Bringing Your New Dog Home
How to potty train my new dog and establish routines

Congratulations, you have made a wonderful decision to adopt a dog from the shelter. We hope that you and your new dog will bond and have a long lasting relationship. To insure that you get started on the right foot we have a few suggestions. It’s important to give your new dog structure and guidance in the first few weeks. Dogs feel better when they know their place in the family.
- Dogs like routine and your new dog will adjust better if you have routine feeding times, play times, and exercise times.
- Let your dog know which behaviors please you by offering praise and perhaps a treat for behaviors that you like.
Your new dog may have a few accidents in the house the first few days, even if he/she is housetrained. To help prevent this and retrain your new dog after time in a shelter, do the following:
- Keep the dog on a leash when you first let him/her explore the house. This way you can interrupt any signs of elimination and quickly take him/her outside.
- Accompany your new dog outside to eliminate. This will allow you to reward him/her with a food treat and plenty of praise for outdoor elimination.
- Never punish a dog for eliminating inside if you did not catch him/her in the act. Simply clean the area well with an enzymatic odor neutralizer and pay more attention next time.
- If you do catch your dog in the act of eliminating inside, interrupt the behavior by making a loud noise (clap your hands) and then urgently say “outside” and take the dog out. Don’t forget to praise and give a treat for finishing outside.
Dogs that are adopted from a shelter often bond very rapidly, closely, and deeply with their new owners. This can cause a problem when you have to leave him/her alone. You must teach your new dog that you are not going to abandon him/her when you leave the house.
- The very first day you should depart frequently. Just go in and out of the house numerous times for a few seconds and then a few minutes.
- Do not make a big deal out of your departures and arrivals. Just come and go without saying anything to the dog.
- Leave your dog with a food stuffed toy to keep him busy for a while after you leave.
- Leave a radio or TV on when you are gone to keep your dog company. This may calm him/her and will also provide background noise that will block all the noises outside.