What’s your #1 tip for new dog owners?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love on him! He will quickly pick up the pace and rhythm of your family. In a month you’ll wonder how you ever lived without him!

We can’t wait to! I was actually wondering how long for the dog to feel “home” with us. I hope it’ll be that quickly!

Remember 3-3-3 rule, so 3 month on average for the dog to get fully acclimated to the he new environment.
Don't rush it

[Anonymous]

Enjoy your pup! Time flies too quickly.

[Anonymous]

Don't give a dog free range in a new home. This is less important since he's 2 years old already vs. a puppy, but the number one way people set their dogs up for a lifetime of bad habits is giving them too much freedom at first.

My dog, for instance, has never chewed something like a shoe or another human belonging that she shouldn't have because she never had unsupervised access to shoes as a puppy.

If you don't want to crate the dog for too long while away you can set up an x-pen, gated off area, or select a room that is their room and prepare it adequately.

Once the dog has more time in your home and a track record of not ruining things, you expand its world.

[Anonymous]

I'm posting a second time so it looks like I'm following directions and only posting my #1 tip...

Choose a day of the week and trim their nails regularly, even if it's in tiny increments. Same thing if the dog requires brushing or other grooming, set a schedule and stick to it. Again this will be harder with an older dog vs a puppy, but it will help so much to get the dog used to it.

[Anonymous]

Get pet insurance! My first rescue was just fine until she was 12. My current dog has had medical issues since he was 4. Pet's Best has been great and only paying 20% of a vet bill has been so helpful.

[Anonymous]

Make sure there’s a place he can go to be his wolf den. Either between an armchair and the wall, or behind the couch.

Teach him “go to place.” “Place” is whatever spot you designate as his home base when you want him to go sit somewhere. It’s similar to “out of the kitchen” that a PP suggested, but it’s all-purpose.

Teach him to sit and stay as you put his food bowl down, then wait for you to say “ok” before he starts to eat. That way he’s not jumping on you as you try to feed him.

Buy one of those Lamb Chop toys. Dogs go nuts for those.

Don’t feed him treats from the table.

Don’t yell at him when he barks if someone knocks on your door or whatever. That just escalates things. Praise him for being a good watc dog then tell him it’s ok, reassure him, and send him to place.

If you take him to the dog park after getting to know him, for the first few times don’t go at peak rush hour at the park.

Decide from day 1 if you will let him sit on furniture or sleep on your bed, and then be absolutely consistent. Begin as you mean to go on.

When training him, don’t just say “good boy” or “good dog.” Say “good place” or “good sit,” so he knows why he’s being praised.

Enjoy your new family member!! Will you report back and let us know how it’s going?

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp; “place” is a very useful multi purpose command. So is “leave it.”

Definitely incorporate training into your early weeks with your dog, even if he already knows basic commands. Even teaching a few tricks helps you and the dog bond over a shared partnership and helps the dog build confidence.

Also handle your dog regularly, right from the beginning. Establish the expectation that you will brush fur, brush teeth, touch belly, legs, handle paws, trim nails.

[Anonymous]

As someone who has had 2 dogs with bad separation anxiety, get the dog used to being alone right from the start. This doesn’t mean leaving them alone for 8 hours on the first day, but if the dog is already kennel trained, make him sleep in the crate at night in a room other than your bedroom. Leave for short errands 1-2 hours and slowly building up to longer trips away. Don’t make a big deal out of coming and going. Don’t use the crate as a place of punishment. Feed them and give treats in the crate to create a positive association.

[Anonymous]

go to some sort of dog school even if you think you don't need it.

lots of walking.

for the first few weeks, make sure the dog in around you in the house all the time. No surprises with potty training or chewing that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm posting a second time so it looks like I'm following directions and only posting my #1 tip...

Choose a day of the week and trim their nails regularly, even if it's in tiny increments. Same thing if the dog requires brushing or other grooming, set a schedule and stick to it. Again this will be harder with an older dog vs a puppy, but it will help so much to get the dog used to it.

This! Get them used to getting their nails filed/trimmed and teeth brushed so you don't have to rely on professionals to do this for lots of $$$.

[Anonymous]

If you want to eat/cook in peace, never never never handfeed your dog while you are eating/cooking. That means If you are sitting at the table eating, don't take food from the table or your plate and give it to the dog. If you are sitting on the couch with your plate, don't take anything from your plate and give it to the dog. If you are standing at the counter eating your cereal or stirring up a recipe, don't handfeed any of it to the dog. If you do, you will teach the dog that he should expect you to do those things, and he will start to whine and beg and bark until you do.

A dog should only get people food when it is put into the dog's bowl or when a person's plate is put down on the floor where the dog eats (next to the dog's bowl).