Tips For New Dog Owners

September 10, 2019

Nervous about owning a dog for the first time? First of all, congratulations and welcome to the dog ownership club! Second of all, you don't have to break a sweat about it - though it may be nerve-wracking to think about but having a canine companion inside your household all the time is all worth it. And to help you start your journey to owning a pet dog, here are some important tips for new dog owners that you should check out.

Adding a new pet dog to your growing family should be more exciting than worrying. Most people who have pet dogs would agree that having a canine friend running around the household is a thing that should be treasured as dogs bring joy to anyone's life. However, let's not forget that owning a dog is a commitment. With that, these tips will surely give you ideas on what to do before officially including a dog to your family's life.

 

Set Your Expectations First

There has to be some adjustments done before welcoming a dog to your home, whether your future pet dog is an adult or just a puppy. Dogs are highly territorial so it may not be as cheerful or happy when it steps inside your home for the first time. And these signs of fear may be shown for days or weeks. But don't fret on this too much - have patience and prepare in advance. Give your new pet dog some time to adjust and eventually it will become more playful and confident in time.

This you have to really think through, especially when you're bringing home an adult dog. Older dogs take more time to adjust than puppies - some even takes months! But regardless of how young or old your new dog is, make sure to set your home up to give you a good kickstart.

 

Don't Forget To Lay Out The Rules

Bringing a dog home and just let it set free is a bad idea. That's why you should make rules in what a dog can or cannot do before bringing it home. When you live with your family or other people, talk with them first and create a set of rules together for the dog.

In addition, you should decide where the dog should sleep, when the dog should be fed, and when and a schedule on who should take the dog for a walk and when. Don't create the rules right after the dog is living with you and give punishment when the dog does something wrong. This will not help as this only confuses the dog.

 

Give Your Dog Some Time To Socialize

We've mentioned before that dogs can come quite shy or aloof during its first few days or weeks of staying with you. But to make the adjustment period shorter, give time for the dog to socialize with other people and other dogs. Schedule a time for a walk in the park together with your dog. This will give your dog time to explore around the environment and get to see other people and make friends with other dogs who are also walking around the park. This activity will make your pet dog feel comfortable and, thus, gradually becoming more confident day by day.

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