How to Help Your New Adult Dog Settle In

Congratulations on your new dog! Adopting a new dog is so fun but also mildly terrifying.

You're probably excited for all the adventures you have planned, the cuddles on the couch, introducing your dog to your friends and family, going for walks in your neighbourhood, playing fetch in the yard, and getting to know your new family member.

At the same time, you're a little overwhelmed. Who is this furry stranger? What do they like? What do they already know? What is most important to teach them first? Your routine has changed, you don't quite trust them unsupervised yet, and uh oh you're starting to see some behaviours that you're not so thrilled about.

Let me help you whittle down your priorities and help you set your new adult dog up for success in their new life with you. (Puppies are a little different - stay tuned for the New Puppy blog post!)

Baby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Perry on his first day home. I know I said this post isn't about puppies but look how cute he was!!!

Step 1: Decompress

Even though it's super tempting to expose your dog everything right away, you want to be careful not to overwhelm them too soon. Their whole life has changed - and sometimes it's changed a lot (ex: from a farm to the city, from their breeder with their mom and siblings around all the time to being an only dog, from Barbados to Canada, from a shelter to a home) or it's changed several times already (ex: from a home to the streets to a shelter to a plane to a foster to you).

Take it easy for at least 3 weeks to allow them to decompress and adjust to their new home with you.

During this time, focus on:

• Establishing routines - when do they get to go potty, what does going potty entail (putting on a leash to go for a walk, going in the yard, etc), when do they get to eat food, when is bedtime and where do they get to sleep

• Establishing a feeling of safety with household members - who do they live with, what do those people look/sound/smell like, how do they invite the dog to do activities together (ex: play fetch, play tug, cuddles, go for sniff walks)

• Creating a safe space for any desired alone time - if they're crate trained that's great, if not you still want to give them a space they can retreat to if they want a break

• Assume they do not know any rules - use gates to prevent door dashing, leashes when in an unsecured area, and close supervision while house training is in progress

• Positive associations with anything new that they come across - the vacuum means a treat party, the fire alarm means a treat party, the delivery person at the door means a treat party away from the door

When Daisy first came home to us, she had had very little exposure to the world. On her first night home, she refused to go outside to potty.

Step 2: Build Trust

A lot of adult dogs that have been rehomed need to build trust with their new families before we start taking them to new environments. If your dog was a stray, chances are they won't look to you for help by default. We want to teach them to connect with you before we take them places with a lot of stimulation.

Focus on these activities for weeks 4-6:

• Reward any good choices that they make

• Experiment with rewards to find what your dog likes most - do they prefer beef or chicken? Do they like playing fetch or tug or both? Do they like affection

• Is your dog afraid of anything? Help them feel safe in their new world by counter conditioning to the things they find scary.

• Slowly expand their bubble in your neighbourhood - if they are overwhelmed by noises and traffic, go places that are quieter; if they are overly excited about people, take them places with a manageable amount of people

Luckily, Daisy and Perry got along from the start. However, we had to do some work on our feelings about neighbours, hence the treat bag close by.

Step 3: Slowly Expand Their World

Now that you've decompressed from all the changes and you've built trust with your dog so that they look to you for guidance, you can expand their world bit by bit.

Remember to start small! If your goal is a farmer's market, start with walking your dog in your neighbourhood, then walking at busier times, and then going to slightly busier places.

A good analogy is to think of it like learning to drive. First we practice in a parking lot. Then we go on country roads. Then we drive in a quiet neighbourhood. We don't go right to driving on the Queensway in rush hour, or right to driving in the Byward Market during festival season.

You have the rest of your dog's life to enjoy doing things together! There is no rush to do everything right away.

When we got Daisy, she was terrified of the harness and the leash. Now, she loves going for walks and rolling in fresh cut grass.

Want More Help With Your New Dog?

Feeling overwhelmed by your new dog's big feelings? We can help! Check out our rescue dog training services here.