Getting to Know Your New Dog and Letting Him Get to Know You

If you and I were kidnapped, and whisked away to a place where we knew not what was going to happen to us or what the kidnappers were going to do to us, imagine what that would feel like. That is exactly what your new dog may feel when you bring him into to a new home. You will want this experience with your dog to be positive no matter what to start off a bonding relationship.

Before you bring your new dog home, have a few things ready for his arrival. Get him a food and water bowl and make sure these are filled before he comes home. A nice bed is another good idea. Put some treats in it to make it more inviting. Put up other pets until he gets used to his new home. You don't want a fight on your hands the moment he steps inside the door. That will put a strain on your relationship with your dog because he's going to be on guard and not paying you any mind and not to mention, a fight may incur a vet bill. Going into a new home will be enough stress, not to mention a trip to the vet soon after that!

Your dog's aim is to serve you. They are some of the most loyal creatures on Earth. So honor this when you first bring him home and have some time arranged to spend just with him. Sit down in the floor and play with him. Have some treats on hand to offer him. If he does not eat anything right off, try to remember that kidnapping example. Would you want to eat right off? Just let him have some time to get used to you and his new home and surroundings. Your role in this is to make sure he has this time to adjust and to be there with him.

Introduce new things to your dog a little at a time and always make sure when you do, you have set aside enough time to rightly do so. Brushing, other pets being introduced, new people he has not met yet, and grooming are some of the things you'll want to take time and ease into. Obviously, the first of these things is the introduction to other pets and other family members.

No matter what kind of pet you already have, a dog's first instinct is going to be a sniff over. It is a good idea to have someone else there that the dog has already met to help with the other animal while you soothe and talk to your dog in to getting to know his new 'family member'. Don't rush things whatever you do! Of all the things you need to do with your new dog, this one will require more time and patience, not to mention precautions. Sometimes pets never get along and only tolerate one another for the sake of getting scolded by you. Keep this mind when making those first introductions.