Rescuing a dog for the first time can be both exciting and intimidating.
Of course a new dog owner will be beaming at the prospect of adding an adorable, fun-loving best friend to their everyday life. But that new bond requires responsibility and commitment, especially during the dog’s transition period from a shelter or foster to their forever home.
So what are the keys to making that transition go as smooth as possible for both the owner and dog? Celebrity dog trainer Brandon McMillan has three tips:
1. Do homework on your dog pre-adoption
Just like studying for a test, it’s important to find out as much as possible about a dog before bringing them home. Ask the shelter or foster questions that are pertinent to your situation. These could be questions like: How does the dog interact with cats and other dogs? What about with kids and other humans? How are they on walks? Are they chewers?
McMillan says gaining this knowledge ahead of time, rather than on the fly, will lead to a safer transition period.
2. Help your dog adapt to their new home
Yes, an owner will eventually have to leave their dog alone for an extended period. But the first time doing so shouldn’t be immediately after bringing the dog home.
“Don’t get a dog from a shelter, put them in your house and then go out and party all night,” McMillan said.
Instead, McMillan suggests spending time with the dog to help them get comfortable in the new environment. And it probably isn’t wise to give a dog free rein of the house right away when they are left alone, especially if they’re a puppy.
3. Build trust with your dog through training
Once the dog is home, it’s time to start building that special bond. And McMillan says one of the best ways to do so is through training.
“[Dogs] naturally look for leadership,” McMillan said. “So, you being the mommy or daddy, you want to be the teacher, but you also want to be the parent.
“Training, it will not only build trust, it forms a friendship. And the one thing you can guarantee with a dog, they will not learn off you if they don’t trust you…You always have to make sure you form that bond, form trust with a dog and they’re gonna learn whatever you throw at them.”
McMillian cautions owners that dog training is like the stock market, “it doesn’t always go up” and “it’s going to have little crashes, little bumps in the road.” But if an owner does it right and forms that trust with a dog, they should eventually see a big return on investment.