“Well, here we are, this is your house,” as if the poor animal were to understand us. Dizzy from the drive, stressed, disoriented, with lots of new faces around you and flying from arm to arm! As if to understand what they are saying …
Our new friend has just arrived at his house, we have a long time ahead of us, years! Easy, no rush. Let’s not try to fix everything in twenty minutes.
If human friends come home, we greet them warmly, show them around the house, and then offer them something to drink. Afterwards we can enjoy a pleasant evening. With our new four-legged friend we must do the same: cordial greeting (avoiding euphoric screams and excessive hugs), freedom to see the house and, later, when he calms down, we can offer him water and a little of his food.
Some animals will not have any desire to inspect the home, they will be tired, dizzy, scared … So calm down and give them time. If in a few hours they remain the same and there are other symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhea, we will go to the vet.
The most common is that the animal, after its arrival and after a short period of time, sniffs, nibbles and leaves its remains throughout the house. You have to know your new home. It will seem strange to you but it is ideal that we accompany you on your visit around the house and that we do it on all fours because if we adopt that position and follow you on your inspection walk, we will be able to observe things from a point of view quite close to yours and We can avoid scares and accidents such as nibbling on the TV cable, destroying a plant that we have in the living room, etc. It will be an uncomfortable ride for our knees but very positive for our future peace of mind.
Make your food, rest and bathroom area clear from the beginning
After the reconnaissance walks, and when we observe that the puppy is calmer, we can offer him water and some of his food. We will not put the feeder and the drinker anywhere: from the first moment we have to make their areas clear and therefore the first time we offer water and food will be in their containers and in their final place. An easily accessible location for the animal (it must have water freely available all day) and convenient to clean. We are missing two important places for our friend’s life to develop in the most comfortable way possible: the rest area and the toilet.
While the animal has to relieve itself at home (vaccination period) we must have a clear location for such an unpleasant need. An independent place, with newspaper on the floor, away from other areas and freely accessible to the animal. We will have to show him what that place is for. Some animals surprise us and use the paper without any explanation, but the truth is that these animals recognize this toilet because it is what they used in the store, shelter or kennel and have easily associated it.
If they do not know the newsprint and relieve themselves on our best carpet, we must take a small sample of the emissions with a piece of paper and place them on the newspaper assigned as WC. It is an unpleasant procedure, especially for first timers, but there is no more adequate method of telling the animal to relieve itself on paper than this clarifying demonstration.
Another option is to take the animal immediately after eating and drinking to the environment near the papers. In a few minutes (5-15) the animal will pee or poop. If we have him near the papers, we can put him on top when the action begins. Once completed we will congratulate you on your clean demonstration.
If the animal is caught “red-handed” bypassing its hygienic zone, it must be reprimanded (with a forceful “no”) and taken to paper.
The resting place should also be established in these early hours. In the market there are cushions and beds of all shapes and colors to satisfy the most demanding and exclusive taste. This area must also be separated from the rest and must be positioned in a quiet area, but close to our rest areas. They prefer to keep us under control.
If we establish these simple guidelines from day one , if we follow them with patience and affection, we will be laying the foundations of a great friendship and a comfortable relationship. All members of the family must act in the same way. The most permissive is not the best, the animal does not respect or love the softest. They tend to respect and choose the most upright and no less affectionate as their guide.
We have to give them time. The poop and footfall will soon “leave the house”, he will learn not to nibble on the legs of the chairs … but for this he needs our help. We have to teach them, repeat things for them, reward their successes and reprimand their failures without violence.
If we have doubts, let us consult with the professional and not with friends who are knowledgeable about everything and specialists in nothing … Let’s run away from those park advice, they are very dangerous.
