag with your Phone Number
Dog Bed or Blanket
Doggy Shampoo and Conditioner
Nail Clippers
Doggy Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Brush or Comb
Super Absorbent Paper Towels
Sponge and Scrub Brush
Non-Toxic Cleansers
Enzymatic Odor Neutralizer
Poop Baggies
House Training Pads
Toys
Treats
First Aid Supplies
Baby Gates
Here are a few of our favorite pet stain and odor removers:
Conclusion
Adopting a new dog is always an exciting new adventure! Whether you are looking to make a new addition to the fur pals you already have at home, or this is the first time you’ve looked into adopting a dog, there are several things to consider. Hopefully this brief guide was enlightening for your adoption preparation. Feel free to check out the sources below for further reading and research. Let us, at Dog Tired Adventures, be the first to congratulate you on your new doggy adoption. Have fun!
Written By: Gabby St.Martin
Gabby is a dog walker and writer for Dog Tired Adventures. She loves being active, the great outdoors, and loving on her Doberman.