All living beings need time to adapt to new situations or environments, something we often overlook or take for granted Best dog training Houston.
Maybe you haven’t needed to adapt when you started a new job, maybe your child doesn’t need to adapt when he starts school, maybe you don’t need to adapt to your new house… if you think about it, in life we are constantly adapting to new situations.
So why do you think it is not necessary for the dog to adapt to its new home? Just like humans, dogs also need time to adapt to the new environment that will be their home, to the people with whom they will share their life for years, to new situations… and it is your duty to make it easier for them as much as possible.
So I’m going to give you a hand, and in this post I’m going to give you some recommendations to make your dog’s adaptation to its new home easier, whether it’s a puppy or an adult dog.
give it time
There is no set time for your dog to feel adapted to his new home. As living beings, each one needs different times to adapt, since each dog is unique.
Some may need a few days to adapt and others may need several weeks. At this point it would be advisable that you could accompany him during that period and that he spend as little time alone as possible.
You can take advantage of taking a few days of vacation to help him adapt. If this is not possible, you can ask a family member to come to your house to be with him during your work day.
You can also hire a canine caregiver to be with him, but it is very important that the care is in your own home and not in a different one, since it would be of no use, rather it would delay the adaptation since during the day he would be in two different houses.
Respect the space
I know you’re dying to spend all day petting him, especially when the new member is an adorable puppy.
But you must understand that he is adapting to his new home and the thing that will least help the adaptation is if you are constantly on top of him, cuddling him or interacting with him.
You have to let him take his time and not force interactions, hope that he is the one who wants to interact with you, since it is a sign that he is beginning to feel safe in his new home and that he sees you as a reference within him.
No bad royos
It is very important that you do not scold the dog under any circumstances: for urinating in the house, for breaking an object, for climbing on the sofa… you have to anticipate that situation so that he does not fail, and if he does fail, do not scold him, he is adapting. and it needs understanding on your part.
I leave you this post here (post about preparing the home for the arrival of the puppy) so that you have resources and minimize the puppy’s possible “mistakes.”
You should also avoid yelling at home or arguing with your partner, so that he does not see you or the home as a hostile place, since this is what is of least interest to us for his adaptation.
You have to make your home a safe place for him, where he can rest without worries.
Find a comfortable and safe place for
You have to find a comfortable and comfortable place where he feels safe to rest.
Tell you that he probably won’t choose the place you assigned for him, don’t worry, let him choose the place he wants and place a comfortable bed in that place, you will see that as soon as he begins to adapt he will begin to rest in the place you chose for him .
Depending on your dog’s personality, he may choose to stay under a table (a place that dogs usually choose for the greater feeling of security it gives them) in the bathroom or even under your bed (these places are usually chosen the most sensitive or fearful dogs).
Be a good reference
You have to make an effort to be a good reference for him, accompanying him in everything necessary instead of controlling his every move.
He has to see you as someone he can trust, someone he can rely on in new situations that he doesn’t manage correctly, not the person who constantly scolds him for almost everything.
Empathize with him
Be understanding with him and accept the possible “mistakes” he may make. It is normal for a dog that is in its adaptation period to make mistakes such as: making some small damage, barking when left alone, eating your food… these are things that once it is adapted and you have a good relationship, it can work without a problem.
Let him explore the entire home without limitations
Let your dog explore the entire house without restrictions, accompany him to supervise the exploration of the home, but do not prohibit him from entering any room, as you will know what is prohibited has a greater power of attraction, so sooner or later he will end up entering that room. place you don’t want, so it’s better to do it with supervision.
A good option, which you can put into practice so that your dog gets to know the house in a calm state, and which we often use with daycare dogs, is to place small pieces of food throughout the house, to encourage your dog to use your sense of smell more, which will make you more relaxed and will also make the exploration a positive situation.
After the first exploration, it is better to leave him in one or two rooms until he adapts, and then add more rooms.
You must establish a routine to encourage adaptation and so that your dog is not in a state of uncertainty about what will happen next.
Establish a routine for walks, feeding, rest… here I link you to another post (your dog and routines) that will help you better understand the importance of routines for your dog.
I hope that these tips will help you to facilitate both the adaptation to the new home and the family group.
If you are thinking of introducing a dog into the family and have questions about how to deal with your dog’s adaptation, leave us your question in the comments box or write us an email and we will help you with your questions.