Bringing a New Dog Home
Listen to puppies making noises
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Once you have prepared your home for the arrival of a dog, you still have a lot of work to do in teaching the dog the rules of the house and meeting its many social and physical needs. If you already have a pet, you will have to introduce the new dog properly to ensure that their relationship is as harmonious as possible.
Most puppies should stay with their mothers for at least eight weeks, though some
Experts recommend a ten-week stay. M. breeders recommend that you do not adopt two puppies from the same litter. Although some people manage toeffect.lytrain and housetrain two or more at a time, the puppies tend to bond teach other and resist discipline efforts. For people who are living with their first pet, waiting several months and effect.lytraining dogs one at a time usually works more effectively.
If you already have a dog, the new dog can be seen as either the newest member The pack or an unwelcome intrusion The transition will be easier if you mismatch the sexes of dogs (add a male if you have a female and vice versa, This arrangement will alleviate painful power struggles in the event that both dogs are
neutered. In general, try to avoid pairing dominant personalities, since two very or, dominant dogs will have trouble becoming comfortable with each other. Submissive dogs, on the other hand, seem to accommodate another dog.
Let the new dogs meet on neutral territory, such as a park or playground, to prevent the first pet from feeling threatened or protect… New dogs like to sniff and play with each other. This behavior is perfectly normal and helpful in establishing relations, but aggressive dominant behavior should be discouraged.
You can facilitate this situation by physically dominating the new dog if it shows aggression toward the other one. Holding the dog to the ground gives the other animal a chance to smell it, while the new dog learns that a submissive role doesn’t mean injury. !dealt, your interference will not be necessary and the dogs will play and greet each other in safe and normal ways.
If your original pet is a cat, you need to set aside a special space for ir. As a territorial creature, your cat needs opportunities to be away from the dog. Prevent the dog from making any threats towacrds the cat, such as chasing, taunting, growling or barking. Unlike dogs, cats require long break-in periods. It maky take months for the cat to finally accept the dog’s presence. In some cases, established cats actually rank higher in the “pack” in the mind of the dog. Generally, cats and dogs can live compatibly and do adjust to new members of the family.
The important thing to remember for both situations is that you are the top of the pack, in control of all pets in the home. Whatever dominance ranking the animals work out among threshes, you must remain the highest member. Also, new an old pets need their separate spaces at first. Provide independent beds, feeding bowls and crates. You may have to feed the animals separately at fir. (Especially with two dogs). Be sure to give plenty of and attention to the existing pets. They can feel neglected if their routine is greatly altered byte presence of a new animal. Stick with established routines and spend quality time with both animals. Encourage camaraderie by playing together.
From the minute you bring a new dog home, you must establish yourself as the top dog in the pack. New dogs, particularity puppies, prefer to know who’s in charge and are really not interested in filling this roll. You should enter doors first and eat some food in the dog’s presence before feeding it. These behaviors will ease the dog’s concerns about pack hierarchy.
Show the dog around the inside and outside of the house, especially the place you expect it to eliminate. The taster it uses the space, the better, so t, giving the dog Ixia drink and revisiting the area until it is used. Show the dog where it will sleep.
Dogs enjoy sleeping in the same room as humans, but should have their own bedsore crates.
Aside from knowing the alpha, or lead dog, in your family, the dog wants to follow an established routine. Tyro follows a fixed schedule for feeding, walking and sleeping times. If possible, leave and return home around the same time each day. If you come home during the day for lunch or a visit, fix a time. Be clear about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Habits formed early are hard to break. Ofthe dog chews your furniture, discipline it. Many new dogs byte manipulate their owners by acting sullen or angry. Do not encourage these behaviors by soothing the dog. You can by a little subterfuge, however, by distracting the dog with toys or walk.
There are several important guidelines to remember when socializing your new dog. G. it plenty of opportunities to meet and play with new people and animals.Ina high-pitched, pleasant voice, praise the dog lavishly for proper behavior. You can also use food and playas effect. Rewards. Always avoid hitting your dog. Whenever possible, model the behaviors you desire in the dog.
At some point, you will have to respond to puppy behaviors that you find unacceptable. Many young dogs, for example, growl or act aggressively in novel •situations or with new people. This reaction is not to be encouraged or placated. If you speak softly in an effort to calm it, or stroke it in a soothing way, you are telling the dog that its behavior is acceptable and should be repeated. Instead, you want to discourage the behavior biform saying no and praising the dog when it calms down. Fearful dogs often bite or react badly in new situations. Reduce this fear by experiencing new places often and firmly resisting any instinct to comfort, the dog when it acts poorly.
Other problems you may face into. Nighttime habits. Dogs that sleep outside your bedroom may feel excluded and en/through the night in an effort to join you and the pack. As long as the dog has its own bed and does not actuality sleep with you, sharing your bedroom is a normal and healthy way to alleviate feelings of exclusion. On the other hand, lithe whining and crying continues in your room, be certain that the dog does not need to go outside or require medical care. Assuming there are no physical concerns, you will have to firmly discipline or ignore (if you ca. the unpleasant behavior to make it stop. A long walk or play session before bed may ease the problem by exhausting the dog.
Effective methods of praising a puppy include verbal praise, physical praise AK (petting and play) and treats Keep treats to a minimum in young dogs while their digestive systems develop. Use lots of physical praise with all dogs, but particularly with young puppies. As they age, they usually become more interested •in verbal praise, which they may not understand when very young.
Begin grooming routines right away. Young dogs usually adjust easily to these procedures, but will resist them as they grow older. Getting into a regular routine will help keep you on track as well. You may also find that keeping a log or calendar reminds you of the important tasks in your routine and the frequency with which they must be performed.
There are some common puppy behaviors that may alarm you, but are actually perfectly normal. Puppies sleep a lot, even at unexpected or seemingly strange times. They may fall asleep in the food bowl or in the middle of a playful romp. They can also seem distracted or unable to concentrate. While they sleep, young dogs will twitch and make noise. These sleeping habits are to be expected with new dogs. Also, don’t be alarmed if the dog hiccups often; the bouts will pass. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for hiccups, but the spells should diminish as the puppy ages.
Your pet may take several months to learn its name. Be patient. Say it often, and always during pleasant experiences such as play or petting. Avoid shouting the name or calling it when you discipline. The pet name should be associated with positive feelings.
The most important, and difficult, time for you and your new pet occurs at the beginning– when rules, routines and habits are being established. This time also affords you a great opportunity to raise a happy, healthy and well-trained animal. Use the time wisely - invest your energy and effort into learning and employing effective techniques for raising your puppy.