#154 One Day at a Time

Transcript

Here's a quick tip that gets overlooked all of the time.
Don't overwhelm your new dog with too much, too fast. Whether it's a puppy or a rescue, it's easy to get excited. You want to show them off, take them places, let friends visit, go on adventures. But for your dog,
that's like landing in a new country with no idea what the language or the rules are.
Everything is brand new, your home, your voice, your routine, even the flooring might feel weird to them, and if we throw too much at them right away,
that's not socializing, it's probably stress. So instead of doing everything at once, slow it down. Take a breath, let your dog settle into your house first. Let them learn your voice, your scent, your rhythms. Keep things calm for the first week or two.
Then when they're more comfortable, gradually introduce new people, new places and new routines.
Think of it like building a foundation. The stronger and calmer that foundation is, the better your dog's behavior will be down the road. So tonight, let your new dog rest. Skip the excitement.
Let home feel safe first and then the rest will come you.