Let’s start outside

The garden will be a source of great interest and exploration so, before the dog arrives home, make sure that all the fencing is secure and of a suitable height. Even small dogs can jump quite well! Where you have gates, you should ensure that their latches are secure and that everyone is reminded that gates have to be kept shut at all times.

Preparing your house beforehand

Wherever possible, seek to introduce your dog to as many members of the family as possible before bringing him or her home. This helps the dog to feel comfortable with familiar people from the outset and helps to reduce the level of excitement on the part of the people involved.

As humans, we like to leave useful things in places where they will be easily found but check around the house for all electric leads and chargers, making sure that you can secure them out of reach or remove them altogether.

The same can be said for any cleaning products or medicines – as we would with children, secure these in a cupboard out of reach.  Include house plants in your checklist as some of these can be toxic for dogs.

Have a check round for any foodstuffs – especially chocolate which is toxic for dogs – that may have been lying around.  Any dog that is bored, and puppies in particular, will enjoy seeking out anything that smells enticing.  Glasses and plates that are left out can be irresistible.

Safe zone

Establish a safe zone for your dog. This is really important as the dog will quickly understand that this is a place to go when tired, anxious or overwhelmed.  Many owners will choose to use a demountable crate for their dog and this, with a warm bed inside and perhaps a towel draped over it for privacy, will provide an excellent safe zone.

The safe zone may double up here but set out a warm, dry sleeping area where the dog can feel safe, away from the traffic of family moving around the house. Near a radiator might be a comforting place but make sure that this doesn’t get too hot, especially if the dog is secured in a crate and cannot escape the heat.

Whether puppies or older dogs, any dog will find toys tempting and especially if they smell of children or of another dog.  It’s far easier to avoid conflict and distress by removing children’s and another dog’s toys and to provide suitable toys for your new dog to make his or her own.

Other pets in the household will not appreciate a new dog using their bowls or bedding so ensure that the new dog has his or her own equipment and that there is provision for the animals to be fed separately, with bowls and bedding far enough apart for all the animals to maintain a distance until they all feel more secure.

Setting out the ground rules

It’s easy to think that these ground rules will just apply to the dog but in reality, there are things that the whole family will need to do too.

Training a dog relies on gentle persuasion and repetition so make sure everyone uses the same cues or instructions for the dog. If some people say ‘stay’ and others say ‘wait’, the dog will become confused, and people may become frustrated.

Children are not always reliable when it comes to putting stuff away or closing doors or gates and, for a while at least, adults will have to go round picking up toys, food and clothing and keeping the dog safe in the house or garden.

Involving the children in preparing your home for the dog can be both useful and fun.  Children will enjoy helping buy the things that your dog will need; collar and lead, bedding, bowls, toys and food and will enjoy helping to set up the safe zone. These shared moments are a great opportunity to talk about keeping noise and excitement to a minimum, however hard that might be, when the dog arrives, and they also provide an opportunity to gauge what the children’s reaction might be – will they be excited or possibly a little nervous and apprehensive?  Again, it’s far easier to deal with concerns beforehand than at the moment when the dog arrives.

When the dog arrives

Start by taking the dog into the garden on a lead. This allows you and the dog to share an initial moment of bonding but most importantly, it ensures that the new surroundings can be viewed safely and without fear by the dog.  The aim is to make the process as calm as possible to minimise stress for the dog.

When you move inside, keep children and other adults away for a few minutes, allowing the dog to explore his or her new bed, safe zone, toys and chews. Then allow the dog to explore the other areas in the house where he or she will be allowed to go. This will be your dog’s whole new world for the rest of his life and it’s important that he is able to explore at his own pace so that he can feel secure everywhere.

Finally, introduce people one-by-one and keep the excitement levels as low as you are able. Try not to let all the neighbours and the whole extended family arrive at the same time and, if possible, spread out these new introductions over a few days, allowing the dog to approach visitors and new family members in their own time and at a pace that they feel comfortable.

If there are other animals in the household, make sure you introduce dogs to each other on neutral ground away from the house before bringing the new dog home. If you can do this several times beforehand, that will help considerably. Don’t allow your dog to chase cats and keep small furries in cages, out of reach. Read more on ‘Introducing a puppy to an older dog’ here.

The aim throughout this exciting new period of transition for the dog is to minimise stress for everyone concerned but principally for the dog.