How to bring your new dog home

Five easy tricks to smoothly transition your new dog or puppy from shelter to home.

So you got a new dog — congratulations! It’s one of the rewarding decisions we think you can ever make, but it’s also a massive responsibility. Aside from the finances and logistics, bringing a new dog home is essentially committing to a life-long relationship.

How do you make sure to make your new partner comfortable from day one? All it really takes is love, patience, time, and these easy-to-follow tips.

Take them straight home from the shelter.

Save your errands for another time, even if they’re on the way home. Since this may be your dog’s first ride anywhere, and you’re not entirely sure how their car manners are, it’s best to keep the drive home short and sweet. Be sure to bring a passenger who can sit with the dog — and don’t forget to keep a just-in-case towel close.

Let them sniff around.

As tempting as it may be to click “invite all”,  it’s best to keep the welcoming committee limited to family only. Your dog’s first day in a new home should really be all about them and their comfort — especially before you’re sure on how they react to strangers.

When they get to your home, don’t crowd the dog. Allow them to sniff out their new surroundings and get acquainted at their own pace. When they’re ready, they’ll come up to you. Once you can visibly sense their comfort, start introducing them to their indoor sleep or play areas and watch them fall in love.

Start creating cues and boundaries immediately.

It’s never too early to start your house training. In fact, while your dog is still acclimating and has not yet created new behaviors yet, go ahead and slowly start sharing your rules and routines. Just like any other habit, they’ll learn faster from a fresh start than trying to unlearn a bad behavior later.

In your first few weeks, avoid leaving them home alone. Once they start getting the hang of things, slowly acclimate them to your absence — first with short errands, then working up to longer trips and adventures.

Help them warm up to your other pets.

When introducing them to other non-human members of the family, bring your new dog in an uncrowned outdoor area. For safety, make sure they stay leashed until you can see them relax.

Then, when you’re ready, bring them inside where you’ve already set out extra bowls and toys. This step is important and requires some intentional sensitivity; to ensure that your new dog doesn’t feel threatened by your other animals, be sure they can very clearly identify their own spaces, items, treats, and routines.

Give them your time and patience.

That’s the only real secret sauce here. Getting a new dog doesn’t automatically guarantee you their love or trust. Just like any other relationship, it’ll simply take time to get to know one another’s love languages, pet peeves, and needs. You’ll get there — just be patient and enjoy this special time.