Post Adoption Care and General Tips for Dogs

Dogs - After Adoption

Your first days home:

• First of all, don't expect too much from your new dog at the beginning. She may have been wandering on her own or kenneled for awhile and she'll need a period of adjustment to get used to you and her new environment. Be prepared to be patient and forgiving.

• Spend time in the same room as your new dog. Sit on the floor and read a book for example, and let her slowly come to you over time. Although you'll be tempted to pat and kiss your new dog to show your affection, don't get in your dog's face!

• Speak in soft, kind, gentle tones that instill trust.

• Show your new dog the door to the outside and consistently let her out that door. Don't confuse her with too many exits.

• Take a week or two to invite family and friends to your house to see your new pet. First make sure the dog is comfortable and secure in her new surroundings and don't take her out and show her off to all your friends before she knows which home is hers.

• Dogs like routine. They want to eat at the same time each day, sleep when you're away, and spend time with you when you're home. If you work and won't be home during the day, don't spend the first week home with your new dog, 24 hours a day.

• Introduce your new dog to other dogs in the household on neutral territory, away from your house. Keep both dogs leashed for control, until you are certain they will get along. Introduce the dog to a cat by keeping the cat protected in a cage and the dog on a leash. If the dog appears aggressive, you might use a nylon muzzle on her until she gets used to the cat. Don't leave the new dog alone with other pets when you leave the house.

• Always closely supervise you new dog with children Children's tones of voices and quick movements can unsettle a dog and most dog bites are inflicted on children.

Follow up vet care:

• You will need to bring your dog to a veterinarian at least once a year. Your vet will advise you on the vaccinations your dog will need and on what schedule. Be sure to consider heartworm preventative and flea/ tick repellents during the summer months.

• Always see a veterinarian if the dog is sick, especially if she is experiencing diarrhea, vomiting coughing, loses her appetite or is licking excessively.

Dog owning essentials:

    Food:

• A small meal in the morning and evening should be sufficient. Buy a good brand of dog food, not necessarily a brand on sale, and keep her on the same diet all the times. We recommend feeding the dog a combination of dry and canned food (2:1). Most of all don't overfeed and do not experiment with a variety of food brands.

• If you adopt a puppy, continue her on puppy food for the first 6 months then transition her gradually to adult dog food.

    Collars and leashes

• Every dog, no matter how small, needs a daily walk or two. We use a "Sporn No-Pull Halter" with all the POA dogs. The halter goes around their neck and straps under their front legs. It gives the walker a lot of control. Plus, the dog is very comfortable and tends to pull less than a normal collar or choke chain. Other collars sometimes cause the dog to make "choking" noises when she pulls.

• And remember to take a plastic bag with you on walk to pick up after your dog!

    Toys:

• The "Kong Toy," available in most pet stores can entertain a dog for hours. Its hard rubber is almost indestructible and it's made to fill with all sorts of treats- peanut butter, dog food, etc. A bored dog may work for hours at getting to the goodies inside.

• We also recommend you own a couple of hard rubber or tennis balls and a Frisbee for playtime and exercise.

    Clean Up Products:

• Every dog will have an accident at some time. One of the best products we've found to clean up after pets is "Nature's Miracle" a solution that's available in most pet stores. The enzymes in the solution eliminate the stain and any smell.

Puppy Advice

You will be greatly rewarded with a wonderful dog if you take the time to learn about puppy behavior and show patience and love toward your puppy.

Establish a vet!

• Your puppy will need vet care for the rest of her lift, establish a vet within 2 weeks of adoption.

• Get any shots your vet recommends
• Have your dog neutered or spayed at 6 months

Behavior suggestions:

    Chewing:

• Puppies will chew almost anything until they get their second teeth. When she nips you, say: " No!" sharply and shake the scruff of her neck then ignore her. If she chews something you don't want her to, put a product called "Bitter Apple" on it. Also give her a substitution, like a rawhide bone or a Kong Toy stuffed with dog food that you've put in the freezer overnight.

• Sometimes it also help to put your fist into the puppy's mouth when she nips because their natural response is to to lick you when you pull back. Then reward the lick with praise.

    Crate training:

• For the first 6 months we recommend crate training your puppy. If you need specific advice on how to crate train, any library, pet store or bookstore will have book on puppy care that will help you determine a schedule. After a year you may not need the crate but your dog might like it as her own quiet spot.

• Contain your puppy in the crate for no longer than 4 hours at a time. If you work outside the home all day, arrange for someone to let the puppy out during the workday. Gradually you can extend the time but to no more than 7 hours.
• When your puppy's at first confined she may cry. Ignore her. Then when she's quiet, go in and reward her for being quiet. Do not give her attention when she cries.
• Establish a consistent morning routine. For example: puppy goes out, eats, goes out again, has some play time, goes out a last time, then gets confined. Give her a treat when you confine her and say something like "I'll be back!" and walk away. You might leave a radio on for her.
• Never reprimand your puppy if she soils in the crate. She's still a baby and doesn't have complete control yet.

    Jumping

• Discourage your puppy from jumping on you by turning your back and ignoring her. When she's stopped, give her attention.

    Socializing:

• Your puppy is used to being with her litter or other dogs. So keep her with you whenever you can, in areas you can easily clean when she's in the house. Establish where she'll sleep and stick to it.

• Puppies also need socialization with other dogs from the time they're about 8 weeks old. So enroll your puppy in Puppy Kindergarten soon and then progress to Obedience Classes.

    Supervision

• Keep your puppy off slippery surfaces, which can cause hip and joint problems later in his life.

• Be very careful of your puppy around children and don't leave him unsupervised around children. Children can unintentionally harm a puppy and puppies have a tendency to nip and scratch.

    Vitamins

• We recommend keeping your puppy on Vitamin C. Lead up to 500 units and then over a period of 2 weeks increase to 1000 units gradually decreasing again to 500 units for the rest of his life.

• We have also seen dramatic, positive results by administering Vitamin E to puppies for muscular development. Discuss these options with your vet.

Dog Training Tips

Our POA trainers have compiled these additional tips to help you train your adopted dog:

1. When giving a command, use simple one word commands: Come, Sit, Off (which should mean get off the couch, don't jump on me), Down (which should mean: lie down); Let's Go (which should mean come this way); and Heel (walk politely by my side-no sniffing around) etc. Also, make sure you have a release word to release the dog from the command (i.e. OK)

• Use hand signals along with the commands to make it visual for the dog.

• As soon as the dog starts to respond to the command, praise the dog.

• Use the tone of your voice to distinguish between a command and praise. Lower tone for a command, higher and more excited tone for praise.

• Say the command once, and if the dog does not respond, gently guide the dog into the appropriate behavior (for example "Sit"). Again praise the dog once it performs the desired behavior.

2. If a dog is frightened of something ,for example thunder, do not sooth the dog, it will then think that it should be frightened. Instead, in a happy excited tone, try to distract the animal to a toy or other activity.

3. It is very important to socialize a dog. With a puppy begin to socialize it after it has had all its shots. Socialize the dog with both people and other animals.

4. For an adult dog that has been adopted socialization is also important. If the dog is dog aggressive use a Sporn halter to exert control when it encounters other dogs. When the dog becomes aggressive, shake an empty Coke can with coins in it, in front of his face; or, spray his face with a water/vinegar solution. while saying loudly and in a deep voice "shame on you!" This problem may also require the assistance of a professional trainer.

5. Exercise the dog regularly. Walks, playing catch, swimming are all great activities. An exercised animal is a happier animal. Young dogs should not be over exercised, particularly on hard surfaces. Ask your veterinarian about an exercise routine. Don't jog/run with your dog until it is approximately two years old.

6. Training should be fun. Get excited when your dog carries out a command. Use his toys for distractions and then let him have them at the end of the training session for a reward.

7. Never, ever hit the animal to discipline it. A firm "no" should work. If not, a time out in a quite area is appropriate. The time out should be for a short time (couple of minutes).

Common Mistakes:

1. Giving a dog an old sock to chew, someday the dog will discover the laundry basket and think he has found his toy box. The dog should have toys of his own.

2. Letting a puppy on the furniture when he is only 15 pounds, but when he is 60 telling him "no". Never let a puppy do something when he is little that you wouldn't want him to do when he is full-grown.

3. Taking the food bowl away from a dog that is food possessive. Instead of taking the food bowl away, try feeding the dog in portions, and take and refill the bowl. When the dog finishes each portion praise him. At the last portion feeding drop a special treat into the bowl. The dog will learn that you taking the food bowl is a good thing. Remember to wait until he is done with each portion before removing the bowl.

4. Never, ever play "Tug of War". It teaches the animal to keep items away from you and can create dominance issues.

5. Never call a dog to you via the "Come" command to punish it for bad behavior. The dog will then think that if it comes to you it will be punished.

6. Never discipline a dog for bad behavior unless you've caught him in the act. If you catch an animal chewing on something he shouldn't. Firmly say "No" and as soon as he drops it, praise him.

Books we recommend:

Ross and McKinney, Adoptable Dog

Bauman, Beyond Basic Dog Training

Benjamin, Second Hand Dog

Kilcommons, Good Owners Great Dogs

Rutherford and Neil, How to raise a puppy you can live with

Spadafori, Dogs For Dummies

Volhard and Bartlett, What All Good Dogs Should Know

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