My top tips when bringing home a new dog or puppy

Have you ever felt like you made a huge mistake bringing home a new dog? Possibly overwhelmed with anxiety or doubt - and then feeling like the worst human in the whole world because who gets a new dog and feels this way?

Turns out, A LOT OF PEOPLE.

But few talk about it because we’re all scared that we’re the only ones. And something must be wrong with us.

I felt this way back in 2017 when we adopted our third dog, Theo. He was the worst puppy. I thought getting a new dog was supposed to be the most exciting and fun thing! At least that’s what I saw other people sharing. I was overwhelmed with guilt because I wasn’t connecting with him. And nervous that I’d always feel this way.

*he’s the reason I’m a dog trainer and he’s turned out to be a GREAT dog

A few months ago we adopted our newest dog, Johnny and some of those new dog jitters started to creep in. I was so anxious. And my biggest worry -

Did I just make a huge mistake?

And then I shared this on Instagram:

And so many of you told me you felt the same way with your dogs!

I felt less crazy and a little more normal because of YOU.

Here’s what most of you said: it takes time. It takes time for a dog to get used to their new home and it takes time for us to connect with them.

And if anything, just know that it’s totally normal to feel nervous, anxious, overwhelmed and worried with doubt. Sometimes knowing you’re not the only one is just the thing to get you through.

As I write this, it's been a little over three months since I brought Johnny home. I'm happy to say that he's turned out to be one of the best decisions we've ever made. Here are the top things that have helped us the most with Johnny and hopefully they can help you when bringing a new dog into your home.

ONE : Get on a crate schedule. When we got Johnny he was about six months old from what they told us at the shelter and we had four other dogs. I know that might sound overwhelming, but it actually wasn't. And the reason for that was a crate and rotate system. Introducing Johnny to our other dogs was going to be a slow process since two of them were not huge fans of other dogs - I like to call them "particular."

*You can listen to my podcast episode all about how I like to introduce dogs. Socializing dogs can seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.

HOW TO INTRODUCE DOGS

“I just finished listening to your episode about introducing dogs and it’s so good!!! I’ve already shared it with a few people - thanks!” - Jess

So having Johnny in the crate when our other dogs were out initially really helped us. In the beginning, any time we brought J inside from a walk or backyard play time - he went straight into his kennel. I think it wasn't until about a week or two into having him that I started to give him some more free time in our home.

And to this day he's never had an accident or gotten into trouble because we keep an eye on him. Except for that one time my husband wasn't watching him and he chewed on our tv stand (I really tried to not say I told you so).

Crate training also helped him feel ok when away from us. I'd turn on a white noise fan next to his kennel, turn down the lights and close his door. He'd whine some in the beginning, but closing the door helped me not have to hear it (it's like nails on a chalkboard for me) and helped us feel like we could go about our lives without having to tip toe to make sure we didn't wake him.

I swear, if you do one thing with your new dog, get them on a crate schedule and stick to it as much as you can.

TWO : I prioritized training stuff that simplified my life with him in the beginning. The first two things I focused on were recall and name recognition. As much as I could, I'd say Johnny's name and reward with some of his food. We have a pool in our backyard and I'd get so many steps walking around it with J. He'd follow me and every now and then I'd say his name, light up with excitement when he came my way, reward him.

I remember one time we took him to a cafe and all he tried so hard to run off any time someone walked by our table. I started getting really nervous - I already have one human fearful dog (our german shepherd Louie) and I just wanted a friendly dog this go around. I started thinking of ways that I could help him feel more confident and to this day he's still nervous of people. BUT / teaching him the down command (which I started doing about a month in) and having a solid recall has helped SO much. He's still nervous about people, but doesn't try to run off anymore. I can tell him down or heel on the walk and it gives him a job to focus on. It's helped.

THREE : BE PATIENT. I know as a new dog owner (or a seasoned one with a new dog) it's so easy to slip into the "perfection" trap. Trying to do all the things perfectly or make sure your dog does things the right way. But the reality is that things can feel messy and you can feel like the worst owner and it can still turn out ok.

Example: Oh no - my dogs don't like our new puppy - they'll never get along.

It's easy to catastrophize, but it almost always gets better. Or you learn how to best manage a pack with different personalities because some dogs just don't like other dogs in their space.

What I've found this time with Johnny is that everything changes. Their confidence, the way they look at you, how they respond to environmental things - the list goes on.

This is Theo (left) and Johnny.

I remember feeling so nervous about how Theo would be with Johnny. If you want to see how it went, I shared a lot to Johnny’s highlights on our Instagram page (there are two!) @walkingdogtraining

Relationships take time. The way Johnny looks at me is so different than our first week together. We've had time to bond during walks and I bring his food everyday - one of his favorite things! So now I'm one of his favorite things.

Take a breath. Appreciate the little things. And remember that relationships and trust takes time. For both of you.