Work Sample: Healthy Partner Pet Snacks
October is Adopt-a-dog month, an annual focus on finding forever-homes for shelter and rescue animals. Every adopted dog makes space for helping new homeless pets at shelters. Sadly, an estimated 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized because of overcrowding in animal shelters every year.
There are many benefits of owning a pet, but first they need to transition from the shelter to family life. Make it a smooth transition by welcoming your dog with these six tips:
Before leaving the shelter with your new dog, make sure your home has designated spaces for them to eat, drink, and sleep. Ask the shelter what food they fed your new pet, so you can stock it in your pantry. It will take several days to transition a dog to new food without gastronomical pain.
Look for potential trouble spots in your home by walking slowly through the yard and each room they will have access to enter. All food items should be out of reach; tuck away stray cords; remove valuable objects or furniture that won’t survive nervous chewing or pet training. Observe what is growing in your yard and check online to make sure it isn’t poisonous to dogs.
While it might seem like a cage to us, many dogs prefer crates because of their natural instinct to sleep in caves. Crates can help a nervous dog feel secure in their own space as they adjust to this big change. However, dogs should not be left in their crates all day. They need exercise, play, and entertainment, too.
When a dog settles into a new home, it will take time for them to adjust to the change and feel secure in new surroundings. They may respond be becoming nervous and shy. It takes between days to weeks for a new pet to recognize your house as their home. While they adjust, your role is to build trust and provide a calm, safe place.
While transitioning to a new home is hard, your new dog will appreciate established routines of walking, eating, and sleeping. It will reassure them of stability and help them adjust faster. Before they arrive, plan when and how much to feed them. Look at your schedule and plan for daily walks.
If you have other dogs at home, introduce them outside of the house on leash before bringing a new dog inside. Once they have said “hi” outside, you can move them inside. Keep your new dog on his leash and walk through the house. Let him get used to his new home in a space away from other pets for the first couple days. Then slowly let them interact inside more often until they recognize each other as part of the same pack.
Article written by Melissa Wheeler, a writer and pet enthusiast. Melissa has a 10-year-old Whippet, named Leo, who loves to run, sneak food, and cuddle with his family.