Congratulations! You’ve adopted a dog! Your life is about to be enriched in ways you’ve never dreamed possible. So…now what? Bringing your new dog home is such an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it can be a bit daunting as well, especially if you’ve never shared your home with a furry companion. Here are some tips to get your relationship off on the right foot (or paw, as the case may be)!

1. Be prepared: Before you adopt your dog, know which training method you’re going to use (we love clicker training and other positive-reinforcement techniques) and read up on it so you can employ the philosophy from day one. Research dog care and nutrition in advance as well, and decide which food you’ll feed your dog and how many times a day he’ll eat (usually once or twice). The more prepared you are, the smoother your new family member’s transition will be.

2. Be flexible: While it’s good to be prepared, remember that your new dog is a living being with a mind of his own, and he may well express preferences that run counter to your plans. If the sleeping arrangements you’ve laid out just don’t work for him, you may have to shuffle things around a bit. If the sound of the clicker scares him to death, a different training method may be in order. Maintain a good sense of humor and try not to get exasperated. The transition period won’t last forever. Soon you and your new buddy will have a well-established routine.

3. Shop for the basics: You’ll need a leash, collar, a bed, food and water dishes and, of course, food! It’s a good idea to have these items in place even before you bring your new dog home. One other thing to buy right away: an ID tag! Put the tag on your dog immediately—we can’t stress that enough. By the way, you’ll notice that a crate isn’t on the list of things to buy in advance. If you plan on crate-training, it’s best to take your dog with you when you shop for the crate so you can find the correct size.

4. Make sure all family members are on board: Set some ground rules and make sure everyone in the family agrees to follow and enforce them. For instance, if you don’t want your new pup on the couch, all the training in the world won’t help if your daughter lets him sit there with her when you’re not home. Also, if caring for your dog will be a family effort, be certain everyone understands and agrees to their particular roles and responsibilities.

5. Help your new pal adjust: Over the first few days to a week, your new dog will be going through an adjustment period. You may notice some symptoms of anxiety, including a lack of appetite and suppressed bowel habits. Your dog may even hide under or behind furniture or stay in one particular room for a few days. Don’t be alarmed—this is absolutely normal behavior. By showing your new friend patience and understanding, you’ll be helping him through a tough, scary time and showing him how wonderful his new home really is!

6. Establish a schedule of feeding and walking and be consistent: Try to walk him and feed him at the same times each day, and signal the walkings and feedings with the same key words every time. For instance, right before you feed him, you might say, “Dinner time!” A reliable routine is an important tool in successfully integrating your new dog into your family and helping him feel secure.

7. Set aside time to bond: Spend some quiet time with your dog each day, petting him gently and speaking in a soothing voice. Touch is an incredibly powerful method of communication, one that is almost impossible to misunderstand. Show your dog he’s safe and loved, and your relationship will get off to a beautiful start.

8. Everyone needs time alone: Your dog is no exception! Give him time every day to be alone and to explore his new surroundings. Observe from a distance to make sure he’s safe, but not close enough to intrude on his “me” time.

9. Slowly introduce him to new things and people: We know you’re dying to show your amazing new family member to all of your other family and friends, but take it slowly! A good rule of thumb is to introduce no more than one new person to your dog each day. Also, save the first trip to the dog park for a week or two to avoid overwhelming and confusing him.

10. Get him a tune-up: Schedule a first visit to your dog’s new veterinarian during the first week (or immediately upon adoption if you have other pets at home or suspect your new pup might be ill). Bring any and all medical and vaccine records supplied by the shelter or rescue from which you adopted your dog. Many veterinarians will even provide a free first checkup to folks who adopt a pet! This first visit is a great time to get clues about your dog’s personality and past history, so don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Also, have your dog microchipped right away (if he’s not already), so you can be reunited if (gasp!) you ever get separated. True love is hard to replace!

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This is the first in our series of puppy, dog, and cat behavior articles, to help readers with their newly adopted pets! The method I describe below is for DOG-FRIENDLY adult dogs. If you do not know if your dog is good with other dogs, or has ever shown any type of aggression to another dog (growling, snarling, barking), please do the introduction with a trainer or behaviorist present.

Ideally, you’ll have assessed your household’s current dog(s) before you add a puppy to the mix. Consider the physical condition of your current animals. Many people think getting a puppy will ‘liven up’ their older dog. Most older or calm/quiet dogs are quite content as they are and may be intolerant and very unhappy with a puppy’s boisterous behavior. In multi-dog households, a new puppy can throw off the balance and everyone might need some reminding of their training. A temperament and energy level match for your current pets is usually the best match, but if you do end up with a puppy and older dog, here are some suggestions to get it off to the best start!

- Get ready. Make sure your dog(s) are current on all their vaccinations, including bordatella (kennel cough) especially if the puppy is coming from a shelter or rescue kennel, or has been exposed to other dogs within the last 2 weeks that were from or in a kennel. Get your vet’s recommendations whether total separation (quarantine) is needed and for how long. There are many potentially fatal diseases that puppies can be ‘incubating’ that will not show up for up to two weeks. Also treat your current dogs for fleas and other parasite prevention as recommended by your vet.

- Total separation. Just having the new puppy in the house is enough for your older dog to get used to, without having to deal with the puppy jumping all over him and his toys, bed etc. Try to have the puppy’s starter room be one that your adult dog does not use for sleeping or eating and is puppy-proof (bathrooms work well), or use a crate. Feed, play and train separately, giving equal time to both dogs.

- First introduction. Pick neutral and unfamiliar territory, such as a street or park you don’t usually visit, or if the puppy has not completed his vaccinations yet, ask a neighbor if you can use their yard. All dogs and new puppy should be on leashes. If you have more than one dog already at home, introduce them to the puppy one at a time. Start with the most friendly and submissive of your dogs.

For a really young puppy (4 months and under): start by having a friend (not a family member) holding the puppy in their arms and letting your friendly adult dog take a good sniff. Then separate them, put the puppy down and allow the dogs to approach one another at their own speed. Stay relaxed! The dogs can sense if you are tense. Try to keep the leashes slack at all times. Verbal encouragement, such as “good dogs!” reinforce any good behavior. If the adult dog wants to stay away from the puppy, do not “force” him to say hello. If there is any growling or other signs of aggression, you may need to do a slower introduction, such as walks around the neighborhood together, with the puppy walking behind (not able to touch) the adult dog. If the aggression continues, consult a behaviorist or trainer. If all goes well, allow the dogs to spend five or ten minutes together and then proceed to the next step.

- Short sessions. Going on walks together is a wonderful bonding activity! Even one or two walks a day is enough time together for the first week. If all goes well, you can progress to supervised off-leash access to one another, often after a big walk together, when both will be more relaxed after the excercise. Pick the largest play area possible so the dogs have room to move around. Remove all toys from the mutual play area to avoid possible fights over toys. End the play session if the older dog repeatedly exhibits ‘lay off me’ behavior such as trying to avoid the puppy, showing teeth, or growling/snapping. See next section.

- Allowable behaviors. Especially before the age of 4 months, or if they have not been around other dogs, puppies may not recognize subtle body language signals from adult dogs that they have had enough. Well-socialized adult dogs with good temperaments can set limits with puppies with a growl or lip-curl. These behaviors should be allowed, within reason – once or twice is ok, especially if puppy “learns” and stops the behavior. Do NOT correct an adult dog that is showing “correct” back off signals, but do step in to stop the reason for them: don’t allow your puppy to continue to harass your adult dog with too-rough or unwanted play. Step in and redirect puppy’s teeth onto a toy and get him to play with you instead, or end the play session completely.

For the most part, dogs adjust to puppies over time, but since the consequences of a problem can be severe, it is wise to follow a slow introduction process as outlined above to ensure all goes well with adding a new puppy to your home.

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Being active with your dog can add some spice to the otherwise mundane task of regular exercise. If you have an energetic dog chances are they will love the exercise, and if you find your K9 bouncing off the walls and getting into trouble burning off that extra energy will help give you a little more quiet time at night. Running and biking are two good ways to help exercise both owner and pet. Here are some things to consider before you get out there.

• Consider your dog’s overall physical condition before embarking on an exercise plan with him. If he’s older or overweight, the stress of running may be too much pressure on his joints. You might like to check with your veterinarian prior to starting.
• Just like you, your dog needs to build up his endurance and strength over time to prevent injury and burn out. Start out slowly and watch him for signs of fatigue and overheating.
• Since your dog doesn’t wear cushy sneakers, choose grass and dirt trails that are easy on his paws and check his pads periodically for cuts or injury.
• If your going to bike you need to keep you and your pet safe. Ever see those clips of a dog running away from a rollarblader or biker. Don’t be that person. Invest in a leash that is made for biking.

These tips are brought to you by Woofreport.com, for all the tips on running and biking with your dog visit Woofreport.com

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What are the best dog breeds to get along well with children? A few have become well-known as great dog breeds for kids, due to their typically friendly, tolerant personalities. However with any dog, when looking for one compatible with children, there are more important qualities to consider than just their breed. These include: individual temperament, past experiences, training level, activity level, and age of both the dog and child. Remember, it’s never safe to leave a dog unsupervised with toddlers or babies. When you get a new dog or puppy, a slow introduction with the assistance of a trainer is the safest route. That said, here are a few dog breeds that are well-known as great “family” dogs:

• Poodles often do well with children. They are known as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog, and because they come in all sizes, from Toy (10″ or under at the shoulder), Miniature (11-15″) to Standard (over 15″, ranging from 45-70 pounds) a fit can be found for most any age of child.
• Golden Retrievers and Labradors are famous for their love of children. Many will follow children around as if they have adopted the child. They can be very playful and high energy, especially as young dogs, so plenty of exercise and training is key.
• Mixed breed or Mutts – you can always find the perfect combination of traits in a Muttigree dog! Mixed breed dogs are much less likely to display undesirable characteristics of inbred purebreds that can be dangerous with children, and you can focus on the individual and unique personality of the Mutt to find your perfect family dog.

To discover more breeds that do well with children read the article at http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/qt/dogsforkids.htm

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While begging for hot dogs, and picnic scraps might seem like the perfect dog day, what comes after on the 4th isn’t so K9 friendly. At night the bangs, cracks, and screeching of fireworks elevate your dogs drive and can cause them to panic, run, become highly distressed, wet the floor, tear up things, pant out of control hide as well as other behaviors. Some dogs like police dogs are trained to deal with the stress, but more pedestrian dogs can’t handle the excitement. Here are 5 tips to help your dog stay cool this day of independence.

1. Keep your dog inside! Turn on the TV or loud music to minimize outside sounds.
2. If you stay with your dog, don’t coddle them when they are scared. Be strong, talk with a normal voice and be indifferent to the sounds.
3. Give your dog a special toy to play with, a bone or something to keep their mind off of what’s going on outside.
4. Keep doors closed. This is one of the busiest times at shelters for runaways. Even if your dog has never shown a proclivity to run, this may be the time. Be Aware!
5. If at all possible, do not leave your dog alone, especially outside during these events. If you must leave them alone, leave them inside with a TV or radio playing.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

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If your dog is like most, its part time profession is begging for table scraps, and when its time for dinner, guess who is always first in line for a plate. Dogs can share a wide variety of foods with you, but their diet pyramid is a lot different than ours. A K9’s diet should be made up of at least at least 90% lean meat. Other foods from groups like vegetables, fruits, and carbs are also okay. To read more about pouch friendly foods continue over at woofreport.com

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