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| Last updated at 2:43 PM on 20/08/08 |
Are you thinking of adopting a dog? 
Caring for your new dog – a guide for adopters
PARK PETS
The Burnside News
By NS SPCA Staff
This is the start of a five part series, in which we will take a comprehensive look into what’s involved with bringing home and properly caring for a dog.
In part one of this series, we look at bringing your new dog home, getting acquainted and establishing a routine.
There’s something very exciting when a family decides to adopt an animal from a shelter. Although the majority of people know that bringing an animal home is a life-long commitment, they don’t stop and think about the many other aspects that make having a pet both a reward and a challenge.
There are many things that should be taken into consideration before adopting a pet, which will help both the family and animal adapt to their new environments. The first thing you need to do is to congratulate yourself – you’re a hero! Not only have you helped save the life of your new furry companion, but also there’s now one more space at the shelter for another deserving dog. On behalf of all the staff, volunteers and – of course – the animals at the SPCA, we thank you for making adoption your option!
To get started, here is a list of basic supplies you will need:
• dog food (for recommendations, check back for next month’s column)
• food and water dishes
• collar and ID tags
• leash
• chew toys such as a “Kong” or “Nylabone”
• dog treats for training and reward (avoid treats containing BHA)
• dog bed with washable cover or blanket
• crate or kennel
• dog brush
• dog coat (depending on breed and time of year)
Coming Home And Getting Acquainted
Bringing home a new dog is a very exciting time for everyone, including the dog. First impressions are important for dogs – early experiences in a dog’s new home can have a lasting impact. You can do a lot to help your dog feel secure in their new home.
When you first arrive, leave your dog on-leash and explore your home together. It’s important the dog remains on-leash, especially if there are children or other pets already in the home. Show your dog each room in your home, where the food and water bowls are and where the bed or crate/kennel is located. Let your dog take their time to sniff around and check things out.
After the tour of the inside of the house, it’s time to go outside. Take your dog around the property of your home to the spots they’ll be using for bathroom breaks. Until your dog’s bathroom habits have been established, it’s recommended you take your dog outside every hour when you first bring him home, as well as after any play sessions, meal time, nap time or drinking a fair amount of water. Puppies have much less bladder control, which you can accommodate by taking your puppy out every 30 minutes or after the above-mentioned activities. Future editions of this series will cover more advice about house training.
The Nova Scotia SPCA supports the use of positive reinforcement techniques for training pets, which means rewarding behaviours you want to encourage your dog to repeat in the future. When you first bring your dog home, follow these initial house training and safety tips.
Do:
• fit your dog’s collar snug enough so they can’t back out and slip away. “Martingale” style collars can be fit so they’re slightly snugger than a flat buckle collar when pressure is applied, but not tight enough to choke the dog. These collars shouldn’t be used for correction-based training.
• use the buddy system. Make sure a mature member of the family always supervises your dog. Dogs are social animals and want to be with their family members. A dog wandering away on it’s own is a signal to let your dog out or that the dog is searching for it’s own “amusement,” which can differ from what the human family members find amusing.
• use a leash or create a barrier to ensure your dog can’t slip away when answering your door to visitors or delivery people. Attach a leash to your dog and the other end to your belt or belt loop. Baby gates to help block doors and entryways can be useful for house training and receiving guests or visitors at the door.
• take your dog outside after every event, such as eating, drinking, playing or waking up from a nap, after the arrival of guests or visitors, or if you see your dog “searching” for a spot.
• acknowledge and reward your dog anytime they relive themselves in an appropriate area.
• acknowledge and reward your dog for any appropriate behaviour you wish to encourage, such as greeting guests politely or walking mannerly on a leash.
Don’t:
• rub your dog’s nose in a “mistake” or make them nervous about relieving themselves in your presence.
• punish your dog for a mistake or if you find something they have chewed or otherwise damaged. No matter how guilty your dog may look, he or she is responding to your voice and body language, which is clearly telling the dog you aren’t happy. If your dog is having accidents in the house, the dog’s supervision needs to be increased until you can clearly read your dog’s signals for needing to relive itself.
If your dog starts to relieve itself in an inappropriate spot, it can be hard to stop, so it’s often less messy to let your pet finish, take them out and then tackle clean up.
Establishing A Routine
Consistency is the key to helping your dog feel settled and secure. Establishing a routine as soon as possible will help the dog learn what’s expected of them and what they can expect in return. It will typically take three to 12 weeks to develop this routine.
Your dog will need exercise, food, training, potentially grooming and, of course, love and attention everyday. Regular feeding times will be an asset in house training and, for people working the typical eight hours away from home, establishing routine is a must.
Every dog needs some form of exercise, whether it’s a walk around the block, a hike in the woods or a game of fetch at a local park. The amount of exercise required will depend on your dog’s age and physical condition.
Dogs don’t need a lot of space, but they do need a lot of time. No matter how high a dog’s energy level is, they don’t need to live on a farm to be happy. Dogs need to spend as much time as possible with you doing different activities that ensure their needs are met.
Depending on your schedule and the temperament of your dog, the activities you could become involved in are endless. A particularly high energy dog may require a moderate walk before you leave for the day, a much longer walk when you return home and perhaps a game of fetch after dinner to ensure the two of you can spend some time relaxing together in the evening.
A dog with a moderate amount of energy may be fine with a few minutes of play in the morning and a good walk in the evening. A dog with low energy may be happy with one or two short walks around the neighbourhood.
Dogs will thrive with mental stimulation and using this to your advantage is easy. Spend time training your dog, teaching him new tricks, or playing hide-and-seek with their favourite treats or toys. You can also spend time grooming your dog, teaching them to be comfortable when having their nails clipped or their teeth brushed. During the winter, many people find themselves cutting their normal routines down due to weather, short days and irregular access to local parks. If you have completed obedience classes, try enrolling your dog in a tricks/games class or dog sport class – it will be a good way for both of you to get out of the house, keep active and meet new friends.
In most cases, your dog has been observed for about two to three weeks at the shelter prior to your adoption. During this time your dog may have presented behaviours that were documented by shelter staff and volunteers. You would be advised about these behaviours when you adopt the dog.
Once in a home environment with a regular schedule and perhaps the aid of dog obedience classes, these behaviours should improve and in some cases the behaviours will never present themselves in a home environment. At other times, behaviours never observed at the shelter start to present once the dog is in your home.
Sometimes, during the first couple of weeks as you and your new dog get to know each other, you may be scratching your head trying to figure out how such a “perfect” dog ended up in a shelter. Many people involved with animal shelters and rescues refer to this as the “Honeymoon Stage.” Often, dogs don’t start to show their own personality quirks or issues until they become comfortable and bonded with their new family. This honeymoon phase typically lasts about two to four weeks.
When undesirable or fear/stress-driven behaviours present themselves, don’t be surprised, but take heart that these behaviours can be changed with some work on your part. We will talk more about these issues in part four of our series on dog care – The Honeymoon Ends: Common Behaviour Issues.
The NS SPCA is a non-profit, registered charity run by a volunteer Board, publicly funded, organization solely concerned with animal welfare, protection and humane education. Please view our website at http://www.spcans.ca. If you’re concerned about an animal’s welfare, have witnessed an animal being left outside without proper protection, or have witnessed or have knowledge of animal abuse/cruelty, please call our provincial office at 902-835-4798. All calls are strictly confidential and your call may end up saving an animal’s life.
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01/08/08
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