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Settling In With Your New Dog HOMEWARD TRAILS RESOURCE LIBRARY: DOGS!

Becky, all images on the site should have a caption AND an alt Tag!
Get started off on the right foot with your newly adopted dog by being prepared.
Becky, all images on the site should have a caption AND an alt Tag!

So you have taken the plunge and adopted a dog of your own. Congratulations! But what do you do now? No doubt you are excited and looking forward to forging a lifelong friendship with your new buddy. But try to keep in mind the confusion he or she is feeling right now. Whatever his/her past history, coming home with you is a new experience. They are likely to be a little disoriented, and might wonder where they are and who all the new people are.

The key to helping your dog make a successful adjustment to your home is being prepared and being patient. It can take anywhere from two days to two months for you and your pet to adjust to one another! The following tips can help ensure a smooth transition:

Supplies

Prepare the things your dog will need in advance if possible. You’ll need a crate, collar and leash, food and water bowls, and of course, some toys. And don’t forget to get an ID tag right away.

Health
Care

Animal shelters take in animals with widely varying backgrounds, some of which have not been fully vaccinated. Inevitably, despite the best efforts of the shelter workers, viruses can spread and may occasionally go home with adopted animals. If you already have a dog at home, make sure they are up-to-date on their shots and in good general health before introducing your new dog.

Take your new dog to the vet within a week after adoption. There he will receive a health check and needed vaccinations. If your dog has not been spayed or neutered, make an appointment! There are already far too many homeless dogs and cats; don’t let your pet add to the problem! * It is a Homeward Trails policy that ALL dogs and cats adopted through our organization MUST be spayed or neutered at maturity or in case of maturity, within 2 weeks after adoption!!

Housebreaking

Assume your new dog is NOT completely housebroken, and work from there. Be consistent and maintain a routine! A little extra effort on your part to come home straight from work each day will pay off in easier, faster housebreaking. *Homeward Trails recommends a midday walk for dogs that are being left at home for most of the day. There is a list of dog walking services on our website.

Crating

A crate might look like the canine equivalent of a jail cell, but to your dog, who instinctively likes to den, it’s a room of his or her own. It makes housebreaking and training easier and saves your dog the headache from being yelled at unnecessarily for problem behavior. Of course, you won’t want to crate your dog all day or night, or he will consider it a jail cell. Just a few regular hours a day should be sufficient. The crate should not contain wire where their collar or paws can get caught, and should be roomy enough to allow your dog to stand up, turn around, and sit comfortably in a normal posture.

Dog
Proofing

You need to look at your home now as you never have before. Dogs and puppies can get into numerous things that can harm or kill them. Look for electrical wires that they can chew on. Look for string that they can eat (string that is eaten can quickly kill a pet by wrapping around the intestines). Look for chemicals, detergents or cleaning agents that are poisonous. Look for places that they might get stuck in or under. Make sure your fence is secure on all sides. Consider blocking off balconies or stairs where you pet might fall. Move breakable items. Prepare for accidents on your carpets and chew marks on your furniture. Set your new pet up for success by not giving him the opportunity to damage your home or hurt himself!

Professional
Help

Is your pet driving you crazy? Many behaviors that are completely natural for dogs and cats—like barking or meowing, scratching, biting, digging, chewing, escaping and running away—just don’t go over well with their human companions. Changing or managing those undesirable behaviors isn’t always easy. Although advice abounds in the form of popular TV shows, books and well-meaning friends and family, the best and most efficient way to resolve your pet’s behavior problems is to seek assistance from a qualified professional.

Information Provided by The Humane Society of the United States.

More News from the Trail!

  • Come See Us at the Washington Auto Show

    We are thrilled to be joining our friends at Subaru of America, Inc. at the The Washington Auto Show again this year from January 19-28. We had a blast showing off our dogs and puppies the last two year! We love the opportunity to introduce Homeward Trails to lots of new people and see so many old friends and adopters. Come out and meet and adopt some great dogs at the Subaru booth. We are also still in need of volunteers are needed for many shift to help handle dogs and transport dogs to and from the Adoption Center and foster homes. The convention center is metro and bus accessible if you are not transporting dogs. You can enjoy the auto show for free before or after your shift. Volunteers must be 18 years and older. Sign up and come join us! https://www.signupgenius.com/…/20F084EA8AE2DA5F49…

  • Helping Happy Hounds – Fee Waived Hound Adoptions

    As you may or may not know, Virginia animal shelters are filled with Hounds. These amazing dogs are most often discarded by callous hunters, found starving wandering the countryside. Many never make it as hunters and are then tied up to chains or left along the side of the road like old furniture. A good number of them do not make it out of shelters alive.But these dogs – like all dogs – are amazing and worthy of families. We just cannot get them families fast enough to stop them from dying in our shelters when there is no more space.And so we are trying something new here. ALL HOUND DOGS ADOPTED FROM HOMEWARD TRAILS WILL BE FREE. Yes, we are WAIVING ADOPTION FEES for Hounds for the foreseeable future.We hope that will entice well-matched applicants to consider a Hound now. Use the money you save on training, treats, toys.We think all dogs are worthy. But the reality is that some take extra incentives. Some have more barriers to getting adopted. And the result is well, more end up dying. And no – this does NOT mean we are just giving dogs away. All applicants will still go through our application/screening process to ensure good homes. This is just us trying to save more dogs by eliminating one more barrier to adoption. And hey, Hound lovers can use all the extra money they can get to buy treats, right?Help us help these Hounds. Our program Helping Happy Hounds is live NOW. Let’s save some lives!

  • Our Current Supply Needs – Can You Help?

    Each year Homeward Trail spends thousands and thousands of dollars on supplies to care for our animals and support the general operations of our organization. We always strive to keep our costs as low as possible so that we can spend every extra dollar saving more lives.  One simple way you can help is by donating these supplies – everything from postage stamps, to cleaning supplies, to ink cartridges and paper, to dog and cat food and litter. Our wish lists are updated regularly so you can always find our most current needs. Please consider donating supplies to help us cover the cost of these items. The more we are able to get donated, the more animals we can help. Thank you! Adoption Center Wishlist Meow Palace Wishlist Dog Enrichment Wishlist Trails Home Farm Wishlist Farmhouse Wishlist Trails UP Wishlist  Puerto Rico Wishlist

More News from the Trail!

  • Come See Us at the Washington Auto Show

    We are thrilled to be joining our friends at Subaru of America, Inc. at the The Washington Auto Show again this year from January 19-28. We had a blast showing off our dogs and puppies the last two year! We love the opportunity to introduce Homeward Trails to lots of new people and see so many old friends and adopters. Come out and meet and adopt some great dogs at the Subaru booth. We are also still in need of volunteers are needed for many shift to help handle dogs and transport dogs to and from the Adoption Center and foster homes. The convention center is metro and bus accessible if you are not transporting dogs. You can enjoy the auto show for free before or after your shift. Volunteers must be 18 years and older. Sign up and come join us! https://www.signupgenius.com/…/20F084EA8AE2DA5F49…