Acclimating a New Dog to Your Home? Here Are Some Tips

Bringing home a new dog can be stressful and challenging for the whole family – especially for your new furry friend. The adjustment can be difficult, as they face a new routine and increased stress in an unfamiliar place. Your dog may feel confused and anxious amidst the new surroundings.

Helping a new dog acclimate to your home can be smoother if you follow these steps to ensure they feel safe and secure:

Ways to Help a New Dog Adjust to Your Home

Stick to Routines

Everything in your dog’s life is changing, so it can help to stick to routines as much as possible. Set a time for feeding, walking, and playtime so your dog learns what to expect each day. Be consistent. Dogs need structure and routine. This will help to establish familiarity and make your dog feel more in control.

Also, see if you can bring any of your dog’s favorite items home with them following adoption. This will certainly make the transition less stressful. If your new pup doesn’t have any toys to take home or a set routine, use the first few weeks with your dog to develop a consistent daily schedule. Take them to pick out their own bedding and toys and let them adjust to the routine at their own pace. This will give them room to build confidence and become familiar with their environment.

Avoid other places outside of the home until your dog has had a chance to adjust to their new surroundings.

Give Your Dog Their Own Space

As soon as you get your new dog home, create a dog-proofed room or space where they can feel more comfortable. This is where their crate should be, as well as their bed and toys. It is very important to keep your dog in this area initially when you cannot keep an eye on them, and they should be confined to this area when you leave the house.

Show Your Dog Where Their Bathroom Is

When acclimating a new dog to your home, take them outside often to show them where the “bathroom” will be and give them a chance to get familiar with their new surroundings.

Spend Quality Time with Your Dog

The new environment won’t be the only thing that’s stressful for your dog. They’ll need time to adjust to you and your family as well. Be sure they have an appropriate amount of play, exercise, and time outdoors. Introduce your dog to household members one at a time. Wait until your dog is comfortable before allowing other people to visit. Supervise and monitor children to ensure they behave calmly and sensitively around their new furry siblings.

Introduce a New Dog to Other Pets Gradually

Always take things slowly and be patient when introducing a new dog to the other pets in your household.

If possible, introduce your new pet to their furry siblings at a neutral location, like a park or play space. This can help prevent territorial behavior and reduce the likelihood of initial conflicts.

Once they seem comfortable in each other's presence, you can move the meetups to your home, starting with brief, supervised visits. Allow them to interact naturally while keeping a close watch to intervene if necessary.

Until they’re completely comfortable with each other, they should each have their own area for food, water, and rest. This gives each animal a safe space to retreat to in case of conflict.

Give Your Dog Treats Whenever You Leave

Even dogs who are comfortable being left alone may have problems being left alone in a new house. So, when you go, leave a treat-filled Kong toy to keep your dog happily entertained.

Be Patient

It will take some time for your dog to get used to their new family and environment. Some dogs may feel comfortable in their new home after just a few days, but for other dogs, it could take weeks or months. So, be patient with your dog and help them to adapt to their new life.

Don’t Expect Perfection

Dogs usually adapt quickly to new situations, but there is a lot to take in when joining a family. Stay calm and reinforce positive behavior. Spend time interacting with your dog, and it will help them acclimate.

Understanding Your Dog’s Fear of the Unknown

If your dog could talk, they would likely tell you that they’re nervous about leaving the shelter or rescue. New places scare dogs and, in some cases, make them act out. When acclimating a new dog to your home, they will undoubtedly experience symptoms of fear and anxiety in their new surroundings. Your dog may even begin to display inappropriate behavior like chewing, indoor accidents, barking, or howling.

Dogs can also internalize their caregivers’ emotions – if you feel stressed about the adoption, your dog will naturally feel stressed too.

In some cases, dogs that join new families can develop separation anxiety. Once you are gone, they are left very much alone in unfamiliar surroundings. As a result, they may bark, whine, or begin chewing inappropriately.

How to Make the Adjustment Period Easier for Your Dog

Every dog is different, and every dog has their own way of dealing with change. Some dogs will want to be near you all the time, no matter what you’re doing. Other dogs will do better in a crate far away from the chaos of a new environment.

Examples of How to Make Your Dog Feel Safe

When acclimating a new dog to your home and family, the dog may have anxiety issues. Talk to your veterinarian to see if they have recommendations for ways to reduce stress, including medication, treats, or soothing music. And don’t forget that exercise is a great stress reliever.