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Independent Animal Rescue
PO Box 14232
Durham, NC 27709
919-403-2221
www.animalrescue.net
Dog Adoption Resource Packet
Recommendations for first few days:
Planning - Please introduce your dog to your home on a day that you have some time to spend together.
Preserving housetraining skills - Even if your dog is already totally housetrained, please take your dog outdoors frequently on the first few days. Your dog will need time to get used to your schedule, which may be different from the schedule in the foster home. Preventing an “accident” will help to preserve housetraining skills. Take your dog out first thing in the morning, last thing before you go to bed, and many times throughout the day. Every hour for the first few hours is suggested.
Keeping it simple - On your dog’s first few days home, please keep the routine simple. Avoid scheduling houseguests, parties, and travel on the first few days. Let your dog get used to you and your routine before introducing adventures.
Making good habits
Furniture – Decide whether or not your dog is allowed on the various pieces of furniture in your house and be consistent with the rules from the first day. You can teach your dog stay off the furniture, or to differentiate between which pieces of furniture are allowed and not allowed. Everyone in the household should know the rules, and abide by them, including your guests.
Preventing Begging - If you don’t want your dog to beg for your food, never feed your dog any part of your meal while you are eating it. If you have table food that you want to share with your dog, do so after you are finished eating, and give it to your dog in different location from where you were eating. Be aware that some table food is not appropriate for dogs. Avoid excessive spice, toxic items, very rich items, and excess quantity.
Rewarding good behavior – give praise and rewards for all the behaviors that you want to encourage. A happy tone of voice can be more important than what you actually say, but it is good to use consistent language too!
Preserving crate training skills - If you plan to ever use a crate, make sure to keep your dog familiar with the crate. Your dog will have been exposed to a crate during foster care. It is important to understand how much and how often the dog is accustomed to being in the crate. Dogs should NEVER be locked in a crate if they are not accustomed to it. This can instantly create “separation anxiety”, which is a difficult behavioral problem. Crate training should always be done gradually. A great way to start is feeding your dog in the crate with the door OPEN. If you have the crate in the house with the door open and soft bedding inside, you might find that your dog will choose to go there for naps. Keep the crate a happy place. Before ever shutting the door of the crate, ask you dog to stay for a moment with just your hand in front of the door. Praise the dog and then let the dog come out. Very gradually start closing the door for short periods of time, with gradual increases in time as tolerated. Periodically use the crate while you are home for short periods of time, providing a treat or a kong toy stuffed with a treat. Leaving the dog in the crate while you are not home should be done in very short time increments, until the dog is tolerant of the crate for the time that you need to be away. Avoid going long periods of time without using the crate, if you plan to use it in the future.
Creating a Safe Environment
Identification - make sure your dog is wearing a collar and a tag with your phone number on it. We recommend using a secure halter for leash walking, and leaving the tags on the collar. If the dog were to wiggle out of the halter, it will still be wearing the collar and tags!
Microchip registration All IAR dogs have a microchip. Most IAR dogs will have a microchip that was provided by IAR. These chips are pre-registered to IAR, and will be registered to you when your adoption paperwork is processed. IAR will continue to be listed in the microchip’s history, and the microchip company will contact IAR if they cannot reach you.
Some dogs will have a microchip that was administered before the dog came into IAR. In these cases, we will re-register the microchip to you when your adoption paperwork is processed.
It is a good idea to verify that your microchip is properly registered. Please allow 3 weeks after your adoption has finalized for your chip registration to be updated.
You can verify your dog’s microchip registration by calling the microchip company. Your adoption paperwork has the microchip number listed. The company can be determined by the first 3 numbers:
956xxxxxxxxxx AKC
985xxxxxxxxxx Home Again
982xxxxxxxxxx 24 PetWatch
There is also an online universal lookup service that will give you the phone number of the microchip company when you provide the microchip number: www.petmicrochiplookup.org
Please be aware that this website does not give the owner’s info. The owner’s info is only available by calling the microchip company.
Your vet should scan your dog to make sure that your dog’s microchip is still readable and that you have the correct number in your records.
Please be aware that some microchip companies will try to sell you extra services. Your microchip registration is not contingent on buying these extra services. You do not have to pay a yearly fee to benefit from having the microchip registration. (although some of the advertising might lead you to believe that)
Gates and Doors - make sure that doors and gates are latched securely. Make a habit of checking behind children and visitors who may not realize the importance of having exits securely latched.
Secure leash walking - Using a harness can be more secure because dogs are usually not able to “back out” of a harness, but can often back up out of a collar. Make sure that the harness is properly fitted.
Traveling in the car - depending on the personality of your dog, you may need to use a crate or a divider to keep your dog from negatively affecting your driving. While some dogs will ride very quietly, others will be very likely to bump you or cause other distractions.
Please do not leave your dog in the car unattended when the weather is hot. In less than 30 seconds the temperature inside the car can elevate to dangerous levels.
Toxins/poisons
Please make sure that everyone in your household is aware of the foods that are toxic to dogs. It is also important that your dog does not gain access to large quantities of food. Some dogs will gorge if they get access to unlimited food and can make themselves dangerously ill, or even obstruct their intestine.
Chocolate – toxic to dogs, especially dark chocolate or baking chocolate
Onions – toxic in large quantities, including onion grass that grows in the yard
Garlic – can be therapeutic in small doses, but toxic in large doses
Raisins – toxic even in very small quantity! Make sure you don’t offer your dog granola, cereal, trail mix, etc that may have raisins. Also watch out for bird seed mixes that contain raisins. Birds will often spread seed onto the ground, and the dogs may try to share it!
Please store chemicals in a place where dogs do not have access to them.
Antifreeze – may taste sweet and is toxic to dogs and wildlife.
Household cleaners
Pesticides and Herbicides
Lawn Chemicals (also keep dogs off lawn after applying per package directions)
Chew and Choke Hazards
Watch out for electrical cords, especially if you are adopting a puppy!
Some dogs will try to swallow things that are not digestible, which can create a risk of choking or intestinal obstruction. For example, some dogs will try to liberate the device that makes a toy squeak, which is dangerous to swallow. Some dogs will “unstuff” toys and eat the stuffing which can also be dangerous when swallowed. Select toys that are appropriate for your dog. If your dogs destroys a toy and swallows large pieces, select a different type of bone or chew toy. Most dogs do well with the toys called “Kong” which is made of very hard rubber.
Rawhide chews can be a choking hazard and/or an obstruction risk, and are not recommended. Digestible treats and chews are best.
Chicken bones should never be fed to dogs.
Keep shoes and laundry put away or out of reach.
Use a trash can with a lid, or elevate your trash can about 8 inches to discourage browsing. Avoid putting meat wrappings, trimmings, and bones into trash that will be sitting around. Get “meaty” trash into your outdoor dumpster or keep it in the fridge until trash day.
Folding metal crate safety
Metal crates that fold up are very convenient, but are also inherently less stable. When the crate is assembled, it is held together by some open ended clips that have no true locking mechanism. These clips can sometimes be disrupted by someone bumping into the crate, or by the dog bumping into the crate from the inside, or pawing at the crate. A collapsed crate would definitely frighten, and possible injure or even strangle your dog if the head were caught in an opening.
Please take a few moments to make your folding metal crate safer for your dog:
1. Do not set heavy items on top of the crate that could cause it to collapse.
2. Use a couple pieces of study wire to reinforce the connection between the back of the crate and the top of the crate to prevent unexpected collapse. (such that the back cannot fold in) Use something that cannot be chewed or tugged at. Tightly wrap several loops of wire connecting the back and top of the crate.
Vet Care
Getting established - We highly recommend getting your dog established with your veterinarian within the first few weeks after adoption. Although most dogs are completely up-to-date on vet care at the time of adoption, it is good to get a file started with your vet and have a “meet and greet” so that when you dog does need something that you are already set up. Bring a copy of your IAR Canine Medical Record form to your vet so that they can get a file started and let you know when the next vet care is due.
Heartworm preventative - Your dog should receive heartworm preventative EVERY month of the year, starting at 6 weeks of age. Any lapse in dosing of the heartworm preventative can put your dog at risk of heartworm infection. Make a habit of giving the heartworm preventative on the same day of the month and keeping a record of it.
While in foster care, your dog received heartworm preventative each month. The type of heartworm preventative and the date of the last dose are indicated on your IAR Canine Medical Record Form. You will need to buy the heartworm preventative from your vet, or get a prescription from your vet in order to buy the heartworm preventative elsewhere.
Flea/Tick Prevention – there are many products available for flea and tick prevention.
Some grocery store and feed store products are harsh and we do not recommend them.
Flea collars are rarely used anymore. Similarly, it is rarely necessary to give a “flea bath” or a “flea dip” with the superior flea and tick control products that are now available.
We recommend “Frontline” or “K9 Advantix”. These are both topical products that are applied to the skin between the shoulder blades of the dog on a monthly basis. The dog should not be bathed or let swim for 3 days before and 3 days after the application of the Frontline or K9 Advantix.
In the middle of the winter, you may be able to skip a few months of flea/tick preventative without having any infestation, but have the product on hand in case you see a flea or tick!
Frontline and K9 Advantix can be purchased at your vet, or the pet store, or online.
Training
Love and affection are a great way to start, but your new dog will also need rules and guidance!
If you have adopted a puppy, it is very important that you expose him/her to new people and situations. Set a goal of introducing your new pup to 100 people in the first 6 months. This should include people visiting your home, as well as meeting people outside the home. You should also introduce your pup to as many new dogs as possible during this first 6 months. Even if your pup is a little older, there is still great benefit from socialization as described above. Implementing proper socialization early in life will increase your chances of having a very well behaved adult dog.
If you have adopted an adult dog, training can be a great bonding experience and help with basic manners. Adult dogs can learn more than you might expect!
In general, a new home is a big change for your adopted dog. Training and communication can help make the adjustment easier for both you and your dog.
IAR Training:
· As part of your adoption fee, you received a certificate for free or discounted group training sessions with a professional dog trainer. You have 3 months from your adoption date to take advantage of this training certificate,
Other Local Training Resources:
Durham APS
· Basic Dog & Puppy Classes
· Discounts for rescued dogs
· Call 560-0640 or visit www.apsofdurham.org for information
APS of Orange County