Bringing your New Pet Home

Becoming a New Pet Parent!

There are many schools of thought and tricks of the trade when it comes to bringing a new animal into your home. The below suggestions are some general guidelines that many people have found useful. For advice about your specific pet, get some help from the volunteers or employees at the aniamal shelter or from your local vet.

1. Limit the space your new pet has access to.

Often when introduced to a new space, animals can get easily overwhelmed when they have too much area to be aware of. Limiting the animal to the kitchen, or the TV room, will allow the pet to take its time in getting familiar with the immediate space. Make sure to keep them in a space that you are also in, so they are not left alone in a strange new place.

2. Limit the amount of people visiting the animal or your home.

For the first few days, the pet should not be overwhelmed by meeting every person you know. Allow your pet to take it one day at a time and get comfortable with your immediate family before having other people over. When introducing your pet to new people, instruct your guests to come into the house and not give the animal any attention until they have calmed down and our in a calm state of mind. Guests help train your new pets as much as you do, it is important that they follow the same rules as the people who live with the animal. A easy way to do this is to place a sign on your front door informing visitors that you have a new pet in training. This may apply more to dogs then to other pets but it can be useful across the board.

3. Always supervise your pets to make sure they are getting along.

Just like humans, pets need to get use to each other and learn the different in’s and out’s of their new house. This means the other animals will be showing the newbie the house rules. This lesson may manifest in the form of aggression, and could, if not properly addressed, turn into a dangerous situation. It is important to not confuse the natural hierarchy in animal relationships for that of aggression. Though you should be the ‘top dog’ with your pets, they themselves will develop their own ranking amongst each other. This behavior will be established through body language, territory and sometimes showing of the teeth or a quick snap. These indicators will help to establish boundaries of respect and order. It is when these exchanges escalate or turn into aggression, that you as the owner, should intervene.

4. Do exercise activities daily!

Though this is not an action you only do at the beginning of your relationship with your new pet, it is a great time to start a routine that will last for life. Pets, just like us, need daily activities to keep them healthy and well balanced. This also benefits the owner as it relates to training and discipline. When you exercise an new pet before you do training, you increase your pet’s ability to absorb what you’re teaching. This occurs by burning some of that excess energy and creating a more balanced state. This primarily applies to dogs, but making sure to spend time with your cat or letting your reptile take a stroll in the fresh air, are just as beneficial.