The Dog Fur Life

In the lead up to finding Alphonse (then, known as Benji), I was obsessed with the idea of welcoming a second dog into my home. Eddy had been an absolute dream of a dog. Calm and gentle temperament but very treat-motivated which made training so easy. I could find another just like him and my life would be complete with my two good boys, right?

Wrong.

I learned quickly that Eddy is a unique soul. But, I would find another unique soul in their own way. Enter Alphonse.

Within the first few weeks of welcoming Alphonse home, there were countless lessons learned. Some of which were reminders of the experiences I had with Ed, while others were completely new and specific to bringing home a puppy for the first time. A puppy that up until the few days he was with his foster, had spent the first 11 months of his life on the streets of Mississippi or in a shelter. Needless to say there was adjusting for both of us that was needed. Which leads me to lesson number one.

Give your new pup time to decompress and adjust. Any good rescue organization will tell you that it takes months for a dog to get comfortable in their new environment. That means you’re not really seeing his or her’s actual personality until they’ve fully decompressed and can be relaxed in your home. Good or bad. They require time to unwind and as they do, you can start to get a sense of different personality traits: gauge how shy they are, how food motivated or playful. Routine is Important. From going out every couple of hours or at a consistent time every day to establishing healthy habits like brushing their teeth- routine is a helpful tool for getting your dog comfortable but also molding behaviors that you want to reinforce.

You’re responsible for setting them up for success. This last one is a toughy sometimes but ultimately, you know better than your dog. If you don’t want your dog to chew up your new shoes, don’t leave them out with your dog unintended and expect your new dog to automatically know they’re not a toy. It is your role to teach them the right behaviors. So, don’t put them in a position to fail. This might mean crate training, or keeping certain items out of reach at all times. It looks different to each dog and owner but the take away is the same: set your dog up consistently by helping them to learn what it is that you expect from them.

Bringing home Eddy, much of this was easy. He was already so well behaved so much of this process was really about learning him. Alphonse on the other hand, reminded me daily of these lessons. He’s still a work in progress but there are small wins everywhere. Demonstrated in him getting excited to brush his teeth at night and following me into the bathroom or sitting next to me on our walk while we wait for Eddy to finish sniffing something. Just have to keep at it and know it’s a journey!