Hi everybody,

My name is Sarah and today I wanted to talk to you about introducing a new pet to your home. Even if you don’t have other pets, there are things that will be stressful to your new pet. You are bringing them into new surroundings they aren’t familiar with, and they need time to adjust to you and everything else in their new home.

I just got a new dog that I am doing this process with right now. The first thing to do to make this process easier on your new pet is to set up a small room in the house for them. I recommend a room that isn’t occupied or needed. You can put blankets, pillows, and toys in there for them, along with food and water, you might even want to add a pet crate that is the appropriate size for your new pet, so that they have somewhere in the room to go if they are uncomfortable. Check in on them and be sure to play with them since it will help you bond.

This should be your pets new room only, while they adjust to the sights, and smells of the room they are in, and from other parts of the house. They can be in their room for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, it is different depending on the pet, and how smooth the transition goes.

Then, when you want to introduce them to more of the house start slow. Take them out to the next room off of the one you made their room, and let them explore a bit. Go slow with them, and make sure they are comfortable. If they show signs they want to go back to their room, take them back to their room, otherwise you will just stress them out and this can cause them to misbehave out of discomfort.

If you have other pets in the house, take your time introducing them. Wait until your new pet has shown they are comfortable in their own room and other parts of the house. This will make introducing them easier, because your new pet won’t be stressed out by the environment too. If you are introducing a new dog to a dog that has been in your home, I recommend having both dogs on leads that aren’t very long. That way it is easier to control both dogs.

When you do introduce your new pet to other pets in the house, make sure you are watching their body language. A word of caution, a dominant aggressive dog will not always give warning before biting. If you see their hair raised,they are standing tall,a stiff tail, they curl their lips up, give low growls or hold ears erect, these are signs they are highly uncomfortable; you should not continue to try and introduce them. Separate them and repeat this process until your new pet and previous pets get along.

If you are introducing a new cat to a new home or previous pets, you can follow the same principles. Again, when you introduce the new cat and previous pet, watch their body language. A cats body language is different from a dogs. If your cat is whipping its tail really quick, lays its ears back against its head, hisses, growls, or puffs up its tail and raises its hair, these are signs they are uncomfortable; you should not continue to try and introduce them. Separate them and repeat the process until they accept each other.

This is one of the best processes I have found and used to introduce a new pet to the home, and other pets. I hope it helps you out as much as it has helped me. Be sure to have fun with your new pet, and keep them healthy and happy.