New dog checklist: Your step-by-step guide to a successful start

Build a support team

Finding a great support team before your new dog arrives will make an enormous difference. Keep in mind that many shelters offer continued support once you bring your new dog home, and they can offer referrals to other services in your community.

First, you’ll need a veterinarian. Fear-Free certified veterinarians have specialized training to build trust with anxious dogs. AAHA-accredited practices follow Canine Life Stage Guidelines to develop individualized preventive health plans based on your dog’s specific needs.

Next, you will need a dog trainer. Dog training is unregulated, but certified trainers will be an important part of your support team. Look for CCPDT, PPG, or IAABC certifications. These trainers will guide you through relationship building and meeting your dog’s needs.

Before arrival checklist: 

• Adopt responsibly: A reputable shelter will match you with a suitable dog and provide information about your new dog’s history, health, and behavior.
• Find a veterinarian: Your veterinarian will provide you with guidance on how to provide the healthiest life for your new dog.
• Find a certified trainer: Your trainer can provide you with advice to help you prepare for your new dog’s arrival.

Preparing your home for your new dog’s arrival

Your new dog may be confused and overwhelmed upon arrival. Be conscious that every dog decompresses at a different pace. Preparation will make this process easier.

Before your dog arrives, have a household meeting to discuss and agree on consistent routines. Plan who will be responsible for feeding, bathroom breaks, training, and playtime.

Agree on household rules about issues such as access to furniture, sleeping areas, safe spaces, and realistic expectations about the adjustment period.

Home preparation checklist: 

• Dog-proof accessible areas and remove things that can be chewed or broken. Place food items and household chemicals out of reach.
• Designate a quiet safe space your new dog can access anytime.
• Decide on household rules and communicate with all family members.
• Purchase stainless-steel bowls, age/health-appropriate food, collar, leash, ID tag, and grooming tools.
• Identify and purchase safe and suitable comfort items, chews, and interactive toys.
• Ensure someone is home most of the day for the first few weeks.

Settling your dog in

In the first days, your dog may be scared or withdrawn. They may hide, or eat very little. This is normal for some dogs. Keep the environment calm, speak softly, let your dog initiate interaction, and avoid overwhelming them.

According to Emma Judson, dog behavior consultant and co-author of Dog Training and Behaviour Solutions: The stress-free way to live in harmony with your dog, a common mistake is to start trying to build independence too early. “People assume that separation anxiety is something a dog will develop over time if they let the dog ‘over-bond’ or become dependent on them. This is backwards. The dog already is dependent on them, entirely, wholly, completely. It is totally unnatural for dogs to be alone, trapped in a crate or in a room or in a house, unable to choose where to be and who to be with.” She emphasizes that adopted adult dogs need time to explore and build a relationship with their new family consistently over weeks, not days, before being left alone.

Try to ensure that someone is with your new dog as much as possible in the first few weeks. This will help your dog build confidence and trust, which will be the foundation of your future relationship. Leaving a new dog alone, too early, may contribute to separation problems.

Behavioral challenges such as anxiety or reactivity often don’t surface until weeks or months into adjustment. These aren’t new problems; they were masked by stress. When they appear, it’s an opportunity to understand and work with your trainer to support your dog’s needs.

First week checklist:

• Keep visitors to a minimum.
• Maintain calm, quiet environment.
• Monitor eating and bathroom habits and establish consistent feeding and bathroom break schedule.
• Let your dog explore the home at their own pace.
• Do not force interaction or socialization

Over the first weeks, your dog’s personality will emerge. They’ll engage more with their surroundings, respond to routines, and start responding to consistent feeding times, regular walks, and brief positive-reinforcement training.

Early training goals

While generalized obedience training can be valuable, your focus on the early weeks should be on house training and crate training your dog.

House training checklist:  

• Take your dog out after meals, after naps, after play, and before bed.
• Use a consistent location for elimination.
• Cue elimination with gentle praise and rewards.
• Accidents are likely but don’t worry about them or draw the dog’s attention to them.

Crating checklist:  

• Introduce the crate by always leaving the door open and put it somewhere the dog would feel comfortable.
• Throw treats and toys in the crate.
• Discuss feeding meals in the crate with your veterinarian or trainer as it is not advisable for every dog.
• Don’t force them into the crate, keep them in the crate for long periods, or use it as punishment.
• Remember that crates are for emergencies, medical confinement, transport or for short periods of confinement when they cannot be supervised.

Introducing children and other pets

Encourage older children to be involved in your new dog’s daily care. Introduce younger children under adult supervision and guidance. Even a dog that has a great history with children may become stressed and overwhelmed with young children in a new environment. Never leave children unsupervised with any dog.

Manage initial meetings with other pets carefully.  Dogs should meet somewhere neutral. Do something positive, like a walk in the park together. Cats need to feel safe at all times when being introduced to a new dog. Use baby gates or crates so that the cat never feels the need to run. Do not force any meetings with new pets and seek professional advice if you are unsure.

Introduction Safety Checklist:

• Never leave children and dogs unsupervised.
• Teach children about dog body language and how to interact safely.
• Provide a child-free safe zone for your dog.
• Meet other dogs on neutral territory first and keep dogs on loose leashes during initial meetings.
• Watch for stress signals and keep interactions short and positive.
• Feed dogs separately in different spaces.
• Wait several weeks before allowing unsupervised dog-to-dog time.
• Provide cats with safe, high places to observe the new dog and easy escape routes.

Building trust with your new dog

Your new dog needs to feel safe with you and within your home. Prioritize building that relationship and getting to know your dog before starting any training.

Behavior consultant Emma Judson recommends letting your new dog accompany you around the house to help them feel comfortable. “By trailing around after you or being with you in whatever room you are in, your dog learns that you do a lot of very dull things.” She goes on to explain that this will ultimately build your dog’s confidence. “As house training and general trustworthiness increases, your dog learns it’s ok to be alone. As security and confidence grow, they will start to choose to prioritize their comfort and entertainment over keeping tabs on you. This is a clear indicator that their feelings of security are growing.”

How to start basic training:

• Teach name recognition first.
• Use positive reinforcement such as praise, treats, toys, and play.
• Keep training sessions short (under 10 minutes) and integrate training into other activities.
• Always end on a positive note.
• Avoid punishment-based training; never use choke, prong, or shock collars.
• Work with a certified trainer for support.

Your new dog’s health

Take your dog to the veterinarian within one week.  The vet will get to know you and your new dog and create a health plan for their life stages. They will also identify any medical issues and help you navigate potential behavior concerns.

First vet appointment checklist:

• Schedule first vet appointment within the first weeks.
• Bring any medical history you have.
• Discuss the health plan for your new dog including vaccinations, boosters, and parasite prevention.
• Discuss microchipping (if not already done).
• Discuss spaying and neutering (if not already done).
• Research pet insurance or start emergency savings fund.

Your new dog will soon be part of your family

When you take on an adult dog, you are not just adopting, you are giving a dog a second chance.
Judson offers a final thought. “You’re a team now, you’re the team captain and this is your new team-mate. It is your responsibility to give him or her the skills, the confidence, the security, to be the best they can be, so you can work together as a great team. Each of you has strengths and weaknesses the other lacks. Play to those strengths and work around or improve on the weaknesses.”

The first weeks may feel uncertain or challenging. But with patience and consistency, you will have a dog who looks to you for guidance and enjoys your company.

Lean on your support team. Stay consistent. Read your dog’s signals and adjust your approach accordingly. The investment in preparation and kindness will set you both up for success.