Mon 20th Dec: Taking a new dog or puppy home

I'm sharing this again because although everything is explained at the time of adoption, and again in the free booklet given to all new adopters, in the excitement of the moment most, if not all, of what's explained is immediately forgotten.  Our trainer Cactus is available to all HKDR adopters for advice, however with her heavy workload she can't always reply immediately so I will help as much as I can in the meantime.  The one thing everyone needs to remember is that to a newly adopted dog the home, environment and people are all strange and unknown.  It's rare that a new dog or puppy will instantly feel settled and happy, and it can take weeks for that to happen.  Please be patient and give your new dog space and time before rushing out to the groomers for a wash and haircut, or even more importantly a nail trim.  Many of my own Lamma dogs that have lived with me for years just hate to have their nails cut, so don't expect any new dog to feel differently. 

Please read the free adoption booklet

Here's another thing.  Do you let your dog(s) sleep on your bed?  Of course I do, and there are times (like now) when I'm very grateful for warm bodies to cuddle up to.  It seems strange to me that there are homes that don't even allow dogs inside the house, let alone the bedroom or the beds themselves, because dogs are social animals that naturally live, and sleep, in groups for safety and security.  There's nothing more sad than a lone dog who is left outside to sleep in a dog house or makeshift shelter while the human side of the family stay snug indoors.  

Apart from anything else, for homes that keep guard dogs rather than pets it's much more effective having the dog inside rather than in the garden where they can easily be poisoned or drugged.  A dog is also far more likely to be instinctively protective if it lives and sleeps as part of the family, even if it's not actually in the bedroom.

Asking about new puppies that cry during the night, or even adult dogs that don't sleep very well, are two common issues that our trainer Cactus deals with on a regular basis, and she also recommends allowing a puppy to be able to sleep in a room alongside one of the human family, even if not actually on the bed.  It's a total myth that this creates dominant behaviour in the dog, and all it does is to allow everyone to enjoy a good night's sleep.