BRINGING YOUR DOG HOME 

·        BEFORE GOING INSIDE YOUR HOME .... Take your dog for a long walk around your neighborhood and around your yard.  This lets your new dog know where he is and he won’t be uncomfortable inside “the walls”.

·        IF YOU HAVE OTHER DOGS .... Introduce your animals to each other outside your home.  Dogs are territorial and may be aggressively defensive.  Meeting outside their territory lets them become acquainted in a neutral area.  Take them all for a walk together before going inside.

·        FIRST TIME INSIDE THE HOUSE .... Show your dog around the house under control of a leash.  Then let the dog off the leash to explore the house on his or her own.

·        TALK TO YOUR DOG .... Let your dog get to know you by talking to him or her in full sentences in a friendly voice.  Say your dog’s name often.

·        FEEDING …. Large breeds need to eat twice a day.  A very small meal in the morning and the larger meal in the evening.  Always take the dog for a walk immediately after they eat.  They need to go “potty” after each meal.  That’s just the way a dog’s digestive system works.

·        ACCIDENT IN THE HOUSE .... The dog may have an “accident” in the first day or two because he doesn’t yet know the allowable place to go.  Take the dog outside and stay with him until he goes.  Then praise him.

·        REGULAR SCHEDULE …. Your new family member doesn’t like surprises.  Eating time, eating area, sleeping and going outside time.  Establish a reasonable schedule and stick to it.

·        TETHER AT NIGHT ….  (Optional) If your new family member is restless at bedtime, use a short tether next to your bed.  Your dog wants to be where you are.  If you use a tether for the first two or three days, the dog will not be tempted to have an “accident” and will become accustomed to where he or she should be.

·        MOST OF ALL – LOVE YOUR DOG ….  Everything is new and your new family member is scared.  If you build a trust and friendship, your dog will do anything for you.  Unlike popular belief, your dog does not think of himself as a person – he thinks of you as another dog.