Adopting a new pet

Dr. Suzanne Hetts, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

November 13, 2009 -

Dr. Suzanne Hetts, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

It’s not uncommon over the holidays for families to add a four–legged companion to the family circle.  If you plan on having a relatively quiet holiday season, with time off from work and school, but few guests and little travel, this might actually be a good time to acquire a pet because you will have the extra time needed to help your new friend adjust.  But if your holidays will be filled with parties, lots of guests or out of town travel, the wise decision, that’s also best for the pet, would be to wait to acquire a furry friend until your life was less hectic and unpredictable.

But, if you’ve decided now is a good time to add a pet to your family, whether it’s an adult or youngster, your first stop should be your veterinarian.  Your new friend needs a thorough check-up, and should get started in whatever preventive wellness protocols your veterinarian recommends. 

Next, there are several important tasks to create a healthy relationship with your pet including:

1. Teach your pet what you want her to do.  This will allow your pet to trust you, and to enjoy learning from you.  Make learning new rules and new behaviors fun, not fear producing or intimidating.

2. Prevent problems by knowing what your pet’s behavioral needs are and doing your best to meet them.  A puppy for example is going to need to relieve herself every few hours.  If you don’t give her that opportunity, chances are she’ll soil in the house.  Provide an easily accessible, scrupulously clean litterbox containing finely grained, soft litter, to help prevent your cat from choosing the carpet instead.

3. Be consistent and predictable.  One family member shouldn’t feed your pet tidbits from the table if another person is going to scold her for hanging around the table at mealtimes.

4. Include your new pet in family activities when possible.  Engaging in shared activities will more quickly increase the bond between you and your pet.
 
You’ll also want to carefully manage introductions between any resident pets and your newly acquired pet.  Cats should be kept separate from the start, and not allowed to see each other until they are calm and relaxed when just hearing and smelling each other on either side of a closed door.  Allow dogs to meet and greet away from your home at first, and watch carefully for any threatening or fearful behaviors.  Use leashes, baby gates or other barriers, to keep all your pets safe until you know they can get along.

If things aren’t going well, it’s better to seek professional help in the first few days and not take the chance that things will get better without intervention. A behavior professional at the very least can help things get better sooner!
 

Dr. Suzanne Hetts is a certified applied animal behaviorist with more than 25 years' experience working with people and behavior problems in dogs and cats. She recently created the If Your Pet Could Talk program for PetSmart to help pet parents recognize and understand their pet's communication behaviors. She earned a bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Medical Technology, a master's degree in Wildlife Biology and a Ph.D. in Zoology/Animal Behavior, all from Colorado State University, and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society.