Bringing Your Dog Home: The Complete Guide

Bringing a rescue dog home is easier when you know what to expect. This 4-part guide walks you through the first days, introducing your dog to the rest of your household, training, and keeping your dog healthy and safe, in the order you’ll actually need it.

Before you go any further, please watch the apology video and read the free adopter’s guide. It’s the first thing we ask every adopter to do, and it’s been part of our process since the very beginning.

Adopter’s guide:

1. First Days & Housetraining: what to have ready before pickup, what the first day should look like, and how to housetrain without punishment.
2. Introducing Your Dog to Other Dogs, Cats & Kids: how to safely introduce your new dog to resident pets, children, and new people.
3. Training & Behavior: reward-based training basics and fixes for common issues like chewing, jumping, and separation anxiety.
4. Health, Safety & Travel: fencing requirements, heartworm prevention, puppy-specific care, dog-proofing, and travel tips.

Haven’t adopted yet? See our Available Dogs page, or check How Long Does It Take to Adopt a Dog? for what the process looks like from application to homecoming.

Sources

This series draws on Bringing Your New Dog Home by Robin Tierney (provided courtesy of Partnership for Animal Welfare), the ASPCA, American Humane, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, and the American Heartworm Society. Full source credits appear at the end of each part.